I posted this in the regional forums yet thought some here may find it interesting so I'll post it here too.
I was coming home from southern Illinois this morning and driving west on interstate 74(from 57 to 47)just east of Mahomet,I saw off to my right what most certainly looked like a cougar,it was traveling a newly planted field toward a treeline.I had seen many deer on this trip this morning and had on three or four occasions had deer almost run out in front of my truck heading north on I57.This was definately not a deer that I saw nor was it livestock.It had a waddle as it walked.I don't think that it was a dog either.I have heard of cougar being spotted here in Illinois at various locations,and one killed by an archer in northwest Illinois a year or two ago.I will report what I saw to the IDNR,I was just wondering if any of you have spotted any here in our state?The direction it was traveling was toward a heavily deer populated area,called lake of the woods nature preserve I believe.Just thought I would share.

my dad swears up and down he saw a black panther while plantinga tobacco field in the 80s. said it had a looonnnnngggg tail and was a couple rows long. he hates talkin bout it though because people always call him a liar. I also know some people that swear they have seen cougars. I think they are rare but definitely exist east of the mississippi. Some may be escaped or what not as well.