[TexasAggie]

The wife drove out to visit her folks in Evansville tonight. She called me a little while ago and asked me if there were mountain lions in Indiana, because she swears she just saw one. She saw it just west of Santa Claus on I-64. She said it was in the ditch beside the road and she lit it up with the headlights and saw it plain as day.

She is a smart girl, a hunter, and not prone to exaggeration. Still, I'm inclined to think she saw a bobcat, 'yote, or even a deer. But she is "for sure" it was a cat and much too big to be a bobcat. What say you locals?

I know we have a few of them here in WV, but I didn't think there were any in the midwest...

 

[HotShot88]

Howdy. I'm in Evansville and actually hunt Santa Claus on some private farm ground. I have never seen a mountain lion, but the farmer where I hunt (lives about 2 miles south of Santa Claus) has said he saw a cougar year before last. I guess it is possible, even though I have never seen one. Bad storms rolled through here tonight with a lot of rain. We actually lost power for an hour and half or so. Wonder what a big cat would be doing out on the interstate in those kinda conditions?

-Hotshot88

 

[rocketshooter]

I'm about an hour south of E'ville,and have never seen a big cat around,although there have been many reports. I do have a good friend,pastor,and fellow hunter who says he saw one at 30yds. and there was no doubt it was a mountain lion. There have also been numerous people that I would trust in their opinion that have seen large cat tracks on the same piece of property. These folks would most definately know the difference in dog,coyote,and cat tracks I would think.
Also,a coworker has pics of what appears to be a mountain lion in the field behind his house. It is definately his back yard in the pic,and a large cat with a long tail. The pics were taken somewhere around 5-6 years ago and look legit. Knowing the person that supposedly took them,I would say the chances of being "Photoshopped" were slim to none.

 

[TexasAggie]

That's really interesting... looks like she might have actually seen one. It was late when she was through there, because she left here after work... She saw it somewhere around quarter till midnight or so eastern time... Had the rain been through already by then or was it still storming? She didn't mention whether it was raining when she saw the cat.

 

[rocketshooter]

That's really interesting... looks like she might have actually seen one. It was late when she was through there, because she left here after work... She saw it somewhere around quarter till midnight or so eastern time... Had the rain been through already by then or was it still storming? She didn't mention whether it was raining when she saw the cat.

One strong line of storms moved through that area about 8p.m. eastern time and then another weaker line about the time you are speaking of. It was probably still raining a little around the time you are talking about,I would guess. There were reports and I actually saw on the news last night and this morning the video of flash-flooding in and around the Evansville area. That kitty could have been headed to higher ground!

 

[willie]

We had a heck of a storm last night.. 4" of rain in not a very long time.

Cat?

Dunno..Every now and then we hear a report on one.

Seeing things in the dark or by headlights can be decieving.

 

[crhye250r]

Bunch of rainfall here in henderson (just few miles south of eville across river)..

Back to the point. I have heard of several sightings by several different people of cougars in the webster, crittenden, and henderson county area. I would have to say she probably saw a bobcat..But the possibility of a cougar probably isn't that far fetched..


Clay

 

[HotShot88]

It has rained pretty steady from yesterday evening til now and still going. It was probably raining when she saw it. I agree, its not that far fetched. We have got a ton of rain, I'm afraid all of our deer is gonna drown!:wink: Hunt the high ground boys. Stay dry.

 

[DEMP35744]

Very possible! :wink:

 

[Jamis]

I live about 2 hours north of evansville, and one of my buddies seen one while he was turkey hunting!! He was walking across a field and looked behind him and there was a cougar about 50 yds behind him!!! He said he was glad that he was wearing camo cause the Cat never saw him!!! I believe him 100% cause there was a old man who lived by there who had a pet cougar and it got loose!!!

 

[Duckster2]

I live over in Kentucky and we had a guy who transferred here from New Jersey last year ask me if there were any mountain lions in the area, that he had seen one, I laughed it off and told him it was just a big house cat that he had seen, we grow them big here,anyway about a week later it was on the news here that one had been spotted by several people along the same stretch of road that he lives on. guess I was wrong.

 

[bschwein]

I've heard reports of one in south western Bartholomew county and south eastern Brown county. Can't say i've ever seen one except for the guy who raises them in a old Corn crib.

 

[dhayse32]

Got a guy up around Crane Naval Base that swears he saw one about 10 yrs ago, very reliable as well.

There are always reports of large cats, most people dismiss them, but the way I see it is there are quite a few Bobcats and hardly anyone ever sees one, seeing 1 or two large cats in thick woods would be next to impossible.

Could be a large bobcat, or possible a cougar. Who knows???