DNR admits Indiana HAS Mountain Lions!

[elwoodward]

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.

In 2010 a friend of mine recorded a black mountain lion behind his house about 3 or 400 yards away. later that year a friend and i were on my way back to my house driving down a country road with corn fields on both sides it was right after dusk. on the side of the road ill swear till the day i die i sat a white mountain lion tail stick up through the tall grass 2-3 feet tall. as i drove by all i could was a white blur jumping into the corn. as for my friend he bout sh*% himself when he saw the blur. from that day on i keep an eye out. ive also seen some prints at a lake but never the "cat" whats weird is the date on thread start post is after the Jackson county fair the DNR always set up there talked to CO there for about 45 min about different animals and he couldnt beleive that we had a video of a mountain lion said he would love to see it but wouldn't be back to work the booth he was just covering for a coworker that day.

 

[OWGEM]

well, let's see the video...

In 2010 a friend of mine recorded a black mountain lion behind his house about 3 or 400 yards away. later that year a friend and i were on my way back to my house driving down a country road with corn fields on both sides it was right after dusk. on the side of the road ill swear till the day i die i sat a white mountain lion tail stick up through the tall grass 2-3 feet tall. as i drove by all i could was a white blur jumping into the corn. as for my friend he bout sh*% himself when he saw the blur. from that day on i keep an eye out. ive also seen some prints at a lake but never the "cat" whats weird is the date on thread start post is after the Jackson county fair the DNR always set up there talked to CO there for about 45 min about different animals and he couldnt beleive that we had a video of a mountain lion said he would love to see it but wouldn't be back to work the booth he was just covering for a coworker that day.

 

[gunowner930]

There are no black mountain lions. Jaguars and Leopards are the only big cats that can be black. The only way anybody saw a black leopard in indiana was if it was an escaped pet, or it escaped from a zoo. Big black cats do not live here and they never have.

 

[ATOMonkey]

You'd be surprised (or maybe not) by the number of people who keep big cats as pets.

Most of them don't last long in the wild. While they do have hunting insticts, a lot of that is learned. Also, any kind of injury to a predator pretty much means death.

Then you have things like parasites that really shorten the lives of wild predators.

The most dangerous thing you EVER have to be worried about are the 2 legged animals. Predators don't want anything to do with prey that will fight back. Also, if you're super duper afraid of getting attacked by a mountain lion, just wear a mask on the back of your head. Works for people who have FOR REAL man-eating Tigers in India. Since they're ambush predators, they won't attack you if you have a face on the back of your head.

 

[Picit]

A hunting neighbor got one on his trail cam a few years ago in Fulton county and its been spotted many times since. The DNR came out and looked at pics and comfirmed it. We were told not to shoot it unless we were in danger....now if if amountain lion is close enough to see are you in danger?? I make sure to carry a sidearm while bow hunting now. Ive never seen it but have seen signs of it. We had two deer locked up from fighting and they were destroyed, spines broken and paw prints all around it. I hope I get to see it someday...I just hope I see it before it sees me!

 

[elwoodward]

well, let's see the video...

Ill see if my friend can dig it out and do my best to get it posted here n a week or so with christmas being this weekend not sure how much ill be online.

 

[w_ADAM_d88]

Ill see if my friend can dig it out and do my best to get it posted here n a week or so with christmas being this weekend not sure how much ill be online.

So I'm going to go ahead and raise the on this one!

 

[ATOMonkey]

A hunting neighbor got one on his trail cam a few years ago in Fulton county and its been spotted many times since. The DNR came out and looked at pics and comfirmed it. We were told not to shoot it unless we were in danger....now if if amountain lion is close enough to see are you in danger?? I make sure to carry a sidearm while bow hunting now. Ive never seen it but have seen signs of it. We had two deer locked up from fighting and they were destroyed, spines broken and paw prints all around it. I hope I get to see it someday...I just hope I see it before it sees me!

If you can see it, you're not in any danger.

If you can't see it, you'll never know when you're in danger until it's too late.

Lions aren't "taught" to hunt people, so they won't unless they have to. Seeing that indiana has TONS of game for them to hunt, there's no reason a lion will ever attack a person.

Out in cali where it's nothing but rocks and dust, game can be hard to come by, which is why joggers get hit by starving cats.

Anywhere else...you have a better chance of a tree falling on you than being attacked by a cat.

Most likely he'll hear you coming and run away.

 

[IDCC]

There were two black leopards that escaped from there owners in Whitfield Indiana. There are lots of exotic pets in this state.

