I have been told a bunch of stories by hunters, of strange animals being sited. That should not be in that part of the county that they are hunting or fishing.
I have not really had this happen to me. The strangest thing I have ever seen was a bobcat last year. It walked up to my blind when I was fall turkey hunting. Guess he was hunting the same thing I was. It was a cool but, they are a protected species here in Ohio, so I know there around. Plus I have talked to a lot of other hunters who have seen them.
Here are a few examples of what I'm talking about. These sightings have all been in Ohio and West Virgina. My father told me he saw a mountain lion when he was trout fishing in the West Virgina mountains when he was in his 20's. My wife has a family member who said that, he saw a mountain lion when he was out deer hunting in Ohio two years ago.
I also have herd many people talk about seeing black panthers in both states.
These things are hard for me to grasp. I know my dad would not lie to me, ever. So I really want to buy into it. However, there is just a big part of me that does not believe.
Anyone else have any experiences like these?
A wild male mountain lion was shot and killed last year in Chicago. A "pet" female mountain lion escaped in Terre Houte, IN last year. It has never been recovered. They are possible just about anywhere.
In 1983, I saw a Florida Panther while fishing on the St. John's River.
I saw a female bobcat and her 3 kittens in Martin County, IN in 2006.
Several years ago I was out riding a dirt bike in the Ouachita National Forest and a black panther crossed the trail in front of me about 40 yards away. I have no doubt in my mind that is was a panther. I was riding alone and needless to say I high tailed it out of there. The official Ark Game and Fish opinion is that there are no "wild" panthers or mtn. lions in Ark. but there may be some that have been released or gotten loose from captivity. I don't care how it got there it stll scared the you know what out of me.
BOB
Here's one for you. Many reports here in GA about mountain lion seen in various locations. Seems like we would see one on a camera now that so many folks have them out in the woods.
cougar killed in GA (http://bigcatnews.blogspot.com/2008/11/cougar-killed-in-ga-was-likely.html)
Check out trackincats.com- a nifty little website with all sorts of info and opinions about where cougars are and arent.
Here in NY, they dont officially exist. Two in my household have seen them, and I have found tracks and a kill. There are literally hundreds of sighting reports.
In fairness, many people today arent educated in the wilderness and it's inhabitants. So a strange looking fisher could very well be a lion in their minds, etc. Also keep in mind how cats move, hunt and exist. Stealth is the name of the game...
We are not supposed to have any in MO. but a few have been hit on the road and you can't deny a dead cougar laying in the road. I am with Arkybob I don't think we have many but if they are a small breading pair or one that got loose it don't matter to me it is still there. There are a lot of stories about people seeing cougars around here but I never saw one or any sign of one. If you just want to hear a good story a couple in there 50's said they saw a big cat with a long tail leap out of the woods and kill a goat in there back yard just a couple years ago.
that is true we have a bunch of bobcats and fox here but I only see about 3 bobcats a year on average and I have only seen 3 fox in the wild in my life.
It all boils down to the allmighty dollar, ladies and gents.
If your game department declares that they exist they are then required by law to implement a management program for them.
If they deny they exist, they do not have to manage them.
Your game department, like all government entities (except for those that hand out stuff to anyone who will vote for democrats) are cash-strapped and therefore cannot afford to manage a new species.
So, no one has mountain lions east of the mississippi river. It's just a figment of your imagination, or some jerk released their pet.Yeah....that's it. My wife Morgan Fairchild told me so...and I believe her.
Several years ago, I was dove hunting here in Delaware. It was a contolled hunt on State property-12 hunting stations, 12 hunters, by lottery. I shot a dove that sailed about 100 yards from me, so I went to retrieve it. The field was on the edge of the salt marsh, so you could see for several miles. As I walked to get my dove I was looking across the marsh and saw a PINK heron. I s*** you not!!!! I was stone cold sober. I kept my mouth shut because I wasn't sure I wanted to tell anyone what I'd seen. I got my bird and had to walk by one other hunter to get to my station. He had the oddest expression on his face when I walked by him (it was the first of september, about 90 degrees, we're in the sun, and if you don't drink enough, you can be in trouble) so I asked if he was okay. He said he wasn't sure, he had just seen a big pink bird. I was saved, there was at least one other witness!!
