Big Cat Question???

[Fleatrap1]

Seems Illinois has seen a slow increase in large cat (cougar?) sightings.  Although not quite as obscure as bigfoot these animals are the story of lore among hunters.  Trail cams have caught and confirmed (by Illinois DNR) cats on a couple occasions. Another picture has surfaced just to the south of me.

A few people I have spoken with (myself not included) would love to shoot one to protect the beloved citizens of Illinois and the children who might be in the woods.  Myself, I doubt I would shoot it even if I could.  For those of you who live in "Big Cat" territory, do you take any sort of protection into the woods with you.  Also, despite the hype in my state how aggressive are these guys in your neck of the woods??  I would much rather base my opinions on facts than local lore.  Thanks all.....

[Amberjack]

Howdy Flea,

I live above 8,000' and deep in the Rockies. We have them here and every few years we'll have a human-lion interaction - sometimes with tragic results.

The reality is that they are extremely rare, a single cat typically roams a 'turf' miles and miles across.

I typically carry a sidearm when on walkabout (unless hunting) in case the occasional bear doesn't scapper off like they usually do and in the unlikely event I see a cat.

The general rule of thumb we use locally is, if you see the cat it's because he wants you to or doesn't care...and neither option is good for you. The recommendations from the DOW experts are roughly the same as for bear, make noise, look bigger, don't run.  With cats however, chances are if you see them they've been tracking you for lunch so they may not discourage easily. I wouldn't hesitate to shoot one if it was circling and wouldn't scare off.

AJ

[centaur]

I have lived in mountain lion country for a bunch of years, and I spend a lot of time in the woods. My lone sighting was a lion crossing a highway in Arizona, not Wyoming. I did have a lion kill a deer on a trail I had walked about 2 hours before, but I never saw the cat. No telling how many have watched me without my knowledge, but I don't worry about them and think they are much more interested in taking deer than taking me.

[Hoyt]

I had one walk within 50yds of my home and cross hwy one about 3:30 in the afternoon 4yrs or so ago.

I know they roam through here..Shawnee.

[monterey]

Here in CO there have been at least three deaths that I can remember wherein lions have preyed upon humans.  Two were young children and one a teen age boy.

[Walt Francis]

Below is the link to an account of one of my encounters with a mid-sized kitty:

  http://tradgang.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=055765#000000  

My bet is I have walked by several hundred kitty's over the years and never knew they were there watching me.

[Jim Wright]

I lived in Billings in 1973&74 and spent a great deal of time in areas that had lions. I have cut their tracks a number of times but have yet to see one in the wild. I suspect the odds of being attacked by a lion are considerably higher than being struck by lightning and I rather doubt the value of a sidearm as protection against a lion that really wants to do you harm. They attack from behind, from ambush at close range and make practically no noise. If I remember correctly they are the most efficient at kills per attempts among all the world's large cats but again they are extraordinarily difficult to even sight and the odds of a simple encounter much less suffering an attack are miniscule.

[Blackhawk]

Even if you hunt in the cat's area, I believe it is highly unlikely you will be in danger.  We have a good population in Washington and most of us hunters rarely see them.  

Cougar attacks in residential areas are rare, and those are usually limited to small pets or small children (running around squealing).  For some odd reason, folks on bikes seem to be a rare target as are joggers.  

To be really safe, avoid running around (or riding a bike) and yelling or acting like an injured critter.   Just enjoy the moment if you happen to see one.

[Machias]

I killed a nice lion two years ago while hunting in Idaho, but it was over my dogs.  I've seen about 2 dozen lions treed by my dogs.  Without my dogs I hunt a lot of days per year in Washington State and Idaho and in 16 years of hunting I've had one encounter.  I was turkey hunting north of Spokane.  Made several calls, stood up and turned around and there 30 feet away crouched down about to spring was a big tom.  Impressive animal!  He stood up turned to walked away and stopped and looked at me with complete disdain.  Gave me a silent hiss and walked away.  What really struck me was knowing he was there and watching him walk away he still made absolutely no sound.  I think he was about to pounce, but it was clearly a case of mistaken identity.  He heard turkey calling and saw my camo'd form from the waist up. All that said when my kids were growing up I never allowed them to run free in the woods up there, they are in real danger from lions, particularly young lions just out on their own.

[Fleatrap1]

Thanks Guys.  I don't doubt they roam here and there in Illinois.  I will take the sightings very seriously though.  Seems if they are around they are a very formidable predator.

