big cats in northern Indiana

[koenig clone]

makes you think a little differently about those predawn treks to the treestand. I think i'm going to take my 45 with me now too. Just in case. As much as i like my bow, don't know that i am good enough to hold off a cat like that with it.

 

[Cygnus]

On serious note, koenig clone makes great point. Sounds like an ideal use for the Taurus Judge as well.

The big cat talk makes me think of the "Michigan Panther" sightings from living in Michigan. Black panthers or black leopards. The latter being less likely have been sighted in Michigan for decades. Lots of evidence about those. Video, droppings, dead animals, etc. They certainly could have come down this way as well.
Google Oakland county panther or michigan panther if you aren't aware of this.

 

[czar996]

Sweet what are they driving? Are they.....generous? Oh sorry.....

LOL

I need a sugar moma, but would rather have the puma variety!

 

[Bull13]

He gave plenty of description , I was the one who didnt pass it on.

he said-- Big as in not a house cat eastimated at 2'6"-3' at the shoulder.
fawn brown with some white on the chest
long tail, tail looked like it was the length of the body
He said that most of the time the cat was in view it was crouching like it was stalking and the tail was twitching
He told me this at about 9pm lastnight I will get more details today

the sighting was between 4-6pm

Sounds a bit like a mountain lion. If it had fluffy ears,(fur coming out from inside) I would say Bob cat. 3' tall though? I'm not sure, do bob cat get that tall?

 

[Bull13]

makes you think a little differently about those predawn treks to the treestand. I think i'm going to take my 45 with me now too. Just in case. As much as i like my bow, don't know that i am good enough to hold off a cat like that with it.

Years ago, I was down in Arkansas, deed south, on my friends parents property. We were going out shooting near by on some GP property, and was told, if I saw a "big cat" puma I guess, DO NOT SHOT AT IT. If I was to miss, and or **** it off, it would most likely track me back to the house and be waiting for me.
I took that advice to heart and decided I would only shoot it, if it was stalking me and had no choice. Just wanted to pass that on.

 

[deadsquirrel]

only have 1 question: ARE THESE LEGAL TO HUNT??!!!?? if i see one and it's legal, i will take it

 

[Militarypol21]

makes you think a little differently about those predawn treks to the treestand. I think i'm going to take my 45 with me now too. Just in case. As much as i like my bow, don't know that i am good enough to hold off a cat like that with it.

Took the words right out of my mouth... and people thought I was crazy for finding what looked like bear prints in yellowwood... now its cougers and black panthers!! Time to purchase some night vision for that treck to the deer blind this season!

 

[singlestacksig]

anybody ever seen one here first hand? I struck up a conversation with a stranger about deer hunting and he proceeded to show me a picture of a cougar dragging an 8 pt buck by the neck from one of his game cameras in the southern part of the state. I was skeptical about it, especially since i don't know him well. There are websites with sightings all over the state. I'm an avid hunter. I had never heard of this though. Just wondering if anyone else had seen one first hand. I'm sure someone will post some pics of some hot women, I won't complain about that either.

I have seen one first hand, I have a large forest tract along the wabash, and was about 50 yards from on once..
not a black one, but a tan one..

no doubt , it was a cougar.

 

[Whosyer]

On serious note, koenig clone makes great point. Sounds like an ideal use for the Taurus Judge as well.

The big cat talk makes me think of the "Michigan Panther" sightings from living in Michigan. Black panthers or black leopards. The latter being less likely have been sighted in Michigan for decades. Lots of evidence about those. Video, droppings, dead animals, etc. They certainly could have come down this way as well.
Google Oakland county panther or michigan panther if you aren't aware of this.