 

[Armed Citizen]

There has been rumors of sightings of Komodo Dragons wandering about the Southern Indiana Countryside.

Taken from Komodo Dragon tree cam! =)

 

[Lonnie]

Without additional evidence, Langell said it's impossible to say if the mountain lion photographed in Greene County is wild or is a formerly captive cat.
The DNR occasionally receives reports of mountain lion sightings around the state, but typically the evidence has turned out to be something other than a mountain lion, has been inconclusive, or has proved to be part of an Internet hoax.
Since the policy's inception March 1, 19 mountain lion sightings have been reported. The report in Greene County is the only one confirmed to be a mountain lion.
Langell said two reports were confirmed by biologists as animals other than a mountain lion. Sixteen were designated as "unconfirmed" either because of no physical evidence or because photographs provided were of insufficient quality to identify characteristics of any animal type.
Prior to implementing the policy, a DNR biologist investigated and confirmed in late 2009 a mountain lion in Clay County based on evidence submitted by a hunter who had taken photographs from an elevated hunting stand. Another biologist investigated a report near Idaville in White County in December, but evidence was inconclusive.

sounds like the loins turned in a single lion just by reading the story

1 confirmed 1

 

[Mackey]

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

Very Very interesting. Thanks for the info!!
This will be nice water cooler fodder.

 

[nate1865]

Anyone else see the glaring contradiction in saying Indiana has MOUNTAIN lions? Last I checked the best we had were hills.

Keep those pets leashed, folks! Niiiiice kitty. Roooowwwwr.

 

[dswilson]

Funny that you mention that.... I (FD) was dispatched to a report of a "Lizard" on the playground at our local elementary. Upon arrival I found a 7 foot long moniter lizard that was ready for action! We advanced and retreated on that thing trying to keep it corralled for 45 minutes along with local PD waiting on animal control to come get it. That lizard was vicious. After Animal control got there the owner happend by and said it got out of the screen door. I asked "what about its cage" to which the owner repiled "oh I don't keep charlie in a cage he has his own room" he then went on to tell us about all the other nasty reptiles he had. Needless to say our trucks now have a warning with that address taped on the dash that says "loose reptiles" When I got back to station i called dispatch to get our times and asked the dispatcher why she called the FD? her response; ' I didn't know who else to call that would get there fast they said the kids were frightened!" Told her "well its not exactly a cat in a tree but ok"

There has been rumors of sightings of Komodo Dragons wandering about the Southern Indiana Countryside.

Taken from Komodo Dragon tree cam! =)

 

[spearheadersarge]

I would love to get some info of a cat down by the river. I'm into photography big time and would be willing to get photo evidence if one was close enough to my area. Personally, I don't think they would be that big of a threat to us humans with the deer population through the roof. never have seen a live bobcat in my time in the woods. Seen o couple that had been killed crossing highways. Have heard reports of trapped cat being removed from farm corn bins, etc. Those were released.

 

[dashby115]

saw one hunting in Shoals this year in martin county...glad you can carry a handgun during muzzle loader season

 

[singlestacksig]

Funny that you mention that.... I (FD) was dispatched to a report of a "Lizard" on the playground at our local elementary. Upon arrival I found a 7 foot long moniter lizard that was ready for action! We advanced and retreated on that thing trying to keep it corralled for 45 minutes along with local PD waiting on animal control to come get it. That lizard was vicious. After Animal control got there the owner happend by and said it got out of the screen door. I asked "what about its cage" to which the owner repiled "oh I don't keep charlie in a cage he has his own room" he then went on to tell us about all the other nasty reptiles he had. Needless to say our trucks now have a warning with that address taped on the dash that says "loose reptiles" When I got back to station i called dispatch to get our times and asked the dispatcher why she called the FD? her response; ' I didn't know who else to call that would get there fast they said the kids were frightened!" Told her "well its not exactly a cat in a tree but ok"

next time you have to deal with something like that, blast him with CO2 , the cold will slow hime down and make him sleepy..

 

[cobber]

If you can see it, you're not in any danger.

If you can't see it, you'll never know when you're in danger until it's too late.

...

Most likely he'll hear you coming and run away.

Didn't somebody say all of this in Jurassic Park?

 

[dswilson]

Hmm that's an interesting idea. Unfortunately I would probably just gt arrested for animal cruelty.

next time you have to deal with something like that, blast him with CO2 , the cold will slow hime down and make him sleepy..

 

[darend505]

There just now admitting it though there has been proof all over S. In for years!