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Author Topic: Cougars/Bears (What Caliber Rifle?)  (Read 1993 times)

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Offline jdwolf

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Cougars/Bears (What Caliber Rifle?)
« on: September 21, 2008, 01:31:34 PM »
Back in the mid 80's my brother-in-law and I were crow hunting in Jefferson County.  We came across some cat tracks,  big cat tracks,  too big to be a bobcat.  The cat had walked the edge of the field (about 2 acres) and walked off into the woods.  This was around 1985-86.  So I have no doubt there are big cats in Illinois. 

Bears?  I've seen no sign of in the last 30 years.  I'm not saying they're not there,  anything's possible. 

What caliber rifle would you feel comfortable with if you happened upon a cougar or black bear? 

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Offline SDS-GEN

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Re: Cougars/Bears (What Caliber Rifle?)
« Reply #1 on: September 21, 2008, 01:47:38 PM »
Outside of hound hunting I would bet most cougars are taken with a 22-250 by coyote hunters in the west who call them in while hunting yotes.  The cougar is easy to kill, its all muscle and organs, the bones of an adult cougar can practically be fit into a shoebox.
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Offline GRIMJIM

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Re: Cougars/Bears (What Caliber Rifle?)
« Reply #2 on: September 21, 2008, 03:02:36 PM »
If I'm out hunting in Illinois I will either have a 12 guage shotgun with deer slugs or a srh 44 mag with 240 grain xtp's. Either one I feel confident enough to use on a cougar or a bear. The only time I would worry was during bow season, but then I carry a big knife.  ;)
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Offline Glanceblamm

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Re: Cougars/Bears (What Caliber Rifle?)
« Reply #3 on: September 22, 2008, 03:24:09 AM »
I have hunted the Fox & Coyotes for so many years now that I figure my chances of seeing a Cougar or calling one in would be as great as anyone's.
I do not worry about this because the Cougar is thin skinned and light boned as said and even the .22 WMR is said to be enough when the cat is treed while hunting with dogs.

What might concern me is if the cat wanted me like it does those California bikers & joggers. If this happened it would not be reluctant to approach from downwind of my location as my scent would not scare it off like it would the fox or coyote that gets behind you. I would also be unlikely to see it slinking on in from the downwind. Further complications would be to be struck by the cat as even a 100lb animal going 15mph would be a very significant impact...we would have a hell of a fight though ;D thats for sure.
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Offline Swampman

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Re: Cougars/Bears (What Caliber Rifle?)
« Reply #4 on: September 22, 2008, 04:50:09 AM »
Any deer rifle would be plenty.  I always carry a .30-06.
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Offline yooper77

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Re: Cougars/Bears (What Caliber Rifle?)
« Reply #5 on: September 22, 2008, 05:19:32 AM »
Any adequate big game cartridge will do fine.

Question, are you hunting cougars/bears with a legal license?

You cannot legally shoot any cougars/bears you just happened upon, unless you are fighting for survival.

Plus, what are the laws of carrying this type of firearm afield during crow hunting, or carrying slugs or buckshot afield with your shotgun during crow hunting?

Also, you wont know a cougar is there until its on top of you chewing.

yooper77

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Offline jdwolf

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Re: Cougars/Bears (What Caliber Rifle?)
« Reply #6 on: September 22, 2008, 10:37:24 AM »
Quote from: yooper77 on September 22, 2008, 05:19:32 AM
Any adequate big game cartridge will do fine.

Question, are you hunting cougars/bears with a legal license?

You cannot legally shoot any cougars/bears you just happened upon, unless you are fighting for survival.



  Both cougars & bears are not protected game animals in Illinois making it legal to shoot them on sight. 
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Offline yooper77

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Re: Cougars/Bears (What Caliber Rifle?)
« Reply #7 on: September 22, 2008, 10:45:58 AM »
Wow really, that's very hard to believe?

Apparently all states are differant.

Learn something new everyday.

What about a sow with cubs?  Are there any laws or rules?

yooper77
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Offline Swampman

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Re: Cougars/Bears (What Caliber Rifle?)
« Reply #8 on: September 22, 2008, 11:00:44 AM »
"Both cougars & bears are not protected game animals in Illinois making it legal to shoot them on sight."

I think that's pretty dumb.   I'm betting you can't legally shoot any song bird.
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Offline jdwolf

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Re: Cougars/Bears (What Caliber Rifle?)
« Reply #9 on: September 22, 2008, 11:21:12 AM »
Quote from: Swampman on September 22, 2008, 11:00:44 AM
"Both cougars & bears are not protected game animals in Illinois making it legal to shoot them on sight."

