Possible cat sighting

[wprebeck]

Hi all,


While out on some newly acquired land this past Thursday, my friend and I were riding the ATV around the property, and saw what could have been a cougar. Before I get into details about the animal, the land is in Hopkins county. I have 80 acres that is heavily wooded, and has a wetlands-type area up in front. There is a large pond on the property, and several trails throughout the land (it's a reclaimed strip mine near St. Charles).

It was on one of these trails that we saw whatever critter this may turn out to be. We only saw it from the rear, and by the time I got the ATV backed up, and turned down the path, it was gone. The animal was about the size of a medium-size dog, say about like a Springer spaniel or Lab/Golden retriever. I'd guess its weight in the 35-45 lb area, possibly. Being that we only saw the animal from the rear, and didn't see the head, I can't tell you for sure what it looked like, only a view from behind...the tail was long, and darkened at the end, almost to a black. The animal's body was a tan color, and my friend said he saw some type of "striping", almost like a German Shepherd coloration toward it's rear (he saw it first, and from a better angle). The ears were laid down, and the animal was running, so I can't ID the ear shape, either.

Basically, it wasn't a dog or a coyote. I've got 6 dogs, and am fairly familiar with how they run, and this animal didn't run like that. I've found what I believe to be bobcat tracks out there, as they were about the right size for a cat, and didn't have nail tracks, like a dog, but this animal was a lot longer than a bobcat, and also had a longer tail.


I'm currently looking thru the web for some photos of a cougar running away; maybe I can make a match. I was curious, though, if any cats had been reported in that area. Like I mentioned, this is in western KY, south of Madisonville, right off of Hwy 62 outside of St. Charles. The land has plenty of fresh water sources (the pond is probaly close to 5 acres), and there are lots of deer/turkey sign around. If anyone had any more info on cat sightings, I'd appreciate you passing it on. Thanks.

[Art]

Hi all,


While out on some newly acquired land this past Thursday, my friend and I were riding the ATV around the property, and saw what could have been a cougar. Before I get into details about the animal, the land is in Hopkins county. I have 80 acres that is heavily wooded, and has a wetlands-type area up in front. There is a large pond on the property, and several trails throughout the land (it's a reclaimed strip mine near St. Charles).

It was on one of these trails that we saw whatever critter this may turn out to be. We only saw it from the rear, and by the time I got the ATV backed up, and turned down the path, it was gone. The animal was about the size of a medium-size dog, say about like a Springer spaniel or Lab/Golden retriever. I'd guess its weight in the 35-45 lb area, possibly. Being that we only saw the animal from the rear, and didn't see the head, I can't tell you for sure what it looked like, only a view from behind...the tail was long, and darkened at the end, almost to a black. The animal's body was a tan color, and my friend said he saw some type of "striping", almost like a German Shepherd coloration toward it's rear (he saw it first, and from a better angle). The ears were laid down, and the animal was running, so I can't ID the ear shape, either.

Basically, it wasn't a dog or a coyote. I've got 6 dogs, and am fairly familiar with how they run, and this animal didn't run like that. I've found what I believe to be bobcat tracks out there, as they were about the right size for a cat, and didn't have nail tracks, like a dog, but this animal was a lot longer than a bobcat, and also had a longer tail.


I'm currently looking thru the web for some photos of a cougar running away; maybe I can make a match. I was curious, though, if any cats had been reported in that area. Like I mentioned, this is in western KY, south of Madisonville, right off of Hwy 62 outside of St. Charles. The land has plenty of fresh water sources (the pond is probaly close to 5 acres), and there are lots of deer/turkey sign around. If anyone had any more info on cat sightings, I'd appreciate you passing it on. Thanks.

I wouldn't doubt it. I have read of many sightings in that general area before. Some people will say that there are no cougars in KY, but I personally think its pretty likely that there are a few. I have seen a bear outside of Danville, and there was an Elk killed in Fayette county a couple of years back. Stranger things have happened with animals of lesser intelligence.

