Mountain lion in IL

[308pirate]

Speaking of predators............... @Fig @pmclaine

Massachusetts dog walker surrounded by pack of coyotes: How to keep kids, dogs safe

A dog walker in Massachusetts called their local police department after a pack of coyotes approached. Here's how to keep your kids and dogs safe from coyotes.

www.foxnews.com

 

[Fig]

I was in a stand for opening day of archery, and heard more yipping than I've ever heard in my life. It sounded like there were a hundred of them over the hill. Made the hair on my arms stand up it was so loud and there were so many of them. They must have had a deer cornered because they were going nuts. I was glad not to be on the ground.

Just about everywhere I hunt the farmers have standing orders to kill any coyote on sight.

 

[MtnCreek]

4 or 5 yotes can sound like 20+.

 

[hlee]

4 or 5 yotes can sound like 20+.

And when you're walking in to your deer stand at 0'dark 30 and carrying nothing but a bow, you can add another 0 to that figure...

 

[Fig]

Very true, but this wasn't that. This was at least ten if not more. More than I've ever heard at once. They were yipping and howling, and it went dead silent all at once. I guess they got him/her.

 

[shields shtr]

There's Still no hunting opportunities for wolves, <libtard state> & Washington Department of no fish and wildlife often deny attacks on cows, even though ranchers have them on game cams. Wolves were gone for years in the state, and miraculously... all sorts of packs now exist. A few supposedly are killed when cattle herds have a certain number of confirmed attacks... by govt hunters... no way to verify this of course.

I will leave my own 2 cents on this one in the interest of not hijacking the thread...I live in SW MT and am frequently outdoors hunting, etc. When wolves first came on the scene here, I was in the exact same mindset as you. I thought, "oh shit, there goes all the elk". Low and behold, we had a pack of 14 wolves (that is a shitload) that set up camp right on our place pretty much. They have really large territories and we would see them around about every 2-3 weeks like clockwork. When they were around, no elk. When they weren't around, pretty much the most elk I have ever seen. The elk population those years was gigantic. My theory is the wolves definitely take their share out of the herd, but what they mostly do is chase the shit out of them so people don't see near the game they normally do if the animals are being chased all over hell and back. The amount of wolves seemed to have no effect on the overall population. We are allowed to hunt wolves here, and that pack has been whittled down considerably. We actually have far fewer wolves now, and far fewer elk. Honestly, I think Montana FWP killed more elk than wolves ever did with their crazy liberal elk seasons.

On the lions. I see cat tracks all the time, but have seen exactly 3 lions on the hoof in all my time outdoors, that haven't been treed by dogs. They are incredibly elusive and wary. I saw one last year when I was mtn goat hunting and I was so stupefied I just sat there like an idiot and watched it stare at me, then run away. I had a tag in my pocket as well. I don't mind sharing the woods with them, they are a pretty cool animal.

 

[pmclaine]

Speaking of predators............... @Fig @pmclaine

Massachusetts dog walker surrounded by pack of coyotes: How to keep kids, dogs safe

A dog walker in Massachusetts called their local police department after a pack of coyotes approached. Here's how to keep your kids and dogs safe from coyotes.

www.foxnews.com

Big pack of them at the bottom of my hill.

Out running few weeks ago at 0430 they were howling up a storm.

Swampscott is where our governor lives hopefully he is a dog walker.

 

[Snipe260]

Seriously? You are the WTF around here.

BTW no, he's not a game warden. He works for the IL State Police.

This one IS a black Illinois Conservation Police officer tho.........
View attachment 7978893

I can see it now. Walks up on mtcreek. Why are you hunting in all white robe and hat. Snow suit says creek! Lady looks around and says. But it’s not snowing

 

[OREGUN]

I will leave my own 2 cents on this one in the interest of not hijacking the thread...I live in SW MT and am frequently outdoors hunting, etc. When wolves first came on the scene here, I was in the exact same mindset as you. I thought, "oh shit, there goes all the elk". Low and behold, we had a pack of 14 wolves (that is a shitload) that set up camp right on our place pretty much. They have really large territories and we would see them around about every 2-3 weeks like clockwork. When they were around, no elk. When they weren't around, pretty much the most elk I have ever seen. The elk population those years was gigantic. My theory is the wolves definitely take their share out of the herd, but what they mostly do is chase the shit out of them so people don't see near the game they normally do if the animals are being chased all over hell and back. The amount of wolves seemed to have no effect on the overall population. We are allowed to hunt wolves here, and that pack has been whittled down considerably. We actually have far fewer wolves now, and far fewer elk. Honestly, I think Montana FWP killed more elk than wolves ever did with their crazy liberal elk seasons.

