DNR admits Indiana HAS Mountain Lions!

[Jack Ryan]

Half that list DID serve a commercial or food purpose. The other half, excluding rats, were quasi commercial considering their bounty. And that would be why they were extirpated.

Beavers, cats, coyote, hogs, rats, wolves, rattle snakes, SSS with extreme prejudice.

Beavers in indiana were nearly worthless until they were trapped out every where else. They destroy ten times their own worth in timber each year even at the levels they are now. They had to put bounties on coyotes to even get people to kill them. Hogs were never native to Indiana but they did run wild in the country side as it was "fence out" during the early domestication.


SSS, if it's not trapped inside a fence, kill them all. They are useless.

 

[DeadeyeChrista'sdad]

Poor dad saw one out of his front window years ago, shortly after moving out to his farm. He can see about 3/4 of a mile to the north and about a mile to the north east, and about a quarter of a mile to the east. Several other folks in Jay and Randolph reported the same cat. I did believe him, being a pretty sane and sober character and all, but I never had so much fun implying that he'd been drinking, or was maybe a little bit senile. He got so flustered. I forgot all about it till I went back out there a couple of weeks later, and he slammed the paper with an account of the sightings down on the kitchen table and demanded of me "NOW who's crazy???" One of the few times I've ever had him fired up. Lots of fun.

 

[tradertator]

I'm very happy someone got a picture of this. I'm from Owen County and people have been seeing them for decades. I was driving one night when one ran out of a corn field, and chased a rabbit across the road. Always was embarrassed to tell folks, since the DNR has denied even the possibility of their existence.

 

[LPPOsecurity]

weve heard those and seen tracks for em up this way in the country in southwest michigan/northern indiana

 

[Benny]

If your put in a situation where you have to protect your family and friends would you really care about the law?
"oh no! that mountain lion is running rite at us!..shoot it!!!" "sorry..I cant..its against the law"
Im sure it would be considered as self defense and if it ever made it to a court of law Id bet it would be thrown out.

That wasn't my question.

Basically I wanted to know if I need to be digging a hole or calling the DNR after it's dead.

 

[johntheplinker]

I saw one years ago. I was on my uncle's farm near Alfordsville scouting deer (lived in Jasper at the time) when right as it was getting dark I saw something moving along the edge of a beanfield that looked an awful lot like a big cat. After it disappeared into the woods I walked over to were it was and sure enough, there in the dust were cat tracks bigger across than the palm of my hand. Of course when I told the biologist at Glendale he as much as said I was nuts but seemed awful curious about the details. Also another guy who hunted there and camped on the farm saw it on at least one occasion.
Since I've been living in Perry Co. I've heard mating calls on more than one occasion. That will really make your hair stand on end!

 

[Benny]

Wonder what about at the mall? What about the grocery store? Can I carry in a bank, oh, er, uhum I me can I shoot a mt lion if it's attacking my wife at the nature center in Brown County park? Golly gee, can i? CAN I!
X about a million.

While that was fairly hard to read and I'm not sure if you are "rolling your eyes times a million" at me or not, see post #45.

 

[marv]

POC Rattlers have Always been in Perry Co.

 

[Hornett]

In 1975, a friend an I saw a black one while squirrel hunting.
No one ever believed us but we both saw it.
Anyone else ever see a black one?

They seem to be very timid and avoid humans.
I think we can deal with it.

 

[40calPUNISHER]

That's awesome that mountain lions are returning to Indiana! When can we start hunting them?

 

[40calPUNISHER]

While that was fairly hard to read and I'm not sure if you are "rolling your eyes times a million" at me or not, see post #45.

I would def give DNR a call.

 

[clt46910]

If he was endangering your family or livestock, I would definitely give the DNR a call.

 

[tskin]

I've read that Bobcats are protected in Indiana, but never read that Cougars are a protected speices....if it ain't protected, then there isn't a season or law protecting it...can anyone show if this has changed an where it says it?

At this website HUNTING INDIANA - Home? under the "Ask TheConservation Officer" link here's a response from March 2009 from a game warden: "Technically, they are protected. However, you have to right to protect yourself from immediate bodily injury or death. DO NOT MISTAKE this as an excuse to shoot something just because it is there and then claim self-defense. The burden of proof will be on you proving that it was in self defense"

Also posted from the game warden in March 2009

With recent changes in the law it sounds like most exotic species are now protected and no longer fair game?

