bowman15

Hey, I edited it for you. Is that better?

guide1

General Information: Massasaugas are small snakes with thick bodies, heart-shaped heads and vertical pupils. The average length of an adult is about 2 feet. Adult massasaugas are gray or light brown with large, light-edged chocolate brown blotches on the back and smaller blotches on the sides. The snake's belly is marbled dark gray or black and there is a narrow, white stripe on its head. Its tail has several dark brown rings and is tipped by gray-yellow horny rattles. Young snakes have the same markings, but are more vividly colored. The head is a triangular shape and the pupils are vertical.

States/US Territories in which the Eastern Massasauga (=rattlesnake) is known to occur: Illinois , Indiana , Iowa , Michigan , Minnesota , Missouri , New York , Ohio , Pennsylvania , Wisconsin
Countries in which the Eastern Massasauga (=rattlesnake) is known to occur: Canada
For more information, please see:
[ul]http://www.fws.gov/midwest/Endangered/reptiles/eama-fct-sht.html
[/ul]



[/align]Rattlesnakes are in these states, as mentioned above, but are endangered![/align]

GTOHunter

I remember the TV Show WKRP in Cinncinati....didn't they throw Turkeys from a helicopter,and they couldn't fly and they all fell to their death?


I think thats what happened to all the Rattle Snakes in Illinois!!!! [&:]

Bobcats are pretty well around in most of the States in the US of A....this past november during Rifle Season I had a decent size Female Bobcat with 2 small Bobcat Kittens walk up to my ladder stand and look around a while then leave down a logging road.My Neighbor has 2 pictures of a large cat on her digital camera,I told her when she gets it developed I would give her some money to burn me a CD of the cat so I could post it.Guess I need to get that pic CD to back what is on the camera....I looked at the picture on the small LED screen and it is something pretty large and tan in color...just not a good picture because of the distance and size of the camera screen,but her and her Sister In-law have both seen the cat at different times on the same property about 100-200 yards from the back side of where I Bow Hunt.Kinda scarey to think I've walked home in the dark several times after hunting by myself. [&:]

ChicagoTRS

I have seen a bobcat 10 yardsfrom my stand...

As for Mountain Lions young males are known to roam to find a territory. It is likely a few find their way across the missisippi via bridges every year looking for territory. Unknown whether any females are in the state so a population can get started. If you do see one you can shoot it as it is considered a nonnative species.

As for snakes...no reason to release them. Plenty of copperheads, timber rattlers insouthern IL.

LLBUX

Where arethe pix of these recent hunter-killed mountain lions? People have pix of everything that is real(and many things which aren't)!

With all the game cameras out today, surely someone would have a clear pic of a wild mountain lion in IL.(not photoshopped)

I believe there may be a few out there, but I also believe many people are just full of malarkey.

Gingerbear

Nebraska denied having cougars too...until someone killed one on interstate just days after the local deputies shot one to death in downtown Omaha!

s. il. hntr

CPOs were notified by a New Boston resident in Rock Island that a male cougar was found dead. The resident was on his way out to deer hunt when he discovered the cougar approximately 100 yards behind his residence. In the preliminary investigation, the cougar appeared to had been shot in the right shoulder exiting through the left shoulder with a bow & arrow. The exit wound was infected but the cougar’s hair was not slipping and the eyes were not sunken. Thus, leading the officers to believe that the cougar lived for awhile after it was shot and only being dead for a couple of days. The cougar was not declawed and did not appear to be missing any teeth. The CPOs took the following (approximate) measurements: Overall Length- Tip of nose to tail-- 7'1"; Girth-- 28" Top of front shoulder to paw-- 29"; Head Circumference-- 18 ½"; Width of front paw-- 4"; Width of back paw-- 3"; and Weight--95lbs.

bowman15

Man, look at the paws on that thing. Could you imagine something like that jumping on you in the morning on your way to your stand? Not being ready for it, in the dark, how would you fight it off? Hell, even if you saw it coming, how would you fight it off?

I'm carrying my knife in my hand from now on.

LLBUX

The cat shown above has been around now for 2 years I believe. It was Mercer County as I recall.

Lanse couche couche

I used to live about 15 miles or so upriver from New Boston. Plenty of cover up in some of those river bluffs for big cats or anything else. In fact, i was pretty much right across the river from Wildcat Den park.