need2hunt Posted October 20, 2005 Report Share Posted October 20, 2005 Well our local paper has a story on a possible cougar being sighted several times over the last few weeks along the canal in Rock Falls (just across the Rock river from Sterling). One of the witnesses saw it out sunning itself last Friday and took several pictures of it and the DNR is investigating. Paper said that the Rock Falls Police, Whiteside County Animal Control and IDNR have all been receiving reports about it. They have a pic in the paper, but there is nothing in the pic that gives scale and with the shadows I can't make out a tail... could be a big bob cat for what I can see in the picture Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reloader Posted October 20, 2005 Report Share Posted October 20, 2005 Re: Cougars in Illinois??? I don't doubt it. My wife and I almost hit one with my truck last summer in western Nebraska. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hillbilly Posted October 20, 2005 Report Share Posted October 20, 2005 Re: Cougars in Illinois??? I wouldn't doubt it, people in my county as seen sightings of black panthers. Never seen one, but one day I heard a scream and thought that it might have been a large cat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
need2hunt Posted October 20, 2005 Author Report Share Posted October 20, 2005 Re: Cougars in Illinois??? It is legal to shoot them in Illinois Local paper is the Daily Gazette... here's a web address, story is at the top (for now) also shows the pic they had in the paper... http://www.mydailygazette.com/news/index.bsp Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Washi Posted October 21, 2005 Report Share Posted October 21, 2005 Re: Cougars in Illinois??? There are several here in Missouri and I've heard of them being in Iowa so I don't doubt them being in Illinois. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevebeilgard Posted October 21, 2005 Report Share Posted October 21, 2005 Re: Cougars in Illinois??? heck, they're all over wyoming Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beagleboy Posted October 21, 2005 Report Share Posted October 21, 2005 Re: Cougars in Illinois??? There has also been sightings of cougars in NY. There also have been pictures of a horse killed by a cougar. DEC thought it might have been coyotes but the teeth marks don't match the jaw line of a coyote but they do of a cougar. It took place in Albany County. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhunt Posted October 21, 2005 Report Share Posted October 21, 2005 Re: Cougars in Illinois??? Really wouldnt surprise me for there to be some big cats in Illinois. They do cover a lot of ground. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AaronS Posted October 21, 2005 Report Share Posted October 21, 2005 Re: Cougars in Illinois??? [ QUOTE ] I wouldn't doubt it, people in my county as seen sightings of black panthers. Never seen one, but one day I heard a scream and thought that it might have been a large cat. [/ QUOTE ] Bobcats make a very eery scream of a call, and we have those here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZooBear Posted October 21, 2005 Report Share Posted October 21, 2005 Re: Cougars in Illinois??? [/ QUOTE ] Bobcats make a very eery scream of a call, and we have those here. [/ QUOTE ] I think this is the answer to alot of our cougars here in central Iowa! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeramie Posted October 21, 2005 Report Share Posted October 21, 2005 Re: Cougars in Illinois??? [ QUOTE ] There are several here in Missouri and I've heard of them being in Iowa so I don't doubt them being in Illinois. [/ QUOTE ] That was my point too. There was a show on tv a while back about big cats in Oklahoma. There have been several killed and countless spotted. They actually put a collar on one female cat in South Dakota and it ended up in South Central Oklahoma. Thats a pretty good jot! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jerdanmagic Posted October 21, 2005 Report Share Posted October 21, 2005 Re: Cougars in Illinois??? Yeah, I know we've got them here! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mach1 Posted October 21, 2005 Report Share Posted October 21, 2005 Re: Cougars in Illinois??? Never seen one. If I ever do, I'm shooting the thing. Never seen a bobcat either. Haven't heard of either ever being sighted in my county. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIG_BUCK_1 Posted October 21, 2005 Report Share Posted October 21, 2005 Re: Cougars in Illinois??? it wouldn't surprise me that we have some cougers here Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.