Cougars in Illinois

[S.B.]

http://www.prairiestateoutdoors.com/index.php?/walmsley/unique_big_cat_release_in_pike_county/

[Graybeard]

Yeah right. 

[DanChamberlain]

Of course the story is absolute crap...but I have to say, those are beautiful cats!

Dan

[smokeeater3302]

you have got to be kidding me I know that the land would sustain these cats , however
not killing any this with antlers . I think that this gentleman has forgotten these are some of
north america's best predators . Also there is this little thing that is called prey drive .
If they are hungry and something runs instinct will overide.

[blackdirt beagles]

that article sounds like a joke but we definately DO have mountain lions here in IL. i live 1 hour north of peoria and in the last few years we have had 3 killed within 60 miles of me. not sure how they got here, but they ARE here.

[JBlk]

I live west of Peoria and we have had several sightings of big cats near here.They could come from the wildlife prairie park but with all of the streams and rivers they could come from anywhere.

[Glanceblamm]

but with all of the streams and rivers they could come from anywhere.

Agreed. Especially considering the IL & Mississippi Rivers on one side and the Ohio on the other. You also have to consider a cougars home range which can be 225 square miles as compared to 10 to 15 for a Coyote.

I have never seen a Cougar or even a track but feel that I am playing a russion roulette game with them as far as my field time spent calling in the sometimes bitter cold goes. My only thoughts are wheather or not a big cat would spook if it caught my scent from downwind while approaching the call...you would think that it would be so.

[Graybeard]

Nope I doubt it. You are on the menu for a couger they have no real fear of you. Both them and bears are going after people more regularly out in CA now that the folks there can't hunt them anymore. If they are not regularly hunted by man to produce in them a fear of man then both are fully capable of looking at man as a food source for themselves. You only THINK you are at the top of the food chain.

[Paints-n-cows]

That story is bogus.  I got the same pictures in an email from a gentleman that I know in Ohio that forwards me all kind of things like that.  The email was talking about how it pays to have a remote starter on your car when it is cold.  The picture came from Denver.

This is the quote that came off of the forwarded email entitled "Honey go warm the car up will you" that I received on December 8.

Taken on Nov 8, 09.
 
This gives new meaning to the phrase "Honey would you go outside and warm up the car for me." These were taken this weekend at a friend's house in Conifer. Conifer is just west of Denver out 285.

BTW, I live an hour south of Peoria along the Illinois and Sangamon Rivers and there ARE big cats in our area.  I saw one years ago walking down a field road.   I have quite a few friends that have seen the big cat tracks and one friend that lives down near Bluffs that has a picture of big cat that killed one of his bird dogs and was in the process of dragging the other one off.

I asked the originator to resend the message to me and if anyone would like it forwarded to them, just PM me and I would be happy to send it to you. It still has the original sender's address on it if you would like to contact him.

[smokeeater3302]

I have no doubt that there are some big cats here in IL . I have seen some sign that couldnt have been made by any thing else . I still dont think that the FB had anything to do with it . Plus the way that I understand the game laws here is that the DNR doesnt recognise them as a protected animal . Am I right in that regard

[Paints-n-cows]

I have no doubt that there are some big cats here in IL . I have seen some sign that couldnt have been made by any thing else . I still dont think that the FB had anything to do with it . Plus the way that I understand the game laws here is that the DNR doesnt recognise them as a protected animal . Am I right in that regard

The way that I understand it, if it isn't defined as a game under the current law, then it is not protected....kind of like Bigfoot.  The way I look at it, if any animal is threatening and/or a danger to my horses or cows, it is going to be history.

BTW, I got an email from some guy named "Jeff Lampe" with an email address that contains "PJSTAR" and he says that the article was, and I quote, "It was a sarcastic, humorous post by one of our bloggers. It was never intended to be taken seriously.

But thanks for the note.

JEFF LAMPE"

Now, I don't know about you, but that article looked like it was supposed to be a factual thing to me.  Perhaps the guy didn't like getting busted for telling a fabricated story.