[WhiteRubi]

Was it in an area of mud, grass, dirt, or what? If it was muddy anywhere NEAR the area, that would be the first thing I did, go look for fresh tracks. I'd say you would get a lot further looking at that than anywhere else.

Like Art said, stranger things have happened.

[trust me]

wprebeck,
I saw an unidentified animal a couple years ago, could be similar to what you describe. When I saw the critter, it was bounding away, and it looked like it ran kinda like a bear, with the front end reaching out, and then the heavier back end catching up. My first reaction was that it was the world's biggest coon, but it couldn't have been that big. It actually resembled a wolverine, and my hunting partner said the same thing. We were about to decide it was a young bear. The local CO confirmed a couple sightings in the area of a similar animal, and then he got a local to admit that he had gone to a flea market in Ohio, purchased a wolverine, and released it. Very dark, maybe even the german shepard coloring. I didn't see a tail like you describe, though.

FWIW, the big cats run like house cats do, just a lot bigger.

[Willie]

The cougar map...

http://www.easterncougarnet.org/bigpicture.html

[gwhilikerz]

I would not be surprized if you saw a cougar. Is you property out Buttermilk Road? I grew up in St. Charles and have heard what I thought was a "panther" scream many a night while camping/fishing out by Gilliland Ridge church. And if you are near the old railroad tracks we used to find bear tracks in the bottoms there. Some people claim to have seen a bear just recently in that area. I know you will really enjoy your property there. It is a great place to "get away".

[skeetshooter105]

Local hunter has picture of a Cougar taken by his trail camera set up at a deer food plot. Neighbor, who is a retired State Police Officer, spotted two in his field within 100 yards of his house a few months back. There have been several sightings on and around Fort Knox in the past 35 years. Bear have been seen around Upper Douglas lake on Ft. Knox and around Big Springs area. Who knows what lurks in the shadows. Take care!

[wprebeck]

I would not be surprized if you saw a cougar. Is you property out Buttermilk Road? I grew up in St. Charles and have heard what I thought was a "panther" scream many a night while camping/fishing out by Gilliland Ridge church. And if you are near the old railroad tracks we used to find bear tracks in the bottoms there. Some people claim to have seen a bear just recently in that area. I know you will really enjoy your property there. It is a great place to "get away".


That's exactly where my property is.....The church is directly across the street. My land goes about 1/4 mile from the corner of Rialto and Buttermilk, up Buttermilk, then cuts down toward the woods. Down Rialto, the border runs about 2/3 mile before stopping. I actually purchased 2 tracts, totalling 80 acres.


There was no mud around where we saw the animal, just grass. We got off the ATV (guns drawn, of course) and looked for it, but neither of us felt it prudent to chase it thru thick brush. I'm not into being dinner for another animal, so I didn't exactly feel a pressing need to run through heavy cover after a possible cougar.

We didn't hear anything that night, other than the annoying whipporwhills, owlsm and coyotes, but that doesn't mean anything. I'll keep you all up to date, next time I go out there. Thanks for all the replies.

[KentuckyTracker]

First off ... check out this story here! (http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2004-11-30-mountain-lions_x.htm)


I believe what you saw was a Mt. Lion or cougar. It has been proven that cougars have been migrating more east every year. No one know's why, but it could be the more plentiful hunting grounds. Let's just hope that if they are here, they will open season on them before too long. If they get out of control they can completely strip an area of hunting game before too long. Truth be known cougars and mt. lions once lived plentiful in KY until we ran them off once.

[gun hunter]

What does the fish and wildlife say?Are there cougars in Kentucky or not?If not I wonder what they would say if someone shot one.Just wondering because my brother and I leased a place to hunt this year and the owner said some people claim they have seen some kind of big cat in the area.

[KentuckyTracker]

I personally wouldn't shoot it unless you talk to a game warden first. For all we know they are a protected species in KY and they just haven't let on because there aren't enough to classify as a species that resides in KY. I would think that if anything, it would be a game animal, and would need to talk to a game warden first. Unless it is in self defense of course!

