Panthers/Mountain Lions in Southern Indiana (Multiple sightings)

[cosermann]

. . .If they were there, the DNR wouldn't "hide it." . . .

The Indiana DNR essentially says, that while we don't have a breeding population of mountain lions/cougars in Indiana, we may have transient cats come through from time to time. For example, the DNR confirmed one in Greene County in 2010 [1].

However, even at a "typical population" of such cats, there may only be 1 or 2 cats every 60 square miles (although this seems to vary widely). As a larger apex predator, there just aren't that many around - even when they are around. Being solitary, elusive, and wide-ranging - they're difficult to count.


[1] - DNR: Mountain Lions in Indiana

 

[devious169]

I've got a friend of mine who is a conservation officer and he has shown me trail cam pics of mountain lion in Harrison,Crawford, and perry counties. Also went on to tell me that 6 years ago the dnr distributed 6 sets of male/ female wolves out across the southern part of the state. Last deer season I stopped at Stephenson general store in Leavenworth and was talking to the owner, he showed me pictures that he and the dnr had taken from his farm pond. Looked to be small honey bear and mountain lion.

 

[The Bubba Effect]

What is a "honey bear"?

 

[JimH]

I've got a friend of mine who is a conservation officer and he has shown me trail cam pics of mountain lion in Harrison,Crawford, and perry counties. Also went on to tell me that 6 years ago the dnr distributed 6 sets of male/ female wolves out across the southern part of the state. Last deer season I stopped at Stephenson general store in Leavenworth and was talking to the owner, he showed me pictures that he and the dnr had taken from his farm pond. Looked to be small honey bear and mountain lion.

Proof that even C.O.'s have a sense of humor !

 

[singlestacksig]

What is a "honey bear"?

Slang term for a black bear.

 

[singlestacksig]

DNR confirms cougar in Lower Peninsula for 1st time in a century


DNR confirms cougar in Lower Peninsula for 1st time in a century

 

[Brad69]

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I will keep an eye out !

We have a normal population of Bobcats and they are not an uncommon animal in Perry county.
Large cat rumors abound as well as black bear.
I spend a large amount of time in the woods.
I hunt deep into the woods in remote areas that most people never go.
I carry a camera and I am well connected to the local outdoor community if it's out there I will report it.

 

[indiucky]

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I will keep an eye out !

We have a normal population of Bobcats and they are not an uncommon animal in Perry county.
Large cat rumors abound as well as black bear.
I spend a large amount of time in the woods.
I hunt deep into the woods in remote areas that most people never go.
I carry a camera and I am well connected to the local outdoor community if it's out there I will report it.

Nice pictures Brad......Many folks do not realize how isolated and wooded southern Indiana is....Especially Perry County...That whole "Crawford Plateau" geological feature is truly a sight to behold and a treasure in the state of Indiana...



My wife took this in one of our many rock shelter overhangs...Just beautiful....

 

[4651feeder]

DNR confirms cougar in Lower Peninsula for 1st time in a century


DNR confirms cougar in Lower Peninsula for 1st time in a century

I could have swore Michigan Dept Natural Resources "officially" stated in a 2009 Michigan Outdoors article pretty much what is currently claimed in this 2017 Detroit Free Press article. In addition to the Ct. cat cited in this article as testing genetically as a western strain cat at the risk of repeating myself (not certain I've stated here previously) In late August 2015 The Rapid City Journal (SD) carried story proclaiming a young male cougar (2-5 years old)​

killed in the summer of 2014 near Lexington KY had tested genetically as a "Black Hills Cat".​

KY Wildlife officials were quick to refute possibility the cat had traveled that far on it's own​

with explaination it most certainly must have been transported by human​

and had then either escaped or been intentionally released.​

They attempted to bolster argument by questioning why the cat had apparently not been sighted​

between these two locations, if it had indeed traveled on it's own.​

 

[indiucky]

So I seriously do not trust any of the people claiming to see stuff in the woods. People's memory and what they think they saw is often not correct. They see something brown and largeish moving in the woods.....it MUST be a mountain lion. Never mind that they were nervous and on edge from their buddies stories about killer mountain lions in Southern IN they heard before they went into the woods.

I don't believe any of it at this point. Show me a dead one confirmed by the DNR.

We "Live" part time in the woods...We are never "on edge" when we are there...We are just "on porch"...Which is where my wife was when she saw a mountain lion...It was not in "the woods" but walking in a bare field following a scent....She had 2 minutes of a clear view of the animal.....She is from California so she knows what a Mountain Lion looks like...Saw her first at Big Bear when she was in her early teens camping with her family...It's funny that someone from (I assume based on brother living in Lafayette) up in the flat part of Indiana who (I assume) has never seen a mountain lion in the wild would automatically doubt the sighting of one from someone who grew up in the west and has some experience with such things....

https://www.indianagunowners.com/fo...ountain-lion-sunday-morning-perry-county.html

She has seen countless deer, turkey, one cow, coyotes, and a bobcat in that same location....She estimated the critter's size as bigger than a bobcat by three and about the length of a deer...Weight probably 100-125...Lean but muscular...She said even from that distance she could see the muscle definition......