I asked a wildlfie biologist at work on Monday about it and he said that I needed to call a guy at the University of Delaware. I called and this guy was so excited-even asked if I'd seen a yellow heron. It seems there was a study of nesting/feeding habits of heron in the area. Herons had been dyed-pink from Delaware, yellow from New Jersey- to see where they nested, where they roosted, where they fed.
After writing this I have thought about it some more and wanted to through out another idea. Could the DNR be releasing animals and not telling anyone? I ask this because when I was a kid there where no coyotes in this part of Ohio and now they all over the place. To put my age in perspective I am 29 and when I say kid I mean, when I can remember from lets say 10.
I saw a black mountain lion once here in north west PA be but I was driving. It was sitting right beside the road.
I ask around a bit and the locals there said many people had been seeing it.
The official postistion is that all mountain lions are the product of escaped animals(which probably is somewhat valid.)
This is important though because it means they arent protected as endangered species.
I work for the Delaware Divison of Fish & Wildlife. What Ray said is correct, sort of. Here unless the animal is on the threatened or endangered species list, we don't manage for it. We have documented videos of cougar here. About 4 years ago they were seen quite a bit, haven't heard much about them in a couple of years. They were thought to have been released/escaped from a cage up along the Pennsylvania border. We have gray and red fox. The red fox is listed as a game animal and somewhat regulated, the gray isn't listed and is unprotected. We have a few coyotes, they're not managed either.
To legally introduce a species now, requires so much paperwork, it's unbelievable, not to speak of the legal challenges. Unless it's an extirpated species, like turkey were here, it ain't gonna happen anymore.
Ray said it all and said it best, If they exist, they [Fish and Game] have to manage them and with money like it is...not gonna happen!!!!!
Not exactly an unexplained animal but there used to be a goat that got out of it's pen that hung around the local deer herd in a place I used to hunt.
I went to that site, Jamie. According to their map, every cougar in the country is within thirty miles of Albany, NY.
Must be after the bunnies.
Killdeer :rolleyes:
For years there have been sighting mountian lions in eastern Nebraska. People were told they were crazy. Well they are here. They travel from the western states down the river systems. Peolpe wonder how they got here and blame the Game and Parks for planting them. There are no signs or fences that keep mountain lions out. They go where they are pushed or where the food supply is.
Vaughn, Send out the goat! Lol Hey I just saw a Mt lion a few days ago in North Jersey, Warren county. Yep, they are all around.
Mountain lions/cougars do not have a melaninistic phase. There are no authenticated cases of truly melanistic cougars. None have ever been photographed or shot in the wild and none have been bred. There is wide consensus among breeders and biologists that the animal does not exist and is a cryptid (a creature whose existence has been suggested but lacks scientific support).
Jaguars and lepards do have the genetics for black coats, so a "black panther" would most likely be of those species. There are reports of some melaninism in bobcats, but observed specimines are very rare.
I live on acreage near Perry, MI.
My wife and son have seen both cougars and a "large black cat" in our area over the years, but most likely they were released/escaped exotics. MI made it illegal to own private felids, but did grandfather those who held and registered prior to the legal change.
A couple years ago, there was a report of a cougar shot just down the road. I investigated and found out that the farmer had shot it as it had attacked his horses and livestock and just buried it because of fear from legal repercussions. Found out a few months ago that a farmer friend had seen the carcass and helped bury it.
That said, a number of years back, I had a pair of breeding emus that had gotten out and ran loose for over a year. I saw them a couple of times in my hay field and observed tracks in mud and snow, but never had a chance to shoot one.
We did have a female black bear who regularly traveled down the I27 corridor from northern lower MI to this area. She had a tracking collar and the DNR used to catch her and return her back to her home territory. She was seen a few miles north of my home with cubs.
Killy....there arent THAT many rabbits around here.... :D
I saw a Swamp Thing last summer at the Sawmill shoot! :eek: Does that count? ;)
... mike ...