On the lions. I see cat tracks all the time, but have seen exactly 3 lions on the hoof in all my time outdoors, that haven't been treed by dogs. They are incredibly elusive and wary. I saw one last year when I was mtn goat hunting and I was so stupefied I just sat there like an idiot and watched it stare at me, then run away. I had a tag in my pocket as well. I don't mind sharing the woods with them, they are a pretty cool animal.

There’s more wisdom in this one post than in two or three typical SH forums combined.

I used to track radio collars on mtn lions and wolves all over the west…we had to go that far to find them. They move around a lot at times.…like from the northern Oregon/Idaho border to southern oregon/nocal interior.

From what I’ve seen (anecdotal observations of elk and deer before, during, and after the predator reintroduction craze) , “management” of game animals is a far bigger factor in herd population than predator introduction/management. Apex predators and quadrupedal herbivores coexisted here long before humans got involved. The only reason we need “game management” is so that we can make $$$ on hunting and make jobs for game “managers”.

 

[hlee]

There’s more wisdom in this one post than in two or three typical SH forums combined.

I used to track radio collars on mtn lions and wolves all over the west…we had to go that far to find them. They move around a lot at times.…like from the northern Oregon/Idaho border to southern oregon/nocal interior.

From what I’ve seen (anecdotal observations of elk and deer before, during, and after the predator reintroduction craze) , “management” of game animals is a far bigger factor in herd population than predator introduction/management. Apex predators and quadrupedal herbivores coexisted here long before humans got involved. The only reason we need “game management” is so that we can make $$$ on hunting and make jobs for game “managers”.

If is wasn’t for game management, all of the game would have been killed by market hunters a 100 years ago. Market hunting is why we have game management today. Big city liberals, sitting around tables at restaurants, eating venison and pheasant, fed by the near indiscriminate slaughter of wildlife.

 

[OREGUN]

If is wasn’t for game management, all of the game would have been killed by market hunters a 100 years ago. Market hunting is why we have game management today. Big city liberals, sitting around tables at restaurants, eating venison and pheasant, fed by the near indiscriminate slaughter of wildlife.

Ok, so possibly not the “only” reason.

 

[loboman7x57]

Michigan DNR denied there were mountain lions here for years, even when caught on game cameras or seen by people.

There was one seen down the road from my mom's house about 8 years ago, when she still had horses. Her and my brother found foot prints out in the pasture.

DNR denied it, saying it was a large house cat or some such bullshit.

They're here, we all know it and so does the DNR. I'm glad they say what they do, as soon as they admit we have a breeding population the tree hugging bunny kissers will be screaming about protecting them. That protection could cause closure of some of our public lands to protect the big kitties. Look how they shut down our Wolf hunt. I drive truck and 95% of my miles are in Michigan and have seen 4 mountain lions in the last 10 years. 2 each in the UP and the lower peninsula.

 

[Marinevet1]

One was killed on I-35 in Kansas City around 10 years ago........

 

[sirhrmechanic]

Kind of an odd place for mountain lion out in the flat land surrounded by corn fields. But it would make a nice rug.........
I mean why not!!

You are forgetting the difference between a mountain Lion and a flatlander lion.

The flatlander lion generally drives a Volvo with white plates and can be found in the mountains only on weekends where it is taking pictures of leaves, complaining that service is better in Connecticut and has no idea how a four-way intersection works because they are apparently more-important than the other flatlander lions.

Oh and they tend to identify as ferrets and think their AMEX makes them entitled.

Sirhr

 

[shoobe01]

Dunno how official, but got a response from the DNR and that guy at least believes it. We've got big cats on the edge of the big cities, at least.

Friend of the wife's whose house is WAY inside the burbs but backs up to a wild creekbed 200 yds x 1.5 miles /insists/ they had a big cat living back there from 10 years ago (doesn't live there now), repeatedly saw it. To the point no one left their dogs outside, no one had outside cats even if they tried to, etc.