Photo proof of the big kitty around Ft Wayne

[PaulF]

This idea that if one is spotted it is probably a released pet is moronic.

Western Indiana residents urge rules for Joe Taft's Cats - Big Cat Rescue



Do you have ANY idea how many big cats are in private hands in this state? This country? No, you don't. Even the USDA does not.

http://batchgeo.com/map/796f2ff5a664d0d32380487c32ac551b

Care to include ANY support for your claims?

 

[chato]

I've heard of a lot of cougar sightings in southern Indiana, but I haven't seen any. I did get a bobcat on my trail cam 2 yrs ago in new Albany Indiana, though. I was surprised to find it and carried my pistol when hunting there after that just in case but probably no need to worry since it would probably try to stay away from a human anyways.

 

[Don]

It wasn't a dog. We shot at it, it was a grey color, and BIG also was feline in nature.

 

[kolob10]

I'm in Brown county and we have seen a couple bobcats over the past few years. Last winter, I noticed a big cat track in the snow in my woods while hiking. It was definitely a big cat track (hunt in Utah where mountain lion tracks are seen often). Never saw the cat but tracked it for a couple miles and it seemed to be heading due south west most of the time. Tried to pick up that track the balance of the winter to no avail. I hunt the west and spoke to a government hunter/trapper a couple years ago. He was quite familiar with mountain lion habits as he assisted in the deprivation reimbursement program for ranchers. He said a mature mountain lion will travel up to 20 miles at night in search of food. He said a mature lion would need to take a deer or like animal every couple weeks to survive. He said a couger can range about 200 miles in his life.

I was hunting in southern Utah about 10 years ago on a ranch that ran sheep. The owner employed several mexican immigrants each year to tend the sheep. He also had several sheep dogs that ran with the sheep for protection against predators. These dogs were not approachable by people unknown to them. These were not lapdogs to say the least. One evening as I was returning down the mountain to camp, I heard a commotion at the edge of the canyon. As it turned out, a couple of the dogs had a lion treed near where the sheep were in pasture. Nice big cat up in a black spruce tree about 50 feet. He didn't seem concerned that the dogs or I were present. Just layed on a big branch looking down at us. Never saw him the rest of the week. The rancher had a colt attacked by a lion a month previous to this incident nearby. Rancher was upset that I didn't kill the lion. He said they take several sheep during the year even with the sheep herders and dogs present. He also stated that he lost lambs to golden eagles and coyotes in the spring.

My daughter's boyfirend said he saw a big cat cross the road a couple years ago late at night but was reluctant to tell anyone for fear of ridicule.

 

[drillsgt]

What would be the rationale for the CO's to try to deliberately discredit sightings? Not to scare the "sheep"?

 

[remauto1187]

The proof is right there people..... Have a look at how far off the ground the lower branches are on the pine to the right of the "cat". The branches on a pine of that type are typically 15-18" off the ground. Compare where the head is off the ground in relation to the lower branches. Then if that isnt enough for you. Have a look at the lonesome tree in the yard to the left of the "cat". That tree appears to be 2.5-3" in diameter. If you take the same width and see how many cover the "cat" entirely you will end up with around 15-18 from rear of hind end to nose. Tail length would equal around 4 of the width of the tree. Now do the math.
Body- 15x2.5= 37.5" to 18x3=44" so it is roughly 37.5"-44" body length
Tail- 2.5x4=10" to 3x4=12" so it is roughly 10"-12" tail length
If you notice what I assume is a standard 20-21" mowing pattern caused by a pushmower(no curving mow marks at the ends so its not from a rider) you will see the "cat" cover roughly 2 of them in body length. 40-42" in length is what that comes out to which smack dab in the middle of my estimation of 37.5" to 44" in body length...hmmmmm

A feral cat huh? That is 37.5"-44" long in body length?

 

[AtTheMurph]

Wasn't it last summer or the one before that there was a mountain lion warning out near Crane Naval Warfare Center by Bloomington?

A coworker of my dad's says he has seen a mountain lion numerous times on the way to work in Seymour... Can't remember if dad said he finally got a pic of it or not.

In the last two years as well as one near Putnamville. I knew a Police officer in Putnam county who watched one for 45 minutes back in the 90s as well as one in the Lebanon area who saw one outside town.

They are transient animals that move over great distances, mostly young males searching new territory. I read a story of a tagged one that was tracked across the Eastern US from the Black Hills to the point it was run over by a car in Connecticut.

