Leopard Shot In Indiana

[wainzoid]

...I wont get into bear stories as I have had hundreds,many funny,a couple I just knew was going to be bear chit soon......there isnt any animal more fun to watch than cub bears play

Exactly. We have bears at the house all the time and my most memorable bear story is a sow and her 3 cubs (approx 35 lbers). Watched them for well over an hour. So cool!

 

[Number9]

Well.. let me tell ya a little story about Smoky. Smoky lived a great life in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. He was protected, so he never had to worry about being shot.. except with a tranquilizer gun.. which he had already received a hit. In his right ear he wore a nice little tag that marked him as a "problem".
One day Smoky broke into a Honda at the Clingmans Dome parking lot looking for a loaf of bread that some nice people left for him.
Well.. he trashed the car and upset the nice people who called Mr. Ranger. Sure, the Dome is the highest point in Tennessee.. But Smoky's high adventure was about to take a bad fall!
Smoky was shot with Mr. Ranger's tranquilizer gun.. a bystander asked what will you do with him? Mr. Ranger said that he will be relocated far enough away were he won't return and live happy ever after.

I can see Chilhowee Mountain looking east from my home.. been there many, many times. Real nice campground, swimming area, and great views from the top.

View of Ocoee Lake from Chihowee Mountain..


But.. the one thing it doesn't need is problem bears!

Mrs. Cenkus and her children were hiking near the Chilhowee Campground near Benton Falls, when the bear attacked Luke, then 2.
She screamed for help and tried to fight off the animal, which turned on her, then Elora. The bear tore at her neck, tossed her aside and grabbed her daughter, Elora who was 6. The little girl didn't survive the shattering attack, and Mrs. Cenkus and her son Luke carry permanent scars.

I talked with a friend who lives next to the mountain. He told me the Rangers from the Park had been moving problem bears to Chilhowee Mountain over the last several months. He and his neighbors try to take them out as soon as possible because they are dangerous to have around.
He said.. "I guess we missed one!?

 

[Back-of-the-boat]

Big cats will stalk humans my Mother was stalked while she was out hunting by a black jaguar in San Diego county my Uncle had to kill the cat, and my Sister -in -law had to shoot a cougar when she was out hunting in Arizona and I know I have been stalked also while hunting and hiking around here in California. When the cat stalked my Mother it may have been because she was pregnant at the time and it was just instinct on the jaguars part but my Sister -in- law was straight out stalked.She got off a lucky shot to kill it when it was crouched on rock getting ready to leap down on her.

 

[rock]

Well once when I was a kid. I use to go fishing down to the lake a couple of miles from my home (small town). I stayed till it was almost dark and had to walk home. Nobody on the streets but it was dark. We had street lights scattered along the way home. I got under one while jogging trying to get home before I got in trouble for being late. As I ran into the light from the left I saw a brown cat running towards me. I froze and the cat stopped and looked at me. I was thankful when it was shocked to see me just as I was shocked to see it. It ran one direction and I the other. Needless to say I was no longer jogging after seeing it and made it home with plenty of time to spare.

 

[austin]

Poor kitty. Somebody's pet that got away, just like all the other sightings of non North American kitties...

 

[Number9]

The thing I really wonder about is how many large cats are shot and kill will no reports, pictures, or ever a word?
I've heard of several being killed and have seen a few pictures.
I gave my word that I wouldn't tell the exact location or give names on a cougar that was killed in Tennessee that I helped bury.
Until you see and touch one.. you really don't know what's out there or where they came from!

 

[ivan salis]

well sadly for us humans . there are times when we aren't # 1 on the food chain --that is why we humans used to carry firearms in the old days * in case # 1 on the food chain showed up (bear or cougar) we would not be come #1's -#2 but modern folks when going "outdoors" these days tend to forget this lil fact . that bears and big cats are meat eaters and to some of them we are just "meat to be ate".-- in a case like this better to have a gun and not need it ,than to need a gun and not have it.

as the rangers say --DO NOT FEED THE ANIMALS !!! THEY LOSE THEIR "NATURAL" FEAR OF HUMANS * AND BAD THINGS OCCUR.