I know of NO ONE in southern Indiana who are scared of them or worry about them...We don't think about them but when one of our neighbor's spot one as they are passing through we believe them....

Hoosier National Forest is our home....(When you take a photo from our house the phone lists location as Hoosier National Forest)....We KNOW the wildlife there...We LOVE the wildlife there...

You honestly think people are "nervous" and "on edge" over wildlife sightings??? REALLY?????

Of course the best part is when the "imaginary" critter leaves sign......(Notice the grass blade has not even popped back up yet and the absence of any claws in the print..Photo was taken 40 minutes after sighting at about 8 am slow time..)

Here is the "woods" where she imagined it......

There is the porch she was sitting on sipping coffee when in a sudden fit of fear she willed it to appear...(Photo taken from where the tracks are so you get an idea of distance...House is an ca 1890's, two BR, L shaped farm house...She was sitting in rocker next to door...House is about 900 square feet so you have an idea of scale...)

And here is the frightened little nervous nelly helping me locate the tracks...(You can't tell but she is like totally scared to death here...)

Mountain Lions are the most widely distributed mammal in the New World....From the tip of Argentina to the colds of Canada they roam...From the Everglades to upstate New York.....The Andes to the Rockies....The jungles of South America to the deserts of the US....)


It seems naive to think Indiana is some how spared having an animal that is known for it's wide ranging ability to be barren of it's presence...It's also not good manners to assume that your fellow Hoosiers who have been blessed with such a sighting to think it's because of nerves or fear...She didn't ask to see it and wasn't looking for it...

But I am glad she did....

IMHO and if this came off defensive it's because I believe in my neighbors and my wife.....

Regards,

Indiucky

 

[GodFearinGunTotin]

I can't believe you'd use your wife for mountain lion bait like that...

 

[The Bubba Effect]

Don't take it too hard Indiucky, nobody believes us hillbillys, not even about the hills.

I know they are up near Greene County, I cannot imagine what kind of stuff you guys have in that woolly mess down near the big river.


Confirmation of a dead lion by the DNR could be hampered by the local custom of S, S, and S.

 

[ghitch75]

Don't take it too hard Indiucky, nobody believes us hillbillys, not even about the hills.

I know they are up near Greene County, I cannot imagine what kind of stuff you guys have in that woolly mess down near the big river.

yes they are here.....i tell people i'm from the hills of southern indiana......and they say what hills?...

 

[indiucky]

I can't believe you'd use your wife for mountain lion bait like that...

It's okay brother...We grilled the two T Bones she had hanging off of her back later that afternoon...I told her she needed to wear them like that so they would "thaw"...

 

[GodFearinGunTotin]

It's okay brother...We grilled the two T Bones she had hanging off of her back later that afternoon...I told her she needed to wear them like that so they would "thaw"...

That there is some fancy thinking.

 

[AmmoManAaron]

yes they are here.....i tell people i'm from the hills of southern indiana......and they say what hills?...

LOL, this southern Indiana geologist knows the feeling! Oh well, maybe it's better just to keep it all as a secret jewel for ourselves.

 

[johntheplinker]

LOL, this southern Indiana geologist knows the feeling! Oh well, maybe it's better just to keep it all as a secret jewel for ourselves.

Sounds good to me.

 

[Brad69]

I love it when people from Indy or up north say where's that?
Just get on 37 keep going south till you hit water.
I cannot tell you how many times people have guessed I am from Texas or Arkansas because of my accent?

I guess some of them would be scared deep in the big woods. I mean we're the sun don't even hit the ground.
I just call it home.

I am going to find sign of a Mountain Lion and post it here.
As soon as the ticks die down!

 

[indiucky]

I cannot tell you how many times people have guessed I am from Texas or Arkansas because of my accent?

I worked for a loan company in Greenwood just south of Indy for a couple of years...I commuted up from Scottsburg...This is an actual conversation between myself and my secretary one day...

"There's a guy on line two wanting to see about a loan..."

"Whut's he wantin' to bar-ee?"

"What?"

"Bar-ee..How much??"

"Bar-ee??? Bar-ee??? Do you mean borrow???"

"Yeah...I thought ya'll knew plain English...How much does he need to bar-ee?"

"How the **** are we even from the same state????"

"I wuz wonderin' the same thing darlin'...I really wuz...."

"You can't call me darling...."

"I just did and will continue to do so...It's part of my culture...You're not...slamming....my culture...are you??? Because HR said culture is important and we should be allowed to practice it as we see fit....Now be a sweetie and grab my soft drink for me darlin'...thanks Hon..."

 

[4651feeder]

Louie Stout (So Bend Tribune) has addressed the subject of big cats in northern In & southern Mi in his past two weekend articles. Links are below for anyone who might care to read.

July 9th Outdoors: Cougar sighting reopens debate | Sports | southbendtribune.com

July 16th Outdoors: Reaction to cougar column | Sports | southbendtribune.com