[WyomingWhitetail]

I grew up on a ranch right on the face of the bighorns in Wyoming,and there was cats that went through the yard several times when i was a kid. Every once in a while one would eat a barn cat off the front step but other than that we never paid them much mind. We didn't seen them very often but would find there kills quite a bit. Never seemed to bother the cows and horses though.

I did get to fill my loin tag once while deer hunting but that was just a moment of opportunity more than anything else. All that being said whenever we were out and about we normally were packing a pistol of some sort but that was just as much for the coyotes, skunks, porcupines and snakes as it was for the lions and bears. My feeling is that as long as there is plenty of deer and space for them lions don't really bother much, now you start getting young ones pushed out of the woods and closer to town were deer might be scarce and problems might arise.

[Jock Whisky]

I live on Vancouver Island and we have one of, if not the highest concentrations of cats in North America. In forty years of working/hunting/hiking in the woods I've seen four. In your area at this time chances of an encounter I'd say are slim.

Most attacks here have been younger cats looking for easy prey, usually kids or small animals. My buddy's dog was attacked on the 3D range within ten feet of him. There have also been adults attacked. Most adults I've heard of that survived an attack have had a knife. (One used his bicycle)

An attack on a human will usually but not always come from behind. You won't hear it until it's on you. A side arm might work but I can't carry here.
I'm 63 and spend a lot of time scouting, hiking and stump shooting on my own so my choice is a fixed blade knife worn at the front, handle down on webbing over my shoulder. It clips into the sheath with no snaps or buckles and can be withdrawn simply by pulling on it. Some might call it a combat knife. It's no guarantee but it will give me a chance in the unlikely event I need it.

[**DONOTDELETE**]

Although not quite as obscure as bigfoot these animals are the story of lore among hunters.  

How about a "Big Foot" slaying a mountain lion...

A Big Foot Obsidian actually....

 


We have quite a few of these cats in Oregon. most of the bow hunters carry side arms for bears and cats.... I've seen them on several occasions in broad daylight, and had them circling our camp at night.... You never heard a sound so scary as having one scream at you at close yardage.

[Roadkill]

We had one follow the Truckee right into a casino, a young tom.  I agree many of them observe us to everyone wevsee.  I hunted in Dec and the deer yards had cat tracks all around them in the snow

[4 point]

I think you have a lot better chance of being gored by a deer than attacked by a lion. I don't consider them much of a danger but I do consider them very tasty.

[-snypershot317-]

i lived in washington state for a while just west of mt st helens up in the rain cloud. went fishing in the near by streams and hunting up in the mountains, and never saw one...saw the sign and heard them cry at night but otherwise not a thing. i wouldnt worry about it but i would as always be hunting with a tentative eye...i knew a few hunters who would take them out with a bow...just remember that before the gun and smoke poles came around there was only arrows, spears and knives and the Native Americans survived just fine. This is just my $.02 worth tho  

[joe ashton]

I live in Fremont County, Colo, rumored to have highest number of lions per square mile in the state.  I spend all my spare time out side and I have never seen one. Tracks, scat, dead deer, yes but an actual cat never.  I'm sure they've seen me but...

[FerretWYO]

I grew up in lion country and have hunted them for a long time. I grew up with a good friend whos dad had some of the best hounds living at the time. I have seen some where around 50 in a tree over dogs. I now have my own and spend a lot of time pusuing them.

I have also seen lions without dogs. Five in wyo while out and about. One of them my cousin even took. One in texas and one in UT.

I had an amazing oppertunity to watch a lion hunt many years ago. A large male cat took down a healty mature bull elk. The entire strugle was only about 30 seconds. Since that day I have not been to scared of them. I figure if they want me they got me.

[Archie]

I just ran into some people (extended family of some close friends) from around Galena, IL who have property in that area.  They spotted a mountain lion on (or near) their land last year and got a good look at it.

Another friend of mine claims to have spotted one on his 1,500 acres somewhere north of Dixon, IL several years ago.

[Bjorn]

We have seen their sign-tracks and scat-had a large deer kill less than 100 yards from the tracks at our local range. Last year there was a road kill lion 1 mile from our house in town. Cats have turned up occasionally in neighborhoods, school yards, bike paths-you name it. And I'm still looking for my first sighting. LOL
Maybe I'll get lucky sooner than later.