DNR admits Indiana HAS Mountain Lions!

[E5RANGER375]

Wonder what else will either come or be re-introduced to the State...

wooly mamoths!! seriously, there are dumb scientist who are trying to create them again like jurrasic park or something.

we have some F'd up people running the world.

all i can say is, (hypothetically of coarse ) if a mountain lion gets anywhere close to me i MAY blow his feline azz to kingdom come, and if you think i'll be calling the DNR to be GUILTY BEFORE PROVEN INNOCENT and throw myself under the bus with a chance at jail time for killing a FREAKING LION, they are very wrong,

 

[PaPa 260]

Trust me I will practice the SSS method. I am the top predator in my neck of the woods. Tell the DNR, yeah right.

PaPa 260

 

[dtkw]

If there is one coming at me like I'd be its dinner, I'd shoot it first then call DNR about it. Rather than call first and possibly put you through all the automated info before speaking to a real person, by the time they answer, you'd probably killed by it already.

 

[E5RANGER375]

id never call them!! i already jump through their rediculous hoops to get a license to hunt game that i eat!!!

a person couldnt truely "live off the land" anymore without breaking the law. the ONLY reason i will call the DNR is when im going duck, goose or dove hunting and i have to get my HIP number, in addition to my license and bird stamp, that i already had to fork money out for. thats it.

i dont care if i saw a local truck with the words ZOO on the side, loading up some animals in the woods. my mouth is shut, because by the time it was all over youd probly be in cuffs as an accomplice. i DESPISE ANY law enforcement agency that has ABSOLUTE POWER (or takes it) and conservation officers are one of those agencies IN MY OPINION. and i wont be helping them at all!

 

[lovemachine]

I hope I never seen any around my house. I probably should start stock piling some ammo for my rifles just in case though.

 

[OWGEM]

Hey guys, A cougar (mountain lion, panther, whatever you want to call it) did escape from the Exotic Feline Rescue Center near Center Point 2-3 years ago, maybe 4. It was well publicized. As far as I know it was never captured. A cat like that can roam pretty far so it would be no surprise to find it in Greene Co., or even Brown Co.

Two years ago a friend and I were driving north on I65 in northern Jackson county in heavy rain and had a large cat run across the road in front of us. Just had a glimpse, but I thought it too big for a bobcat.

BTW, the Exotic Feline Rescue Center is well worth a visit. Gives you a chance to get up and close to about 100 cats, from cougars to lions to tigers. Pretty cool experience for the kids and grand kids, they won't forget it.

 

[jghelton]

Not to long ago we were having sightings and things of that sort right here in logansport - royal center area ...Someone even said something about baby buffalo being killed and eaten ..?

 

[wildhare]

That one out by Royal Center I think escaped from a guy west of logan on the river. I was shining that way a few years back and swear I saw one. Couldn't be sure but it was way too big to be a bobcat.

 

[dtkw]

Hey guys, A cougar (mountain lion, panther, whatever you want to call it) did escape from the Exotic Feline Rescue Center near Center Point 2-3 years ago, maybe 4. It was well publicized. As far as I know it was never captured. A cat like that can roam pretty far so it would be no surprise to find it in Greene Co., or even Brown Co.

Two years ago a friend and I were driving north on I65 in northern Jackson county in heavy rain and had a large cat run across the road in front of us. Just had a glimpse, but I thought it too big for a bobcat.

BTW, the Exotic Feline Rescue Center is well worth a visit. Gives you a chance to get up and close to about 100 cats, from cougars to lions to tigers. Pretty cool experience for the kids and grand kids, they won't forget it.

Been there a couple times with son. One time someone dropped off a dead cow at the entrance. I guess the animals would be happy.

How did they escape? Someone forgot to shut the gate and locked it?

 

[gunowner930]

If there is one coming at me like I'd be its dinner, I'd shoot it first then call DNR about it. Rather than call first and possibly put you through all the automated info before speaking to a real person, by the time they answer, you'd probably killed by it already.

If you're alone and that thing wants to make you dinner you probably won't see him until you're fighting him with your hands. They're ambush hunters and they're very good at it. I couldn't imagine fighting a 150 lb kitty cat.