I believe there was a group that actually filed suit against the Michigan DNR to release info that they had. I remember something about a DNR employee admitting that he had destroyed a picture, on the orders of his supervisor. I do know that warning signs were placed at Sleeping Bear Dunes. Last summer a cougar was shot by police in a Chicago suburb. ( can't recall which one) I believe DNA testing showed that it was in fact a native "wild" cougar. Most of the "pets" that are released by their owners, come from South America.(different subspecies and DNA) Two years ago some folks 3 miles from here took a picture of what looked to me like a cougar. Every few months since then, someone claims to have seen it. ( and I don't doubt the stories) I've kind of taken an interest in the subject since the sighting near here. I have my google news alert set up for cougar,mountain lion, puma and catamount sightings. One thing is common in all the stories, no matter what state they come from, the DNR folks always explain it away as A) must have been a coyote B) could have been a bobcat C) if it was a cougar , it was someones illegal pet that escaped or was turned loose D) it remotely, possibly could have been a lone juvenile male that was forced to travel a long distance due to loss of habitat. It is never a female for fear of suggesting a "breeding population". They would then have to come up the funding and resources to protect and manage it.

 

[Whosyer]

only have 1 question: ARE THESE LEGAL TO HUNT??!!!?? if i see one and it's legal, i will take it

When the story about the sighting here appeared in the Journal and Courier, I recall one of the local CO's saying no to this question. With the provision of self defense. To which I believe he added "you better be able to prove it was self defense". I remember 5 years ago or so, a guy near Winchester ,Indiana shot a coyote ,that turned out to be wolf. That had been tagged by Fish and Wildlife in Minnesota. I wonder if the "mistaken identity " defense would work on a cougar? Especially since that's the most common assertion by the DNR when sightings of cougars are reported.

 

[haldir]

Sounds like a good defense. They swore on their mother's grave there were no big cats in Indiana, so obviously I never suspected that was what I was shooting at.

 

[UltraRick]

I hunt in Bloomington and we have heard the stories down there. A friend of my brother in laws has a picture of a cat of some sort dragging a deer through the woods on his trail cam. I am sure there is some around, heck I have heard stories of people seeing armidillo's in southern Indiana. I sure would like to see some of the "cat" pictures myself, but I always carry a sidearm while hunting either during bow or gun season. I see plenty of Coyote's but if I see a "cat" I am shooting it. Don't think Indiana has a season per-say but who is gonna argue if you shoot one?

Not in southern Indiana, but I have seen an Armadillo (dead on highway 135) in Brandonburg, KY just across the Ohio river from Maukport/ Corydon area.

 

[Cpt Caveman]

They are in Brown County.

 

[shooter521]

They are in Brown County.

What makes you so sure?

 

[Fishersjohn48]

Had to be said. With all of the cameras, trail cams, video cams, etc around somebody must have photographic proof. "Do you even want to find Bigfoot Greg?"

 

[wmitchell]

I live on a farm in Johnson county, 20 min from Atterbury. That being said, my grandfather and my aunt have both seen a big kitty on my place. Big enough to jump 6ft up a tree from 6 ft away. I have also caught a glimpse of one twice. And yes I take a handgun w/ me when I go hunting or fishing. I know "this thread is worthless without pics", but I don't make it a habbit of keeping a camera ready when I'm walking to my deer stand.

 

[MoparMan]

One of the trappers at Atterbury got one in a trap about 3 years ago. There were reports of 3-4 last year. This year that has been about double that in reports.

 

[kwalls]

I am hunting in the Generals hunt this year down at atterbury. Ill bring my camera along this year and see if I can get a chance at snapping a pic while I'm down there if I see a little kitty cat... Also I know a conservation officer that spends quite a bit of time down there and ask him what he has heard or seen down there... Stay tuned

One of the trappers at Atterbury got one in a trap about 3 years ago. There were reports of 3-4 last year. This year that has been about double that in reports.

 

[Cygnus]

Michigan Panther pics/links

Aks and you shall receive. Could be in IN as well. Sighting in Ohio and great lakes. Can't find any good video links but they did show them on the news from time to time.

Here's a pic form 2004 and a link to the news station site story:

The panther ? (that ain't a house cat!)

ClickOnDetroit.com - Image

The story:

Construction Workers Report Panther Sighting - Detroit Local News Story - WDIV Detroit#

Recent sightings including I-94 in western MI. Some not too far from IN border :

SaveTheCougar.Org - The Michigan Cougar Conservation Effort *please scroll down*


Alittle Native American Mytholgy for good measure:

Black panther sightings in Michigan: Fact or legend?

 

[koenig clone]

Indiana's NewsCenter: News, Sports, Weather, Fort Wayne WPTA-TV, WISE-TV, CW, and My Network YouNews

what do you think?