I will add that I have seen tracks right near the banks of the Ohio here in Daviess County that resemble a cougar. They were several days old and wouldn't swear on it, just because people would look at me like a 'story teller'. I personally believe that the cougars are coming back to their native hunting grounds, because the West is playing out or the climate is better for them.

[gwhilikerz]

Do Not Shoot The Cat! Even if they "don't exist" according to KDFWR . Remember the guy who just a few months ago shot one of those non-existant bears? Of course now we have bears according to kdfwr. Who would have guessed?:D

[KentuckyTracker]

You have to admit ... the Fish and Wildlife guys are like a lot of other state workers I know. There are the exceptions, but the majority of them just sit in an air conditioned office all day, or drive up and down the road. None of them do any 'real' investigative work, like migration surveys, wildlife counts, or habitat evaluation. Kind of like the 1 guy digging the ditch and the other 3 watching him or telling him how to do it! There are the exceptions though.

[Turkeyhunter5]

i personally belive that thier is cougars in ky. i belive there are panthers two. the only reason dont see them is b/c there is very few of them and since they are very few they stay in a heavily wooded area and if they here some one coming they will bolt off. but this is my oponin if i where to see one of these animals while hunting i would take a picture of it. (im going to start carrying a camera with no flash for now on). i wouldnt shoot it unless i knew there where a good population around that area. if i did shoot it i would have it mounted so i could tell everyone there are cougars in panthers and what not in are great state.

[KentuckyTracker]

Well, that's another thing. I know for a fact that panthers live in KY. I saw one with my own eyes. My brother in law and I were out quail hunting last year in a corn field in Breckenridge county, right outside Cloverport. An area known for it's caves and cliffs by the way. We saw a jet black cat about 6 to 7 feet long from it's nose to the end of it's tail. At first we thought it was a big dog, but then it started running, and you knew it was a cat. It ran in what we trackers call 'leaps' or 'bounds'. In other words, like a rabbit with the hind paw prints being wider in front of the forepaw prints. You knew this was a cat. But, the Breckenridge county game warden wasn't to enthused to hear from us, so we just figured it got brushed off.

[creekdawgg]

say what you want but if i see one in my woods I am flinging lead,arrow,rock, whatever at it, not to sure I'd be to thrilled to see one since I love to get in the stand about 1-2 hours before daylight during deer season.

[KentuckyTracker]

One good thing about them is that they are like big house cats. They will let out a big hiss at you before they attack. Unless you are supper, of course. But the likelihood of a cat attacking you for food is slim to none. Keep one thing in mind. If you don't bother him, he probably won't bother you.

[Okie]

You guys might want to look at old posts on this topic. One reason to see they are a protected species.

[vajoe67]

i dont know about ky but i know i saw one here in va about 5 years ago,after that one of the guys i hunt with told me he saw a (big cat) in the same hollow that i saw it in.he didnt know i had saw it there so i beleave what he was saying.then a few years later i saw a big cat track in a deer trail close to where i saw it at.i think va dept. of game say thay are not here too but i know better! kinda makes u think on those dark walks to your standbe for day light with just a bow in hand lol:eek:

[kycurhunter]

oh no!!!

LIONS AND TIGERS AND BEARS!!

om my!

hahah

might have been bigfoot!!:p :rolleyes:

[Carl]

Or a "Big Mouth":rolleyes: ...One of those is known it exist in south central KY:)



oh no!!!

LIONS AND TIGERS AND BEARS!!

om my!

hahah

might have been bigfoot!!:p :rolleyes:

[john4]

Local news last night had a story on a cougar killing a cow in southern Ill. I believe it was Massac Co. whatever county it was, it bordered KY. It was an interesting story, short but interesting. The wildlife official that was interviewed stated that he has had 100's of reports of people finding animal remains in trees(small horses, calves, goats, sheep, deer), and the only predator that will do that is a large feline. The dead cow he was investigating had claw marks that were consistant with a cougar killing. Oh and one more thing, the official stance of the state of Illinois is that Cougars do not exist in their state.