If they're here to stay a good percentage of Indiana residents need to educate themselves on what these things are capable of, We haven't had large predators in this state for a very long time. If the one that was seen escaped with the other 3 2-3 years ago that means they're surviving on their own and possibly breeding, however with all of the reported sightings they were probably already there before those 4 cats escaped. Let's hope these things don't become too much of a problem.

 

[OWGEM]

Been there a couple times with son. One time someone dropped off a dead cow at the entrance. I guess the animals would be happy.

How did they escape? Someone forgot to shut the gate and locked it?

I have not been there in a few years but have heard they have moved the butchering operation away from the gate. Probably a good idea.

Don't recall how it escaped, more than likely human error.

 

[tenring]

One confirmed lion, and everyone is threatened, big deal. I'm more concerned about some drunk going back to Indy No Where from an IU ball game, or some cell phone junkie in an SUV no paying attention, than some oversized deer eater.

 

[IndyMonkey]

I have not been there in a few years but have heard they have moved the butchering operation away from the gate. Probably a good idea.

Don't recall how it escaped, more than likely human error.

I have only been there once, two years ago. THe gates didnt look to be the best built enclosure in the world and the smell of hippies was strong.

 

[shooter521]

BTW, the Exotic Feline Rescue Center is well worth a visit.

Yep, it sure is.
https://www.indianagunowners.com/forums/break_room/32141-little_boy_meets_big_kitties.html

Article on the Center and its founder from ISU Magazine:
A Really Big Cat Lover | Indiana State University Magazine

And a story on the cougar escape from 2007:
Search For Missing Cougar Goes Cold - Indiana News Story - WRTV Indianapolis

Donner, a 75-pound female cougar, scaled a 14-foot fence to escape from the Exotic Feline Rescue Center in Center Point, about 50 miles west of Indianapolis.

 

[Woodsman]

There was a story up here yesterday where a hunter saw a cougar take down a heifer. He fired one round in the air to scare the cougar off, but the heifer had to be shot. The DNR is now looking for the cougar to kill it and perform an autopsy.

Bad kitty....

 

[Ironjaw's-wife]

black cats

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.

Yes, I lived in Warrick Co. we had old strip mines behind our house and we had a black cat out there. My grandmother watched it take out a deer in a cornfield. I was at school and didn't get to see it that time. A couple of years ago my sis in law called me freaked out she seen a black cat on the edge of her pond called me to come shoot it. Told her to call DNR and I was on my way. She also had a bobcat killed in front of her house and called me to ask what it was...I had to laugh and tell her what it was. And she tells me but we don't have any in IN. haha

 

[irishfan]

I seen a bobcat or something a few years ago outside of New Castle when I was heading toward muncie. I was driving through the country and something yellow/tan colored was in full stride and only hit the road once while crossing it. The people I told about it thought I was crazy but I know it was some kind of cat I seen.

 

[rebel357]

i have seen 2 bobcats while huntin in ripley county. my family has a ton of land in greene county and we have heard lots of mountain lion reports

 

[ghitch75]

i have seen 2 bobcats while huntin in ripley county. my family has a ton of land in greene county and we have heard lots of mountain lion reports

where abouts you have land in this great county?

 

[IDCC]

In 2006 my Nephew and I saw a Black Leopard in the pasture 25 yards behind my house. My mother in law saw it twice shortly after that while driving to work in the AM. Both times it had slunk down next to the road and would jump the entire width of the country road.When I saw it it was being chased by some dogs and let out that big cat roar/scream that made the hair stand up on the back of my neck.This cat had a big blocky head, long thick tail and while it was black you could still see spots.

There was video of a black one in Decatur (Adams County) about 4 years ago.

It was all over the news, and they interviewed the Adams County CO. He said that from the video it clearly wasn't a large cat... it was just a bob-cat. But he didn't give reasons details etc... just said what he said... then got put in his place when they interviewed the zoo's cat expert after him and the expert said because of the long tail, and the manner in which is bounded over obstacles it was clearly a large cat, likely from the mountain lion/panther family.

Finally they quit denying it and realized that they can't keep it a secret forever...