Posted on 08/23/2008 7:31:22 PM PDT by SJackson
BULL VALLEY While driving down Thompson Road on Wednesday morning, Robert Poyner Sr. couldnt believe his eyes.
At first I thought it was a couple of small deer, he said. And then I said, Them aint deer; theyre two large cats.
Images fresh in his mind from when a cougar was shot and killed by police in Chicagos Roscoe Village in April, Poyner said the two animals looked similar.
He described them as about the size of German shepherds with golden brown fur and long tails.
My first instinct was to call 911, Poyner said.
I figured Id better report it to somebody, do something to let people know that these animals were around.
About 7 miles away in Woodstock, a woman driving on Route 14 near Doty Road on Sunday about 9 p.m. reported having to brake for an animal that looked like a cougar.
Woodstock police Sgt. Richard Johns said it was the only report that the department had received.
Bull Valley Police Chief Norbert Sauers said it wasnt unusual for people to call in and say they had seen a cougar.
Ive heard people over the years say that theyve seen something around here, but nothing confirmed, he said. I would have to say the chances of them seeing a coyote is closer to the truth.
But Poyner insists that he saw a pair of cougars.
Ive seen deer; Ive seen coyote, Poyner said. Ive seen a lot in my 25 years in McHenry County, so I know what I was seeing. I wear glasses, but Im not blind.
Stacy Iwanicki, a naturalist with the Volo Bog State Natural Area, said that cougars tended to be secretive animals that stay away from people, but that they should never be approached.
Back off and give them space, she said.
If he did see a pair, we could be looking at a future with the cats settling down, or they might just be moving through, Iwanicki said. Then again, its an unconfirmed sighting, and its hard to speculate until we get further evidence a picture or footprint.
Iwanicki said cougars could travel long distances easily.
These cats could be in Wisconsin by tomorrow or Iowa by the weekend, depending on which direction theyre traveling, she said.
That would be the last thing I would do. My first instinct is to draw my weapon.
The big cats have been protected for too long...
Here in Kalifornicate - we’ve had a number of serious and fatal attacks against the unsuspecting jogger, biker and hiker by cougars....
In my RESIDENTIAL and very URBAN neighborhood in the foothills of San Jose/Los Gatos we had two mature cougars within two blocks of my home. One in a tree above a sidewalk to the local school.
Heck Grammy,
Armidillos are not native here either, but they are here.
You know when opportunistic animals expand their habitat, other ones will follow.
It’s called FOOD.
I believe there are cougars (mountain lions) expanding their ranges. The USFWS must too, because they sent me a news release about six months ago announcing they are putting up a ML website, to study the sightings. I think I sent you a link to that site.
They still deny these could expand their range. The news release explained this. But it couldn’t explain the many sightings, so this is a typical beaurecratic (sp) response.
We’ll study it as long as there is grant money to do so. Then, if our longterm studies show there is something to do, study further, we’ll do it!!! (DUH)
Check this out!
Make sure it wasn’t a Great Dane:
http://www.news-leader.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080820/BREAKING01/80820035
I used to know how to spell...recommendation!!!
If that’s a real deer, that’s one silent cat.
“Theyre take care of the stray house cat and dog problem.”
Not to mention and children, elderly, and the occasional ex marine.
“...they will soon be feasting on humans, dogs, cats, and domestic animals east of the Mississippi.”
...they will soon be feasting on UNARMED humans, dogs, cats, and domestic animals east of the Mississippi.
Fixed it for you.
;-)
If they come to WI the DNR will grant them “protected species status”—bet on it. As they say upnort’, “all a da loons aint on da lake”.
“If thats a real deer, thats one silent cat.”
No fooling. I live in cougar country, and while I hear them occasionally, I’ve never seen one. Guess I should turn around.
Especially if they hitch hike.
One morning I look out and see this large Great Dane come loping across the desert toward the mobile. As it got closer, I realized it had a long tail, with a dark splotch at the tip. I almost dropped my coffee in my lap when I realized it was a mountain lion. I made so much commotion on the porch, the cat stopped, turned around, and started loping back toward Mexico.
That probably saved its life. It was only a half-mile from the freeway.
Now would that be a mountain lion, or a desert lion? ;)
Thanks for the pings.
It’s for sure that mountain lion numbers are increasing thus they are either forced into losing their fear of man because of lost habitat or they find pets and livestock an easy mark for a meal, maybe both. :-)
Despite being a hunter for many years I’ve never seen a mountain lion in the wild. However, in the 60’s three of us were returning from a hunt in NE Oregon and stopped at a motel in Walker, CA, that’s located in the Sierras close to the NV border on US 395.
The motel was owned by a deputy sheriff and his wife and were very nice people. We got to talking about hunting and the fella said to come out back with him, he wanted to show us something. He had two full grown mountain lions in a chain link enclosure, they are beautiful animals.
So I guess I could say I saw two mountain lions on one of my hunting trips. LOL!
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