 

[jeff of pa]

well sadly for us humans . there are times when we aren't # 1 on the food chain --that is why we humans used to carry firearms in the old days * in case # 1 on the food chain showed up (bear or cougar) we would not be come #1's -#2 but modern folks when going "outdoors" these days tend to forget this lil fact . that bears and big cats are meat eaters and to some of them we are just "meat to be ate".-- in a case like this better to have a gun and not need it ,than to need a gun and not have it.

as the rangers say --DO NOT FEED THE ANIMALS !!! THEY LOSE THEIR "NATURAL" FEAR OF HUMANS * AND BAD THINGS OCCUR.

hors d' oeuvres before the main meal ?
(aka Whores-doovers)

 

[Gold Maven]

What is difference between Leopard and Jaguar

Larger rosettes with spots in the middle. The pics of the cat shot, clearly show spots in the middle......

 

[abbynormal]

Jeff, I'm not sure what to think as I live in PA also and I am nervous about bears. I have not had as close an encounter as you have had. I have had one bear encounter while in Allegheny National Forest. Hubby was driving my Astro Van at dusk, I was passenger, and a large black bear came up an embankment and into the road suddenly. We slowed to a near stop to not hit it, and it turned and ran straight for my van aggressively with it's mouth open making some kind of growling/grunting noise meant to scare us away, I presume. He put the van in reverse and backed up about 200 feet thinking to be submissive, and it slowed down, then continued across the road and up the hill on the other side.
I am glad we were in the van when we met that bear. It got as close as 25 feet away and it was as tall as the hood of the van at its shoulder. And it moved pretty fast, so I know I would never try to run from a bear. I do not move so fast anymore.
So, do you think that bear would have attacked that big van? An Astro is a good size. I am still puzzled why it ran at me and didn't just continue across the road when I stopped for it. It was autumn so I wasn't thinking it had cubs nearby, but I don't know enough about the life cycle of bears.

 

[jeff of pa]

Jeff, I'm not sure what to think as I live in PA also and I am nervous about bears. I have not had as close an encounter as you have had. I have had one bear encounter while in Allegheny National Forest. Hubby was driving my Astro Van at dusk, I was passenger, and a large black bear came up an embankment and into the road suddenly. We slowed to a near stop to not hit it, and it turned and ran straight for my van aggressively with it's mouth open making some kind of growling/grunting noise meant to scare us away, I presume. He put the van in reverse and backed up about 200 feet thinking to be submissive, and it slowed down, then continued across the road and up the hill on the other side.
I am glad we were in the van when we met that bear. It got as close as 25 feet away and it was as tall as the hood of the van at its shoulder. And it moved pretty fast, so I know I would never try to run from a bear. I do not move so fast anymore.
So, do you think that bear would have attacked that big van? An Astro is a good size. I am still puzzled why it ran at me and didn't just continue across the road when I stopped for it. It was autumn so I wasn't thinking it had cubs nearby, but I don't know enough about the life cycle of bears.

I can only guess it's cubs were there and about to cross the road, Perhaps they took off
out of fear but I'm only going by the stories that I here that bears try to protect their Cubs.
Fact being, nobody on earth that I'm aware of is a dr. doolittle, or has had a real conversation with bears.

Bears push their Young out, Like Birds push their young out,
Why would they care what happens to them ?
I understand Instinct but even that appears to be short lived with animals.

I personally returned to the site of the bear I walked up on, with My Brother & Nephew
later that day. Being my Nephew was maybe 4, and My Brother perhaps more cautious,
they didn't exit the car. I did & tried to repeat my experience of walking up to it,
with a camera to get a pic.
But it was in my eye site much earlier and every movement it made,
caused me to believe I would end up chasing it off. The pic I snapped was with a Instant camera
In the shadows of trees & totally useless, considering I never got near as close.