 

[AtTheMurph]

Western Indiana residents urge rules for Joe Taft's Cats - Big Cat Rescue



Do you have ANY idea how many big cats are in private hands in this state? This country? No, you don't. Even the USDA does not.

Tigers in America

Care to include ANY support for your claims?

You supplied an article about one cat that escaped. Do you have any idea how many cougars inhabit the US? East of the Mississippi? Indiana?

Didnt think so and neither does anyone else. But at least one left the black hills and walked to CT.

Mountain Lion Killed in Connecticut Made Trek From South Dakota - WSJ

Mountain lion spotted roaming in southeast Ohio by wildlife officer | cleveland.com

Cougar Reports on the Rise in Eastern U.S.

Mountain lions, wolves and black bears in Illinois?


DNR confirms several cougar sightings in 2012 | Wisconsin Outdoor Fun | wisconsinoutdoorfun.com

 

[Timjoebillybob]

Western Indiana residents urge rules for Joe Taft's Cats - Big Cat Rescue



Do you have ANY idea how many big cats are in private hands in this state? This country? No, you don't. Even the USDA does not.

Tigers in America

Care to include ANY support for your claims?

No idea, but I did see a full grown one along with 3 8mo old tigers and a very young grizzly cub in downtown Gary a few years ago. I have no idea just how many more the guy had at his house, this was in his shop.

It wasn't a dog. it was a grey color, and BIG also was feline in nature.

Might not want to be posting that. The part I left out of the quote. Unless endangering people or damaging property they are protected in IN (along with most other exotics). And I don't believe they would go for the idea that just because it was out and about it was a danger.

You supplied an article about one cat that escaped. Do you have any idea how many cougars inhabit the US? East of the Mississippi? Indiana?

Didnt think so and neither does anyone else. But at least one left the black hills and walked to CT.

Mountain Lion Killed in Connecticut Made Trek From South Dakota - WSJ

Mountain lion spotted roaming in southeast Ohio by wildlife officer | cleveland.com

Cougar Reports on the Rise in Eastern U.S.

Mountain lions, wolves and black bears in Illinois?


DNR confirms several cougar sightings in 2012 | Wisconsin Outdoor Fun | wisconsinoutdoorfun.com

Yep, but to say that it wasn't an escaped/released pet is well...

 

[Butch627]

Myself and a buddy shot at this cat a few years ago, pistol shown is a Glock 30 with a 21 mag in it.

It wasn't a dog. We shot at it, it was a grey color, and BIG also was feline in nature.

So you thought it was a big cat and not a feral house cat, right? Do you also believe it was attacking you and if not why did you shoot at it? From the diagram provided it sure looks like a canine track. If you can't tell a dog from a cat should you really be shooting at anything?

 

[OWGEM]

Other than the claw marks in the print, another way to differentiate between canine and feline is to draw an X between the toes and heel of the print. Works with a canine print but not a feline print. See post #38.

 

[Expatriated]

312 IAC 9-2-1 Taking, chasing, and possessing wild animals
Authority: IC 14-22-2-6
Affected: IC 14-22
Sec. 1. A person must not:
(1) take;
(2) chase; or
(3) possess;
a wild animal except as provided by statute or by this article. (Natural Resources Commission; 312 IAC 9-2-1; filed May 12, 1997,
10:00 a.m.: 20 IR 2700; readopted filed Jul 28, 2003, 12:00 p.m.: 27 IR 286; filed Jun 23, 2006, 2:24 p.m.: 20060719-IR-
312050214FRA; readopted filed Nov 24, 2008, 11:08 a.m.: 20081210-IR-312080672RFA; readopted filed May 20, 2014, 9:43
a.m.: 20140618-IR-312140017RFA)


