Cougars back in Illinois

[swampthang]

There has been sightings of cougars in illinois for some time now. Finally the DNR has the balls to say a confirmed sighting. Look out Captainweezy there in your neck of the woods:lol: http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2012-10-30/news/chi-trail-camera-captures-rare-photo-of-cougar-20121030_1_trail-camera-cougar-sightings-photo I believe I have seen one run acrossed a cut bean field in southern IL last fall while working. It was far away but it looked like a deer running but no long neck. might have been a cat. can't say for sure but it was HAULIN AZZ!! it covered about a 300yd stretch of field in a few seconds. Look alive hunters. There out there.:)

[Cave Rider]

I thought for second you were referring to the other kind of cougar !!! Almost got me excited..lol... I wouldnt mind photos of either though... On a serious note,that is scary stuff...you really have no chance if you are not armed.

[briano]

We have a cougar hanging around our house. It has been seen, and on several different trail cams. About a month ago it killed 2 goats about 1/4 mile from our house, I got the pistol on my hip when I take my daughter outside now.

[HONDA_ATC_FREAK]

Well a guns all fine and dandy if you are ever so lucky to get a shot but if a cougar wants to kill you your dead and you will never even know there hunting you until it's to late. My uncle and several neighbors have seen one around there area (about 15min from us) nobody has pictures yet though. They are pure killing machines i for one don't mind them being around would help thin out the deer around here a little but if i see one walk by me in my deer stand it's gonna be hanging on my wall for sure lol.

[swampthang]

looks like a couple more confirmed sightings have rolled in. http://www.pjstar.com/news/x871170806/2-more-cougar-sightings-confirmed-in-central-Illinois

[RIDE-RED 250r]

Same thing here un northern NY... Lots of sightings from reputable people and trappers, my father saw a track, my neighbor found part of a deer carcass up a tree.. and so on and so on... Yet the DEC (Our version of what you call DNR) still denies there are any cougars/mountain lion in NY at all... They are full of BS.

[captainweezy]

That IS my neck of the woods. The cobbs are our my old neighbors and know them well. I moved an hour east but the home place/farm is still there and family still lives there also. We have been hearing about sightings for years in the area. Just nothing solid with pics. It sure is the talk of the town.

[250rAL]

There was one in my area(eastern Iowa) last fall. It was seen by police and I saw it along the highway on the way to work last winter.

[Scootertrash]

OH NO!!!! Gather up the wimmenz and chillunz!!!Run for the hills!!!!


http://www.sherv.net/cm/emoticons/nervous/nervous.gif (http://www.sherv.net/nervous-emoticon-961.html)

Of the 20 recorded cougar killings in North America since 1890 (including Canada and Mexico) 11 happened in the United States and 2 of those died from rabies, not their injuries (1909) 2 were in Mexico and 7 in Canada

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_fatal_cougar_attacks_in_North_America

I think if you actually spot one you will be extremely lucky. They want nothing to do with humans, just like pretty much evry other wild animal. Like HONDA_ATC_FREAK said, if one wants to kill you, you won't know it until you're dead.

[coolpool]

They're definitely one sneaky critter. If they want you for din din then you better fight back, and hard. I've been told they will take off if you're aggresive. My boss got stalked while golfing in Jasper National Park this summer. All he had was a putter to defend himself. Good thing his screams brought some more golfers by. The Fish cops we're setting a trap for it later that day and it stalked them too. The ranger said OK enough of this and popped it.

[swampthang]

OH NO!!!! Gather up the wimmenz and chillunz!!!Run for the hills!!!!


http://www.sherv.net/cm/emoticons/nervous/nervous.gif (http://www.sherv.net/nervous-emoticon-961.html)

Of the 20 recorded cougar killings in North America since 1890 (including Canada and Mexico) 11 happened in the United States and 2 of those died from rabies, not their injuries (1909) 2 were in Mexico and 7 in Canada

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_fatal_cougar_attacks_in_North_America

I think if you actually spot one you will be extremely lucky. They want nothing to do with humans, just like pretty much evry other wild animal. Like HONDA_ATC_FREAK said, if one wants to kill you, you won't know it until you're dead.

Who's worried? I'm looking forward to hunting them once they're overpopulating the state. There was also been wild boar killed close to my house too. Hard to tell what will happen if the hogs get a good start here with all the crops. Looks like good hunting though:naughty:

[Scootertrash]

I'd love to do some hog hunting. From what I've heard from people down south it doesn't take much for them to get a foothold and they breed like rabbits, quickly developing large populations and destroying crops.

[philgipson]

i live in texas and have lived in florida not much to hog hunting.just pick one out and shoot it,there everywhere.you are right about taking over.there so many in texas its year round hunting.

[Chazz of Blades]

They say there's no mountain lions in Alabama either, but there was always one at my great grandparents growing up. Still is one, you can hear it occasionally and it shows up on cams.

[leevarnado]

i've seen two this year and a few bobcats.i live right by a wlm and there have sightings of all kinds of wild sh-t .

[Jon Boy]

dang how'd i miss this thread. :lol:

they're around here for sure. personally i've seen tracks down along the river. never saw one, but have heard something running very fast through the underbrush down at the trails many times over the years and it was no deer.
heck this thread just reminded me, there's a guy just outside of Albion that handles wild animals. can't think of the correct name for it, but the guy's place is like a halfway house for wild animals. supposedly he has bears, deer, big cats, etc... one day i was driving by the guys place and thought i was seeing things. here's this guy sitting on a quad next to the road and running along a low wall was what looked like a spotted snow leopard. the thing jumped up onto the quad in the guys lap and they drove up the drive. :crazy:

[tri again]

Local guy wears a holoween mask on the back of his head when he's outside working.

Apparently cats would rather attack when you're not looking at them.
Real common practice in Africa is to paint eyes on the back of your head.

My most memorable story is the poor lady who got dragged off a hiking trail in s calif.

Her gf was hitting the cat with a stick and some guys came by throwing rocks and hitting it for endless minutes and the cat would NOT let go.
They were in a tug o' war with 3 or 4 people on one end and he cat on the other.

We get cougar alerts all the time with lots of livestock around.
Not much ever comes of it except for tracks.

Forest service guys came out to look at tracks and said their range is at least 50 miles so rare to catch more than one glimpse.