[gun hunter]

With evidence like that they need to go ahead and admit they are there.Kentucky should do the same thing.To many people are seeing them.Whether they are cougars or panthers people are seeing them and the fish and wildlife more or less are calling people liars by saying they are not here.

[jdixon]

With all of these sightings, possible and otherwise, I wonder if Fish and Wildlife would be willing to relax some of its rules about the types of firearms carried into the field. A good example, hunting with my 9 year old during the youth hunting season this month, I as the adult could not by statute carry any other type of weapon with me. The single shot shotgun my daughter was hunting with would not be much protection in a confrontation with one of these animals. Would feel much better being able, legally, to carry a large frame revolver on such a hunt. Like I am going to take a turkey with my .44 anyway! I know the F&W guys watch this sight, how about bring this subject up at the next meeting.

[wprebeck]

I "googled" the web a bit, and found another sighting in the same area from back in September of last year.

Added to the sighting of what I expect is a cougar, I've seen tracks that, at the time, I attributed to being those of a bobcat. They still could be, as I know bobcats frequent the western portion of the state, but I'm wondering about them now...they weren't that large, and belong to a smaller animal, being that they were only 2 inches or so wide. But, I found them in the same area that we made the sighting, maybe about 100 yards away, so now I'm wondering if it's not another, smaller cat out there. Of course, it could always be a bobcat...like the saying goes, "When you hear hooves, think of horses, not zebras".

I also found, over last weekend, some unidentified scat. I chalked it up to a coyote, but it looked a bit different. After looking at some photos of cougar poop, it "could" be the same stuff. Next time I'm out, I'll do some photos of whatever unidentified stuff I find, and post them on here. I also emailed the group who maintains the board where I saw the other sighting reported, and asked for any more info on things out this way. While looking thru that board, I found several possible sightings in Trigg and Calloway counties, which aren't all that far away from there.

One other thing I'll be doing is placing my trail cams out on the property. After all, bow season is a mere 4.5 months away, and since I'm new to that land, I need to get some idea of where the deer are moving. Of course, since cougar eat deer, who knows what I'll catch on cam, if there is one in the area. Again, if I get any photos, I'll be sure and post them here for all to see.

Oh, and to cross post from another thread on this board....This is one of several reasons I'll be carrying my duty gun while hunting. Nothing says "go away, Mr. Cougar" like 16 rounds of 165gr .40 caliber Golden Sabers.

[john4]

Saw a rebroadcast of the cougar story in Illinois, it wasnt Massac County it was Pope County.
I did some research on this last fall when there was a similar thread on this topic. Check www.easterncougar.org (http://www.easterncougar.org) for additional info. The last (only in several decades) confirmed cougar was hit by a car in Floyd County Ky in 1997. If cougars are making a comeback in Kentucky, there will be more road kills and pictures of them on game cameras in the future. Not to mention unhappy ranchers with dead livestock that are indicative of a cougar kill. Sightings are one thing, but documentable evidence is another. Pictures, scat, dead cats, dead livestock, fur samples, are all ways we can document the presence of these cats. I have never seen the animal around here, but know several that have. I'm not calling anybody a liar or that they are mistaken, but until there is concrete documentation these are just stories.

[john4]

www.easterncougarnet.org (http://www.easterncougarnet.org) is another good site to look up info. I find this to be a better site, I thought I was posting this site when I posted the other one.

[jonescreek]

I carry a snub .38 in an ankle holster 7 days a week and did so during the youth hunt and will continue to do so in the woods and elsewhere, I understand the intention of the law, but between crazy people and predatory animals of the type being discussed I choose to be ready, I feel certain it will never leave my holster, but I'll take my chances in a civilized courthouse than an uncivilized confrontation of whatever sort in the field.

