[easternpuma]

Hello.....and Happy New Year to all.
We joined this forum with the intention of obtaining data on current and past
reports of big cats called cougar, mtn lion, puma & black panthers in Indiana.
Since 1965, we have amassed over 7,000 reports, with 67% of them from credible witnesses with background experience in law enforcement, forestry & wildlife. We have conducted hundreds of field searches & interviews.
Of greatest interest are reports dating from the 1930s thru 1980. If anyone knows of a big cat sighting in Indiana or adjoining states, please respond to this inquiry.

 

[ontario boss gobler]

I am not an american but what I think you guys are doing is great.:yikes: just my neck of the country by fort erie they had sightens last year.

 

[Ray Rigby]

Earlier this year there was a sighting @ Eagle Creek Park right here in urban Indianapolis. It was from a retired reputable business man and his wife who were on a walk one evening. While camping in some remote locations fishing some of Indiana's rivers and streams, I have heard the screeches of what I assume to be from a big cat (Cougar) Not going to swear that's what it was since I never had visual confirmation.



Sincerely, Ray Rigby

 

[Woody]

There have been several suspected sightings over the years in SE Indiana, but none that I know that were confirmed. My late father-in-law swore up and down that he had seen a black bear several years ago in Switzerland County on SR250 near Pleasant. Just last year there was a confirmed bear sighting near Muscatatuck.

Woody

 

[seabee]

cougars!!

Other than the one that resides in ( little pink houses) near bloomington, there is a gunsmith that lives in an old school in wester indiana near parke county that says he has had them in his field many times. that was the first time i heard of them being here. He is very near the wabash river.

 

[Eyesman]

My son-in-law and others have seen them recently in Branch/St.Joe counties, between Bronson and Sturgis. Some say DNR are stocking them in Michigan to reduce the deer herds. Of course, DNR denies the claim. Either way, the sightings I believe. But then I came face to face with a wolverine :yikes: here in NE Indiana in the mid 80's, and look how the coyote have flourished in recent years. They are all learning to adapt to the human population. Where else are they to go?

I am an outdoorsman and a hunter. I have a strong opinion that too much of our wilderness is going under the knife. They have no choice.

 

[BREWERSVILLE OUTFITTERS]

See Big Cats

Hello.....and Happy New Year to all.
We joined this forum with the intention of obtaining data on current and past
reports of big cats called cougar, mtn lion, puma & black panthers in Indiana.
Since 1965, we have amassed over 7,000 reports, with 67% of them from credible witnesses with background experience in law enforcement, forestry & wildlife. We have conducted hundreds of field searches & interviews.
Of greatest interest are reports dating from the 1930s thru 1980. If anyone knows of a big cat sighting in Indiana or adjoining states, please respond to this inquiry.

YOU can see BIG CATS in chat room nighty...8 to 10pm is best time for sighting.

 

[smitty]

I'm sure some will think i am crazy, but i saw a panther about 10 years ago out by Brush Creek Res. in Jennings county. Had two other guys in the car who tell people about it, but I normally keep the story to my self.

 

[alhersch]

there have been several sightings here here, one in miami county but the youth pastor from the church by my house. The sighting wasn't too far from here. The pastor and his wife were taking a walk so they saw it for a bit running, and the dear in a nearby fence(pets), were going nuts...

Alan

 

[indylandon]

I have a friend who works for his cousin down in Boonville IN. They sware there is a black one on some reclimation property that his cousin leases. I think they said they spotted it 3 or 4 times in the same patch of woods.

 

[scrapewatcher]

Hello.....and Happy New Year to all.
We joined this forum with the intention of obtaining data on current and past
reports of big cats called cougar, mtn lion, puma & black panthers in Indiana.
Since 1965, we have amassed over 7,000 reports, with 67% of them from credible witnesses with background experience in law enforcement, forestry & wildlife. We have conducted hundreds of field searches & interviews.
Of greatest interest are reports dating from the 1930s thru 1980. If anyone knows of a big cat sighting in Indiana or adjoining states, please respond to this inquiry.

i don't know where your located but the outdoor writer for the evansville newspaper has accumulated a lot of sightings some confirmed with scat and video. he had an article last yr but i don't remember which week it was about big cat sightings here in indiana. it would be my guess he could give you some good info or some contacts about sightings on big cats.

 

[410]

Cougar was seen in Whitley county by 8 or 10 people in the last 2 years. One family's children was going to get on the school bus and the cat was laying by the drive way in the tall grass. An another family watch the cat as it lay in there yard. They do not believe in having a gun in the house.

 

[trdtnlbwhntr]

If you were on Private Property, could you shoot one if you saw it?

 

[410]

What happen here is a man had them in a cage with no permit to have them so he just turned them loose. I think it would not matter where I seen it I would shoot it. We have livestock and he could easy take down a calf, pig, goat or about anything.

 

[alhersch]

I agree with ya 410, if I were to see one while I had a gun I would probably take my best shot at it. My thinking is, if the DNR officials deny that there is anything like that in my area and I see one, who is gonna miss the cat if it's not there,(in theory). (Not that all DNR officials are gonna lie to me) Furthermore there are all kinds of livestock around here, and i'm shure my uncle would appeciate me more if I shot something like that around here, for the sake of his livestock.


Alan

 

[scrapewatcher]

If you were on Private Property, could you shoot one if you saw it?

i think as soon as there's proof or there are some found dead from traffic the dnr. will put them on the protection list. they did that with bears in ky. there were rumors for yrs. of bears but soon as there was proof they were protected. i do think they are here. not by the dnr though but by illegal pet trade. i knew a guy in ky. that had a cougar cub he bought in california for $150.00 he kept it in an apt. for about 9 months till he couldn't handle it anymore and loaded it up and took it to ft. knox and turned it out. there are people that buy these things illegaly and when the newness wears off they just dump them out and the natural instinct to hunt takes over just like a house cat. just look at florida and their illegal pet trade. now they have a known monitor lizard population in the thousands as with the boa constrictor in the everglades eating pets. miami is the only city in the u.s. that has a e.r. just for snake bites because of illegal pet trade. they killed several wild boars here in daviess and green county a coulpe yrs ago. one went over 500 pds. the picture was in the paper.

 

[BREWERSVILLE OUTFITTERS]

Tim

TIM CORN....here you go Bud...this is you pic.

 

[ICOArthur]

If you were on Private Property, could you shoot one if you saw it?

There are no restrictions on taking animals that are non-native to Indiana. Therefore you could legally shoot a cougar or mountain lion. Please contact your local CO if you bag one; we'd be very interested.

Good Hunting,
ICO Arthur

 

[bigling97]

There is a cougar spotted many times by the police and many others. It is in a densly populated area with wooded areas surrounding it. The name ofthe town is Dyer,Indiana It hasnt been spotted this year but I bet shes still around.

 

[scrapewatcher]

this might help!!

www.naturealmanac.com/cougars/faqs.html