I think that's pretty dumb.   I'm betting you can't legally shoot any song bird.
  I asked a conservation officer if the DNR released cougars in Illinois,  he said, no,  but they had received unconfirmed reports of cougar sightings.  He said,  If you see a cougar shoot it,  then call me because I'd like to see it.  I would assume the same holds true for bears.
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Offline SDS-GEN

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Re: Cougars/Bears (What Caliber Rifle?)
« Reply #10 on: September 23, 2008, 05:34:12 AM »
Swampman, songbirds are listed as protected species, in fact all birds without a season except starlings, european sparrows and pigeons, also black birds and crows that are doing damage to crops, are protected.  Big game that doesn't have a season and isn't protected (wolf) can be shot without a tag.  This includes lions, bears, elk, moose, and a bunch of other critters.
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Offline Glanceblamm

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Re: Cougars/Bears (What Caliber Rifle?)
« Reply #11 on: September 23, 2008, 05:38:17 AM »
Quote from: Swampman on September 22, 2008, 11:00:44 AM
"Both cougars & bears are not protected game animals in Illinois making it legal to shoot them on sight."

I think that's pretty dumb.   I'm betting you can't legally shoot any song bird.

You would be correct on the song birds.
Elk would be in the same catagory as the bears & cougars though...We had two cases of Elk being taken by northern county deer hunters who mistakenly shot them as being deer (Yeah-Right ::)) but in each case the hunter was allowed to keep the Elk and continue hunting with the unfilled deer permit.
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Offline Swampman

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Re: Cougars/Bears (What Caliber Rifle?)
« Reply #12 on: September 23, 2008, 05:41:54 AM »
"in each case the hunter was allowed to keep the Elk and continue hunting with the unfilled deer permit."

Where do I sign up? ;D
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Offline Glanceblamm

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Re: Cougars/Bears (What Caliber Rifle?)
« Reply #13 on: September 23, 2008, 05:47:36 AM »
Quote
(wolf) can be shot without a tag.

I do believe that this changed in the 2006 regulations as they dedicated a full Do Not Shoot A Wolf page to that booklet and the wording was Under Penalty if I remember correctly.
I kind of suspected that to take effect due to a newspaper artical about a 5' long-90lb Gray wolf that was taken in Pike county in the winter of 05'/06' and the tounge n cheek wording about the incident in that article.
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Offline SDS-GEN

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Re: Cougars/Bears (What Caliber Rifle?)
« Reply #14 on: September 23, 2008, 05:50:51 AM »
Glanceblam, you are correct, my post may not be clear, the wolf is federally protected.  I was using it as an example of a protected species.
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Offline Glanceblamm

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Re: Cougars/Bears (What Caliber Rifle?)
« Reply #15 on: September 23, 2008, 05:51:44 AM »
Quote from: Swampman on September 23, 2008, 05:41:54 AM
"in each case the hunter was allowed to keep the Elk and continue hunting with the unfilled deer permit."

Where do I sign up? ;D

Come on up as we will be glad to have you ;D
IL is fair on this as they just charge the non-resident the same fee that the non-resident's State charges for their own out of state applicants.
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Offline Glanceblamm

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Re: Cougars/Bears (What Caliber Rifle?)
« Reply #16 on: September 23, 2008, 05:57:54 AM »
Quote from: SDS-GEN on September 23, 2008, 05:50:51 AM
Glanceblam, you are correct, my post may not be clear, the wolf is federally protected.  I was using it as an example of a protected species.

No problemo...
It is just sad that we (or should I say our State\Federal) has adopted a tree hugger atitude regarding the Wolf. I dont think that IL contested the ruling but at that time the overall sightings were few and far between. They are coming for sure though (the wolves) they are running late but will meet the predictions of the Biologist who recon that they will make it on down to the costal States.
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Offline yooper77

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Re: Cougars/Bears (What Caliber Rifle?)
« Reply #17 on: September 25, 2008, 04:48:27 AM »
OK, I asked the Illinois Department of Natural Resources this question in an email:
If a person was deer hunting, can that person shoot any and all cougar, bears and elk he or she sees without braking any game laws and continue to hunt deer since it wasn't the target game?

Answered with:
Three rules apply
1. You have to have landowner permission before you take or attempt to take the animal.
2. The animal cannot be a species that is listed as threatened or endangered in Illinois or Federally.
3. If you injure or kill the animal and it turns out it is the property of a person and has merely escaped from captivity, you could be charged with criminal damage to property.

Thank you,
yooper77
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Offline PHATINJUN

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Re: Cougars/Bears (What Caliber Rifle?)
« Reply #18 on: September 25, 2008, 05:02:55 AM »
You should probly carry at least a 8-12" S&W500 as a side arm and a 45/70 Long gun with all these Lions Tigers and Bears running around in the Illinois woods these days you can't ever have enough fire power. Kurt
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Offline jdwolf

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Re: Cougars/Bears (What Caliber Rifle?)
« Reply #19 on: October 05, 2008, 11:49:53 AM »
Your chances of seeing a cougar or bear in Illinois is probably pretty slim.  But I don't deny the fact they're out there. 
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