In parts of the Ocala National Forest and on private properties along the Silver River and Ocklawaha River, hunters occassionally see Reeses Monkeys that are descended from stock that was brought into the Silver River Attractions (Silver Springs, etc.) years ago. These monkeys can be territorial and aggressive.
I've seen a few cats too, but they are supposed to be here.
The strangest I've seen is a coot walking throught the timber at 9000 feet in CO, no water for miles. With bull elk bugling all around. Dad was with me, was weird.
The other was a cow elk running through a grain field about 100 miles east of Ft. collins, CO. Had to pull over cause I couldn't believe it. Was later hunting along the platte and asked a C.O. He said they saw a couple out by Sterling that year. Those are the two strangest.
After a few shots of Truth Serum I saw a Chupacabra, aka Mexican Goat Sucker!
Ryan
A coot???? That is very strange indeed!!!
Hey...It's always a good idea to carry a camera with you......"just in case"!
(Excuse the compound......last 4 years' affliction, now cured!)
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(http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m314/SBGobblers/DSC00773-1.jpg)
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While hunting in both NC and Fla Ive seen parrots, and other exotic birds in the wild and around bird feeders. They seem to adapt rather well to their new climate by following the local birds.
i once saw a three legged fallow buck.
In reference to the (inisert your state here)DNR releasing coyotes... I once radio-collared a coyote in Plattsburgh NY that was killed by a car on I-95 in New Hampshire. They will travel a long way when they want to. The don't need to be dropped out of black helicopters to get everywhere they want to go. Back in the 80's my graduate advisor attempted to restore lynx to the Adirondacks in NY. They were recovered everywhere from Maine to New Jersey. Radio collared Mountain Lions have been documented dispersing over 700 miles. Animals will perform some amazing feats. Who knows why they do what they do.
My uncle claims there is a black panther on his farm. Never seen any tracks but they said they have seen it twice in the headlights. This in in SE MN. I had a peacock come into my turkey decoys one year. None of the farmers around had any peacocks, that was pretty cool and we got it on film. Was deer hunting last year and had a fisher come down the tree I was in, pretty hairy and the first one I have ever seen, not that rare I suppose.
How 'bout an Ostrich? I wasn't hunting but I saw one out behind our church after several months of hearing about a few of them got away from a farmer. (Coincidentally the ostrich "market" had collapsed several months earlier and it cost more to feed the dumb things than they were worth.)
And how bout a peacock? Never saw that one in the wild, but we drove by it's pen every Sunday and one day it was gone. I have several family friends that live in that area and they claimed to have spotted it a few times.
Actually hunting...mmmm...the wildest thing I've seen was probably a coon with no tail. If you think they "move funny" with a tail you oughta see them without it. Looks like they're gonna fall over with every single steps. Seen one red fox (but that was in a tractor)
I tried that site and could not find much on south eastern ,SD. I'll have to look at when I got more time..
I was going down a canyon in the middle of the summer. I had noticed earlier that there were very few deer tracks in the area and the ones I saw were very cagey. I got quite a ways from the road (3miles) when I saw four animals running up from the creek. They had been getting a drink. They were mountain lions. A momma and three almost grown cubs. Now lions live all over in the area where I was but I had never seen one. Then to see four at once was weird. I also didn't think they would have three cubs. Gary
Holy cow Soilarch saw a red fox on a tractor thats awesome was he a good driver?
I got a buddy who does not lie and he saw a bull elk I kid you not just south of Nevada MO. He put out some doe in heat urine and the bull checked it out and bedded down under his tree for a half hour in November. He knew no one would believe him so after he got down he filled a baggy full of elk poop to show a few select friends. He later that day called the game warden for our area and said you are not going to believe me but and the gamewarden cut him off and said you saw an elk, he said yeah. It had come from Kansas where they have a small herd.