My sister sends me pics on occasions when bears are at her back door.
She has had large bears & cubs on her back porch on occasion, & other then possible stuff knocked over
by their curiosity or clumsiness , nothing that appeared to be threatening.

anyway I would never walk up to a bear on purpose, Or suggest anyone do,
But if you really want it away, Blowing the horn, Waving arms, & Yelling loud at it,
are suggested remedies.

a Ranger on the News once said if a Bear comes at you and refuses to scare,
Punch it as hard as you can, square in the nose.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...ues-dog-punching-massive-black-bear-FACE.html

 

[doc-d]

Regarding the comment about how many are eliminated and nothing is said, sort of like the post also above where the relocated problem bears were "resolved"........there is a saying here......the 3 S's........Shoot, Shovel, Shut up............

 

[relicmeister]

I spend a reasonable amount of time in the woods to do metal detecting, but not usually deep into thewoods. Still, I have
had at least 4 big catsightings (although two may be same cat-it actually sprinted across the nearly empty interstate!)
With so many sightings I gotta believe they're not rare!

 

[Number9]

I spend a reasonable amount of time in the woods to do metal detecting, but not usually deep into thewoods. Still, I have
had at least 4 big catsightings (although two may be same cat-it actually sprinted across the nearly empty interstate!)
With so many sightings I gotta believe they're not rare!

What did they look like?

 

[kuger]

Glad to see/hear this!!
Photos show rare jaguar roams S. Ariz. mountains

 

[kuger]

Pensylvania boasts the largest Black Bears in the world last time I heard....I beleive the World record body weight was from there at over 800 lbs biggest I have laid hands on was 680 here in Cali(the Rocky Mountain Grizzlies average around 4-500)

 

[doc-d]

Here in my area black bears can get over 500lbs......they are unpredictable and if you think punching it in the nose will save you.....God Bless you.......you will need it.

 

[ivan salis]

jeff folks often BBQ on their back porch / deck (bad ideal in bear country- best to do it on the grass)-- the greasey fat drippings and scrap food trimmings and smell of BBQ meat is often too much for bears to resist --also pet food is often left on back porches --cat and dog food taste yummy to bears and other wildlife as well * raccoons , opossums----- plus some bears like to raid humans trash cans

 

[kuger]

Ok,OK,Ivan,I gotta tell two stories....Keep it short Kuger........Well,I got a call from two counties away(The resident Specialist was on Vacation)that there was a large black bear caught in a Doggie door....O.K......this is a first!I am an hour and 30 minutes away.I make it about half way when The Warden calls and tells me the bear had broke the door off the hinges and proceeded into the house with the door still on its neck.........the Warden ended up killing the bear after it looked like somebody had turned a helicopter loose in that house!!!Turns out the elderly lady had been feeding cats on the back porch and the racoons(she thought)were eating it,so she figured the coons wouldnt come in the house(?)well,it was a bear,and the bear tried.......I'll tell the second story later...

 

[Silver Searcher]

Ok,OK,Ivan,I gotta tell two stories....Keep it short Kuger........Well,I got a call from two counties away(The resident Specialist was on Vacation)that there was a large black bear caught in a Doggie door....O.K......this is a first!I am an hour and 30 minutes away.I make it about half way when The Warden calls and tells me the bear had broke the door off the hinges and proceeded into the house with the door still on its neck.........the Warden ended up killing the bear after it looked like somebody had turned a helicopter loose in that house!!!Turns out the elderly lady had been feeding cats on the back porch and the racoons(she thought)were eating it,so she figured the coons wouldnt come in the house(?)well,it was a bear,and the bear tried.......I'll tell the second story later...

kuger....I must one day come and spend a couple of weeks with you, we can sit around and I can listen to some of your stories, I bet you have some great tales to tell

SS