312 IAC 9-3-18.5

Adds a new administrative rule that prohibits the taking of exotic mammals and intentionally releasing them
into the wild in Indiana. This new rule prohibits the hunting of exotic mammals such as fallow deer, elk,
antelope, and zebra in Indiana. Exotic mammals that are lawfully possessed would not be able to be
intentionally released into the wild in Indiana; if one escapes, a conservation officer would have to be
notified within 24 hours. Wild boar would be allowed to be taken at any time due to disease concerns and
the potential for damage to property. Other species of exotic mammals would be able to be taken by a landowner or tenant when causing damage to property. This new rule also authorizes the possession of exotic mammals from a family listed in this rule only as allowed by statute or administrative rule. This list of families of exotic mammals is designed to include all species of mammals found throughout the world that could potentially be possessed in captivity and hunted.

312 IAC 9-3-18.5 Exotic mammals
Authority: IC 14-22-2-6, IC 14-22-32-6
Affected: IC 14-22
Sec. 18.5. (a) A person 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, big-horn 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) Lorisidae (potto and bushbaby).
(16) Macropodidae (kangaroo and wallaby).
(17) Manidae (pangolin).
(18) Mustelidae (otter, weasel, polecat and badger).
(19) Myrmecophagidae (anteater).
(20) Orycteropodidae (aardvark).
(21) Pongidae (chimpanzee, bonobo and gorilla).
(22) Procaviidae (hyrax).
(23) Procyonidae (ring-tail cat and coatimundi).
(24) Protelidae (aardwolf).
(25) Rhinocerotidae (rhinocerus).
(26) Suidae (wild boar and other exotic swine), except for domestic swine.
(27) Tapiridae (tapir).
(28) Tayassuidae (javelina and peccary).
(29) Tragulidae (chevrotain).
(30) Ursidae (bear).
(31) Viverridae (civet, genet and mongoose).
(32) A hybrid or genetically altered mammal of any of these families.

(b) Notwithstanding subsection (a), a person may take an exotic mammal only under one of the
following:

(1) the exotic mammal is taken by a resident landowner or tenant while causing damage to
property that is owned or leased by the landowner or tenant;
(2) the exotic mammal is a species from the family Suidae and has been released or escaped
from captivity or is a member of a breeding population in the wild; or
(3) the exotic mammal is a species from the family bovidae, camelidae or cervidae and
slaughtered in accordance with IC 15-2.1-24.
(c) A person may not possess an exotic mammal that is a species from a family listed in subsection (a)
except as otherwise provided by statute or by this article.
(d) A person may not release an exotic mammal that is a species from a family listed in subsection (a)
into the wild in Indiana except as otherwise provided by statute or by this article. A person must
report the escape of any exotic mammal listed in subsection (a) to a conservation officer within twentyfour
(24) hours.
(e) As used in this rule, "exotic mammal" means a species that is:
(1) not native to Indiana; or
(2) extirpated from Indiana and either:
(A) a wild animal; or
(B) a feral animal other than a dog or cat.

 

[Jack Ryan]

While that was fairly hard to read and I'm not sure if you are "rolling your eyes times a million" at me or not, see post #45.

It was even harder to write than it is to read. At least I'm not laughing as hard now as I was when I wrote it.

 

[Indyhd]

If they release armadillo how long would I have to wait to make a dillo helmet?

Dillo helmets rule. Plus the're sooooo east to line with foil.

 

[Benny]

It was even harder to write than it is to read. At least I'm not laughing as hard now as I was when I wrote it.

But it wasn't funny.

 

[Tactical Dave]

DNR finally admits to Mountain lion(s) first time since the Civil War era!

http://www.in.gov/portal/news_events/53876.htm

Indystar - State officials confirm mountain lion in S. Ind.

Mountain lion spotted in rural Greene County - 13 WTHR

Lion, not Lions.

 

[Dr Falken]

There are sooooo many people in this neck of the woods saying " I knew it, I just knew it, it WAS a mountian lion! And I'm pretty sure about that sasquatch that I saw too..."

 

[dburkhead]

Lion, not Lions.

One that they'll admit to because they've got pictures of it.

Now, as I mentioned uptopic, I saw cat tracks (heel pad and four toe pads, no "claw marks" that canids produce since their claws don't retract as cats' do) 4" across a year and a half ago in Yellowwood.

So I can judge the likelihood of the cougar they got a picture of being the only one and these prints being actually some mutant bobcat twice the size of the normal variety vs. the likelihood that the one they took a picture of is not the only one there is. (And that's what I have to judge. You, of course, have the option of simply choosing not to believe my report.)

Personally, I'd rather it be the mutant bobcats. Oversized, mutant bobcats would be way cooler than ordinary cougars. Unfortunately, that's not the way to bet.

 

[Tactical Dave]

Was just pointing out that DNR said there was a lion, not lions like the title of this thread says.