[KentuckyTracker]

I agree, and the same goes for me. I go by the old saying, "A .22 in the glove box is better than a .45 at home".

[snareman]

I've seen a 30 pound bobcat before which is getting close to the size the fella described. I've also seen a picture taken in like Marion co. of what appeared to be a mountain lion walking across a field. It's a very real possiblity especially around Buttermilk Rd., prime land for a big cat to hunt in.

[KentuckyTracker]

Buttermilk Rd in Muhlenberg county? Is that were you are talking about?

[KY_Fried]

I'm sure there are some cougars in KY, just not enough to consider them an established species.
As for people being worried about being attacked and wanting to cary a sidearm for protection, I think that's completely unnecessary. Even out west where they're very common you RAIRLY ever hear of one attacking humans, and in the extremely rare cases that they do it's usually little kids playing off by themselves or something. Definitely nothing to worry about.

[gwhilikerz]

Buttermilk Rd in Muhlenberg county? Is that were you are talking about?
Buttermilk Rd. in Hopkins Co. St. Charles.

[wprebeck]

I carry an uzi...we all know how common it is to be attacked by a cougar in KY!!:rolleyes:


And because something hasn't happened "yet", means it never will, right?

I've found 3 other unconfirmed sightings in the very same area that I hunt in. More to the point, the sighting posted in this thread took place on property that I now own. That's in addition to what we saw, as well as some other possible cougar sign.

Once again, I'll try to make this situation a bit easier for some to understand:

Yes, cougars are rare. Yes, they probably will continue to do what this animal, whatever it may have been, did...run away.

Sure, it may not be one. That's enitrely possible. But, one starts to wonder about it, after hearing things from local residents, yes?

Look at it like this...cougars are rare, but so is that monster buck that will get the #1 spot on the B & C list. Does that mean one stops looking for that big buck? Of course not. And, when combined with other reports of big kitties in the area, should one ignore all the signs? Again, of course not. Only fools would do so. I dare say that I would be derided, were I to ignore all the signs pointing to a cougar on my land, and then was attacked by one.....


Regarding the UZI you have....Is it a true Class III, or just a semi-auto knock-off? I've been looking around at entry level NFA items, and an UZI just might fit the bill....:rolleyes:

[Fairplayky]

I got a buddy that sees them all the time. His name is Jim Beam.

[Dangermouse]

Its all fun and games till someone loses a eye. :)

[KYBOY]

i remember when the cougar kitten was killed on the road here in floyd.co it wasnt far from my house.

[kyfanatic]

Here's a link you guys might be interested in,it appears to me that the National Forest Service recognizes the fact that Eastern Cougars exist=
http://www.patc.net/resources/florafauna/cougar.html

On another note I've heard many doubters around here about Black Bears in western Ky,take a look at the confirmed sdighting map at the following link =
http://campus.murraystate.edu/academic/faculty/howard.whiteman/field/mammals/blackbear.html

I have pictures of 3 separate black bears located in Northern Ky that exist around heavier populations of people with no trouble so far.

[hobbles]

KY_Fried
Sir, I am from out west and have rode my horse bout all over southern california in the last 25 years, they will and have takin people, and horses, these are just some, I used to keep all the info on bear, cat and coyote attacks when I was there, I had a hand full,
I found some,,,, http://search.netscape.com/ns/boomframe.js...attacks_ca.html (http://search.netscape.com/ns/boomframe.jsp?query=Mountain+Lion+attacks&page=1&offset=0&result_url=redir%3Fsrc%3Dwebsearch%26requestId%3D5 ed7bd6b5cbfc594%26clickedItemRank%3D2%26userQuery% 3DMountain%2BLion%2Battacks%26clickedItemURN%3Dhtt p%253A%252F%252Ftchester.org%252Fsgm%252Flists%252 Flion_attacks_ca.html%26invocationType%3D-%26fromPage%3DNSCPToolbarNS%26amp%3BampTest%3D1&remove_url=http%3A%2F%2Ftchester.org%2Fsgm%2Flists %2Flion_attacks_ca.html)
more,,
http://search.netscape.com/ns/search?fromP...0Lion%20attacks (http://search.netscape.com/ns/search?fromPage=NSCPToolbarNS&query=Mountain%20Lion%20attacks)

