drstalker

I hunted the first firearms season in southern Illinois on my uncles property recently and he showed me tracks from one of two cougars that have been seen in the area.Iusually bow hunt the day before slug season opens up.Anyhow while bowhunting earlythat morning I did indeed see a cub or kit from the female cougar near my stand which I thought was really neat.After talking with my uncle he told me something he was told from a retiredIDNRguy,and that was that the IDNR has released rattle snakes and cougars in the area.We never hear of these things and the IDNR initially denied releasing bobcats in Illinois.The stunning thing that I was told from a good friend recently(that hunts near Farina IL)that a plane flying slowly over the area was throwing snakes out of a plane,it was reported to the local police bya relative of his,and she was told the it was the IDNR doing it.My good friend told me that the snakes are a non reproducing snake that they released to eat turkey eggs and such.Why doesn't the state just issue more turkey permits and or lenghthen the season?I was just wondering if any of other guys from Illinois knew any of this.The cougars in the area where I hunt made me pretty nervous while walking to my stand at dark morning.