Back in the early 80's in Michigan; I was hunting ground hogs with my recurve; sitting that day in a chair near a freshly dug out area. I had a couple hundred yard look at a dirt road; and occasionally something would cross it. A black 'cat' walked out into the road; and I did a double - then triple take on just how big it was. A short time after that - a rabbit hopped out into the road in the same spot.. and I realized that 'cat' was big enough to be a mt lion.
I don't know what it was; but it took up half the width of the dirt road - tail tip to nose.
As far as being a pet set free - well I suppose; but I would think that in the next few deer seasons someone would have shot that cat; and nobody did or has to my knowledge ( I moved to Idaho in 85).
My son is a trapper; and does nuisance trapping around Boise Idaho. Last year he had a 220 conibear trap set on a slide between an irrigation ditch and a pond. He caught an alligator snapping turtle ! It lived; and is on display by the fish and game dept in Boise.
I saw a black panther from around 30 yards when a friend and I were hunting back in the late 80's. Scared me senceless! Beautiful animal! Have seen two mountain lion in the laxt two years, MDC is finally admitting that we have them in MO. Foxes and bobcats are common.
Same in CT, DEP/DNR states there are no lions. I've never seen one but others swear they have. The local archery shop had a state DOT worker just clame there was one hit and killed (Photos to Come). The state DEP showed up took and and were off with it. They asked if anyone had photos of it, they wern't to happy. The guys supose to drop them off at the shop he said the cat was 150-175#s. When it comes to cats who knows. Myself I'm still looking for BigFoot!
Well put Ray
Does a golden pheasant or a piebald deer count?I saw 2 bobwhite quail a while back which is very much lke seeing a unicorn round here.The wierded thing was a big ,black, smelly goat.He had roamed nearly 3 miles from his home.As for cats the only lion that has been shot around here since the 1800s was tested and the dna profile linked him to Mexican cats.Maybe the coyotes brought him here.
I think American Fishers are often mistaken for black panthers.
There have been a few mountain lions killed in Oklahoma. That's funny what you guys were saying about the wildlife department claiming they didn't exist. They used to say the same thing here until a few got killed. A rancher out in the panhandle had one killing his livestock. He caught it in the act and called OWD, they came out and shot it. The funny part is they were illegal to shoot until people started complaining. So last year they changed the law, it now says you can shoot one if it is considered a threat or a nuisance. They changed the law by saying cougers are no longer a native species to Oklahoma. Kind of ironic it goes right along with what Ray Hammond said about them not wanting to spend money managing them!
I shot a beautiful peacock with a wheelie bow about eight years ago in central Ohio. It would actually chase around hen turkeys, and the first few times I saw the bright blue flash through the brush, I couldnt figure what I was actually seeing.
Those were like the worlds largest chicken breasts! Have also had one friend kill an axis deer that escaped from a local game farm.
Darb
Funny.....the predominance of weird sightings has to do with Mtn Lions or panthers.
The Colorado Division of wildlife claims there are no wolves or grizzlies in the state. I have personally seen wolves on 2 different occassions while elk hunting near Plutoro, CO. As far as grizz....the outfitter I have used for the past 3 years claims that he has seen one grizz NW of Durango. I also know a licensed wildlife rehabilitator that claims to have seen one on 3 different occassions south of Del Norte. I don't know.
We occassionally get black bears in W. Texas. Becoming more and more prevelant. Mtn Lions are common in W Texas and are considered varmits and usually shot on sight, around here at least.
Brett
The animal in the 4 photos I posted was a blackbelly Barbados Sheep.
Still interesting to see come by my deer stand.
We are getting a lot of feral goats running around in the woods around in my parts. Lots of dairy and meat goat farmers in these parts. They'll find a way out of the fence and become part of the wildlife. I've shot a couple with a rifle, but haven't got a chance to take one with a bow yet. They're pretty freaky to see the first time because you wonder if you're hunting on someones property.
I know that black panthers exist because I saw one on a Daniel Boone episode back in the 60's. Ol Dan shot him.
Oddest wildlife sighting for me was a mountain goat on a mountain that wasn't supposed to have goats. This was in Eastern Oregon, the nearest goat population was at least 50 miles north, so that billy had a lot of sage, pasture, and roads to cross to get where he did.