312 IAC 9-3-18.5 Exotic mammals
Authority: IC 14-22-2-6; IC 14-22-32-6
Affected: IC 14-8-2-278; IC 14-22-20; IC 14-22-20.5; IC 15-17-5
Sec. 18.5. (a) An individual must not take, as defined by IC 14-8-2-278, an exotic mammal that is a species from any of the
following families of mammals:
(1) Bradypodidae (tree sloth).
(2) Bovidae (gazelle, bighorn sheep, antelope, and wildebeest), except for domestic cattle (genus Bos, including all dairy and
beef animals) and buffalo (Bison bison).
(3) Camelidae (camel and llama).
(4) Canidae (jackal, wild dog, and other exotic foxes).
(5) Cebidae (marmoset).
(6) Cercopithecidae (baboon and monkey).
(7) Cervidae (elk, moose, caribou, and other exotic deer).
(8) Dasypodidae (armadillo).
(9) Elephantidae (elephant).
(10) Equidae (wild horse and zebra), except for domestic horses.
(11) Felidae (mountain lion, lynx, tiger, and other exotic cats).
(12) Giraffidae (giraffe and okapi).
(13) Hippopotamidae (hippopotamus).
(14) Hyaenidae (hyaena).
(15) Macropodidae (kangaroo and wallaby).
(16) Myrmecophagidae (anteater).
(17) Orycteropodidae (aardvark).
(18) Pongidae (chimpanzee, bonobo, and gorilla).
(19) Procaviidae (hyrax).
(20) Protelidae (aardwolf).
(21) Rhinocerotidae (rhinoceros).
(22) Tapiridae (tapir).
(23) Tragulidae (chevrotain).
(24) Ursidae (bear).
(25) A hybrid or genetically altered mammal of any of these families.
Exempted from thissection are the following species of mammalsthat are not considered to be exotic mammals: white-tailed deer,
bobcat, red fox, gray fox, and coyote.
(b) Notwithstanding subsection (a), an individual may take an exotic mammal only if the exotic mammal is:
(1) taken by a resident landowner or tenant while destroying or causing substantial damage to property that is owned or
leased by the landowner or tenant;
(2) a species from the family bovidae, camelidae, or cervidae and slaughtered in accordance with IC 15-17-5; or
(3) an animal that has escaped from captivity into the wild and is a known immediate threat to:
(A) public safety; or
(B) the health of wild animals as verified by the Indiana state board of animal health.
(c) A person may possess an exotic mammal that is a species from a family listed in subsection (a) only as follows:
(1) Wild cats, except feral cats, in the family Felidae, purebred wolvesin the familyCanidae, and bearsin the familyUrsidae

This is a ridiculous rule. You can bet if I ever see a Rhino in the woods where I hunt in Brown Co, it's going down

 

[Timjoebillybob]

This is a ridiculous rule. You can bet if I ever see a Rhino in the woods where I hunt in Brown Co, it's going down

It's meant to prohibit canned exotic hunts. Think TX.

And what are you hunting that you have a firearm that will take down a Rhino? And you might want to be very careful, our resident Rhino is well armed.

 

[Expatriated]

And what are you hunting that you have a firearm that will take down a Rhino?

Firearm? I was planning on using my Randall knife

 

[Timjoebillybob]

Firearm? I was planning on using my Randall knife

Ahhh okay.

 

[Lonnie]

That is a house cat

 

[NyleRN]

What person takes a pic of a house cat and submits it to the DNR? I'm sure an adult could differentiate between a house cat and a wildcat at that distance

 

[OWGEM]

People believe what they want to believe. If they want it to be a cougar they will believe it's a cougar. I've seen it on numerous occasions. Example, an air traffic controller reported a UFO at the local airport. Turned out to be a bright star flashing colors due to the thicker atmosphere near the horizon. Or someone calling a coyote a wolf because they went to Yellowstone to see wolves.

 

[CountryBoy19]

People believe what they want to believe. If they want it to be a cougar they will believe it's a cougar. I've seen it on numerous occasions. Example, an air traffic controller reported a UFO at the local airport. Turned out to be a bright star flashing colors due to the thicker atmosphere near the horizon. Or someone calling a coyote a wolf because they went to Yellowstone to see wolves.

While somewhat true, don't you think there are a LOT more similarities between a twinkling star & UFO or coyote & wolf than there are between a house-cat & cougar?

Coyote vs. wolf have the same general look, one is just a bit smaller, and if they never saw a wolf up close I'm certain it would be easy to mistake coyote vs. wolf.
Twinkling star could be a UFO to some... I think it's silly to use that as an example here of mistaken identity...

House-cat vs. cougar? HUGE difference in size; there is no mistaking it, especially in daylight...

 

[OWGEM]

House-cat vs. cougar? HUGE difference in size; there is no mistaking it, especially in daylight...

If there is no mistaking it why have multiple people in this thread called it a house cat and others a cougar? You want it to be a cougar, fine it is a cougar.