Confirmed Cougar Sighting in Southern Illinois
 

Not really. But this past weekend I was in Richland County and ran into one of my cousins. He said that someone told him that someone else had seen a huge cat print in the big creek bottom about a mile from my parents place. How's that for a story[:'(]

RE: Confirmed Cougar Sighting in Southern Illinois
 

If nothing else I always have my cell phone which has the capability of taking pictures. I'd like to see a picture of these claimed tracks people talk about. Not that I havea reason not to believe your cousin's friend's friend. I'd love to find a track like that. Lay something like a pocket knife beside it for size comparison and take pictures.

RE: Confirmed Cougar Sighting in Southern Illinois
 

Just did a quick search, I though a cougar had already been found in Richland County awhile back. It was Randolph County in 2000 hit by a train. Most recent documented was 2004 in Mercer County and dead cougar was found with a arrow in it.

RE: Confirmed Cougar Sighting in Southern Illinois
 

I don't know if it was a track in the snow or in the mud. I don't put much stock into it. However, since there have been a couple of confirmed cougar sightings in Illinois, it does kind of make you wonder. Also, there have been a number of bobcat sightings in that area in recent years, so maybe the guy saw a really big bobcat print. That area is about the equivalent of 2 or 3 square miles of continuous creek bottom and brush,with other large wooded spots in the general area. Sothat would be a good area if there was something new hiding out.

RE: Confirmed Cougar Sighting in Southern Illinois
 

I belive there is big cat in Illinois. I personally have seen one near Savanna Il. A couple tears back, fishin on the ol mis. It was running up the bank, looked like a deer hind quarter it had. Real thick woods around there, and not alot of foot traffic.

RE: Confirmed Cougar Sighting in Southern Illinois
 

I used to live not far upriver from where they found the dead cougar in Mercer County. Not a big surprise there, since it is in some pretty wild river bottom country and is right across the river from Iowa where sightings are now pretty common. Seeing one on the southeast side of the state would be an even bigger surprise.

RE: Confirmed Cougar Sighting in Southern Illinois
 

man...i would think with all of these hundreds of sightings that i would have seen one by now:D[&:]

RE: Confirmed Cougar Sighting in Southern Illinois
 

Probably a Bigfoot track!

RE: Confirmed Cougar Sighting in Southern Illinois
 

Funny, but since i posted this story on another site, people are coming out of the woodwork with stories about tracks and sightings in that part of the country going back 20 years. There was even the usual "black panther" story as well. Both silly and interesting.

RE: Confirmed Cougar Sighting in Southern Illinois
 

You would think with all of the hunters have trail cameras out someone would have a picture of one. Not saying that I do not believe anyone on there sightings but pictures are worth millions.

RE: Confirmed Cougar Sighting in Southern Illinois
 

Dunno about trail cams. As I said earlier, there are a few bobcats in that area, but i have yet to see a trail cam picture of one. Ditto for Grey fox which are now rare, but still present. Whether an even rarer animal would ever show up on one is iffy. But then again, given that cougars spend a lot of time after deer, one might anticipate that eventually a pic of one would turn up, if they are actually around.

RE: Confirmed Cougar Sighting in Southern Illinois
 

I know there have been a few found dead in Illinois, but I never really thought that I would see one. Two weeks ago I seen on in a field be Bethalto and Edwardsville. You couldhave knocked me over with a feather (and I am a big guy), but it was cat. Of course all my buddies think I was drunk, but I know what I seen.

RE: Confirmed Cougar Sighting in Southern Illinois
 

I live in Central Illinois. My son was riding his 4-wheeler around the edge of one of our hay fields a couple of weeks ago. He said he saw what looked like a small cougar dart into the woods just ahead of him. He said it was yellow and definitely some sort of wildcat. There have been several sightings in our area, even claims of the black cats ( which is wierd because they aren't native here??) I went out and took pictures of prints that look like large cat tracks in that same field yesterday. I would like to post them but can't figure out how to do it ????

RE: Confirmed Cougar Sighting in Southern Illinois
 

cousin talked to a landowner up in Jo Daviess.....show him pictures, said he even shot one.

RE: Confirmed Cougar Sighting in Southern Illinois
 

The way I see it is they were once native to this area. Through restricted hunting they are making a comeback and are just coming back home. With the reintroduction of the grey wolf I am sure I will be seeing them in Southern Illinois in my lifetime. If they can shoot and kill a wild couger in the suburbs of Chicago then I see no reason they are not in the remote areas of the state.

RE: Confirmed Cougar Sighting in Southern Illinois
 

back in 2006 i was hunting with a good friend in Clinton County, Illinois. He swears to this day that he saw a cougar on opening day of 06 archery season. Last year in was hunting in nashville, illinois and another buddy and i were hunting and when we met up and were walking back in we saw some unusual tracks, a little hard to make out because they were in snow and kind of melting away, but they were a little weird. So did my friend really see one? I dont know, was it a cougar track i saw in the snow, I definitely cannot confirm that, but in all honesty, i dont bull****, i would put a large wager on it that there are cougars in Illinois, especially southern illinois, somewhere in the thick woods of shawnee theres got to be something. agree to disagree, but its almost ridiculous to say theres not.

RE: Confirmed Cougar Sighting in Southern Illinois
 

http://www.prairiestateoutdoors.com/index.php?/scattershooting/article/big_cat_near_farina

This is in Farina, Lanse. Looks like a cougar to me!

RE: Confirmed Cougar Sighting in Southern Illinois
 

I know that guy!![&:]I live about 10 miles from Farina, and IMO thats not a housecat. Thats a cougar.

RE: Confirmed Cougar Sighting in Southern Illinois
 

I know the guy that videotaped it too. From the story he told me, they had seen tracks and had seen the cougar a couple times before they got it on video. I believe it's a real cougar because I know the people that have seen it and the video looks pretty real.

RE: Confirmed Cougar Sighting in Southern Illinois
 

I looked at this video as this is a housecat until I see something that tells me otherwise. I watched the video at least 12 times and nothing about it said housecat. That is the best proof that I've seen that says they are in Illinois besides the already 3 dead bodies that have been recovered. Great footage!

RE: Confirmed Cougar Sighting in Southern Illinois
 

The only reason scientist don't think there is a cougar population in Illinois is because they would have a hard time crossing the Mississippi river but they have found cougars in Michigan, so we know they have crossed the river, now it just a matter of time until the population moves south. Cougars used to be everywhere give it another 10 or 15 years and it will be another animal that we know is in the woods with us. Who knows maybe there will be enough in my life time that I can hunt cougar in southern Illinois.

RE: Confirmed Cougar Sighting in Southern Illinois
 

I don't believe IL or IN could have a cougar population period. there is not enough unbroken tracts of timber to support a poulation. Everyone and their brother swears they have seen a cougar in Indiana, I just don't believe it at all.

RE: Confirmed Cougar Sighting in Southern Illinois
 

Except the ones that escape the exotic feline rescue center in midwest indiana!

RE: Confirmed Cougar Sighting in Southern Illinois
 

I beg to differ. Look at Iowa.I'm pretty sure that they have a small breeding population now. That state is no different than Illinois or Indiana. Shawnee National Forest contains almost the southern third of the state. Believe me. That place could hold a substanial amount of cougars.

RE: Confirmed Cougar Sighting in Southern Illinois
 

i will have to side with 2 Lunger, im not claiming i have seen a cougar, but i hunt southern illinois, and there are parts of shawnee to this day that are untouched. theie in there just a matter of where. say what you will but i carry my taurus .45 with me when i hunt shawnee