sorry bad info,, it was a guy that was killed,, a girl found him,,

and more
http://search.netscape.com/ns/boomframe.js...attacks_ca.html (http://search.netscape.com/ns/boomframe.jsp?query=Mountain+Lion+attacks&page=1&offset=0&result_url=redir%3Fsrc%3Dwebsearch%26requestId%3D5 ed7bd6b5cbfc594%26clickedItemRank%3D2%26userQuery% 3DMountain%2BLion%2Battacks%26clickedItemURN%3Dhtt p%253A%252F%252Ftchester.org%252Fsgm%252Flists%252 Flion_attacks_ca.html%26invocationType%3D-%26fromPage%3DNSCPToolbarNS%26amp%3BampTest%3D1&remove_url=http%3A%2F%2Ftchester.org%2Fsgm%2Flists %2Flion_attacks_ca.html)




As for people being worried about being attacked and wanting to cary a sidearm for protection, I think that's completely unnecessary. Even out west where they're very common you RAIRLY ever hear of one attacking humans, and in the extremely rare cases that they do it's usually little kids playing off by themselves or something. Definitely nothing to worry about.

[KentuckyTracker]

I'm sure there are some cougars in KY, just not enough to consider them an established species.
As for people being worried about being attacked and wanting to cary a sidearm for protection, I think that's completely unnecessary. Even out west where they're very common you RAIRLY ever hear of one attacking humans, and in the extremely rare cases that they do it's usually little kids playing off by themselves or something. Definitely nothing to worry about.

I'll have to agree with hobbles. Cougars are predatory animals. There have been many documented cases of hikers, campers, and hunters being attacked by them for no reason other than being in the cats territory. The thing you have to remember is 1 male cat can have a territory of 400 miles. Meaning, they may be few and far between, but the ones you do run into are the ones to worry about. They love to sit up in thick pines and fall on any unsuspecting game. Not to mention that they have a run that is phenominal to north american game. They can cover quite a bit of ground in a short amount of time if they are inclined to. They have been sited in KY, and they should be something to look out for. If they are out of their element, then that is all the more reason to be afraid of them. They may be hungry and have not been able to adapt to our wildlife habits as far as a steady food source.

Also, there have been enough unconfirmed sightings within the past few years so you can't simply brush it off as delusional or crazy people. In unconfirmed I mean that the KY Dept. of Fish and Wildlife hasn't had the resources to confirm these sightings.

[EKUgrad]

in Breckenridge county, right outside Cloverport. An area known for it's caves and cliffs by the way. We saw a jet black cat about 6 to 7 feet long from it's nose to the end of it's tail.

we had a farm just outside of Union Star. My dad swears that he saw a black panther there and people thought that he was crazy. A close family friend swears that he heard a scream that sounded like one one night during early bow season. We had a limestone bottomed creek that would hole up some water that we played in as kids. One day when I was taking a break from bushhogging and trying to cool off, I was wading around in one of the water holes. I saw something make one jump into the creek bed and one jump out. It had a long tail. Now it was probably 100 yds or better off, but one jump in and one jump out, FAST. I don't know if it was a panther or not, but I was not hanging around to find out. Got back to bushhogging real quick. Told my grandad who thought that I was seeing things.

[shogan]

and in the extremely rare cases that they do it's usually little kids playing off by themselves or something. Definitely nothing to worry about.

Yeah don't worry about them lil kids we can make more but cougars are rare.

[shogan]

More imporatantly what will the impact be on the deer and turkey populations.

Gee I wonder why they are coming back. could it be FOOD!