I was living way out in the sticks about 12 years ago in an old farm house with fields and timber all around us. I was burning trash about dusk one night and out of the corner of my eye I saw a dark figure go over the top of the hill in the field behind our house going towards the pond. I didn't really think about it but a minute later I heard what sounded exactly like a woman screaming from that direction. Now I don't spook very easily but I instantly had the worst feeling of danger I have ever had in my life, hair on the back of your neck standing up danger. The next morning I took the shotgun and walked back to the pond which was probably between 1/4 and 1/2 mile behind our house and surrounded by trees and brush. I found three very large cat tracks in the mud next to the pond, twice the size of any dogs in the area including mine which was pretty good sized, part Chow, part German Shepard/husky. I never saw or heard it again but I wouldn't let the kids play outside by themselves anymore.
There are big cats out there and there seems to be more and more sightings all the time.