I live in S.E. Indiana and several years ago I heard an elk bugling. I didn't see it, but I heard it and it was moving through the hills. I thought I was imagining it, but when I came in that evening I called my brother and uncle who were also hunting in the area. I asked them if they heard anything and they both said they heard an elk, before I even said what I had heard. Also a neighbor down the valley heard it later in the year. I have heard that there are some elk farms many mile away, maybe one is AWOL.
I think Bird Dog is on to something about people mistaking Fishers for black panthers. Google Fishers and take a look at a picture. Very dark colored with long feline bodies and long tails.
The strangest thing I've ever seen wasn't when I was hunting. My wife and I were driving home from my parents house and stopped at an intersection behind a truck with a cab on the bed. All of a sudden a live bobcat looked at us from inside the cab. I told my wife that I hope the guy who's driving the truck knows its back there otherwise he's in for a nasty surprise.
In the late 80's I was driving through Yellowstone and saw a wolf dive in to the trees from the road. I was working in a fly shop at the time and I told the owner. He said, "There aren't any wolves in the park." I said, "No I know I saw a dark wolf. It couldn't have been a yote it was too big and the eyes were more centered...." "You aren't hearing me! There are no wolves in the Park." He said.
This was all still before the re-introductions out there and it was a very political issue at the time. I think he just figured that the pack in the park was in a good place and could be protected.
Things can sure change in twenty years. Wolfs were just de-listed in most of the country.
20 minutes from me a lady reported a black bear headed her way while she was working in her yard, and in my town a 12 year old boy captured a 4 foot gator and took it home because his dad wouldn't believe he seen it in the creek.
The CO in both cases guessed someone turn their pets loose.
A couple of weeks ago I was driving home from Fulton using the back roads because its more scenic, as I started up a long slow grade something caught my eye. I came to a complete stop to stare at a single hump camel. Looking closer I saw it was behind a fence with a couple of emu and elk. I guess the farmer was diversifying.
Everybody knows you get more horsepower out of a double hump camel whats he thinking.
From a pit blind, I saw a Lynx within 10 feet. He was fat w/bobbed tail. TP&W said it was likely a pet escaped or released. Last day of this past hunting season, I stillhunted to 10 yards of a pale albino doe. No doe tag. 3 other albino deer were killed within the same general vicinity.
My old hunting partner (Bruce) is quite a jokester. His non-hunting brother was coming from New York for a vist and his first hunt of any kind ever. It was over thanks giving. Bruce owned 800 acers near Cool, Texas. At the time you could get a Emu if you just would show up at a Emu ranch with a trailer. the Emu market had crashed.
Bruce put the emu in a long narrow fenced strip. When his borther got there he put him in a blind that would over look the narrow fenced strip. Sure enough the emu comes along soon or later and borther takes him.
Bruce told him it was a Moy Grand Turkey. Took his picute with his 6' tall 75# turkey. Took him to a local bar (Woody's) to celebrate. He showd the picture to everyone in the bar. the whole dang bar went along with the joke. told what a dandy turkey it was. one of the best they had seen taken. :)
Bother went back to New York with his picture of his Moy Grand turkey. Quite taken with his hunting ability.
So yes I am one of the few peopke to have every seen a Moy Grand Texas turkey. 6 foot tall and bit over 75# :)
rusty
I once saw a pot belly pig and an emu both in Crawford County Illinois. Obviously these where either released or escaped domestic animals.
We hear about couger sightings quite often, personally I think some folks WANT to see a big cat. Truley wild? I believe it is possible but not probable. Again, escaped domestics perhaps?
I am reminded of a float trip we made in '92 on The Yellowstone river. The guide discussed the various animals we could see, ie: moose, elk and especially bear. About an hour into the trip one of the other passengers, a German tourist traveling with his wife, excitedly yells "BEAR". I'm looking all around, searching into the brush, scouting the horizon... nothing but a beaver...
With our contemporary urban society I believe the average individual's wildlife identification skills are not as keenly honed as previous generations. To that German fellow a beaver certainly looked like a bear.
J-Mac