# Bobcats and Cougars



## fshnteachr

Nice article in todays Dayton Daily about the presence of bobcats and maybe cougars in Ohio. Anyone out there ever find evidence of this on your own? Not sure I would want to see a Cougar out there when I am sitting up against a tree!  You'd think someone's trail cam would get a pic of one if they were out there.


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## CHOPIQ

I don't know about the Dayton area but I've seen bobcats near the AEP recreation lands below Zanesville. He took off before I could get a picture of him.


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## pendog66

i have seen bobcat tracks by the river around englewood milton area


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## dinkbuster1

seen a bobcat down around Hamilton a couple years back, hope i NEVER see a cougar! almost positive i seen either a black wild boar or a BIG potbellied pig that got loose along the river (seen from a distance) just south of the DPL dam in Miamisburg about 5 years ago.


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## r9ptbuck

We have seen a few Bobcats in the last few years at our farm in Carroll County.


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## Hetfieldinn

http://sierraactivist.org/article.php?sid=56768


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## Smallmouth Crazy

There was a article in the local paper about the booming boar population in the state, mostly in the southern counties, but they did say that a bow hunter took one recently at Deer Creek here in Central Ohio which is something I wouldnt have thought likely.


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## Guest

There are more Bobcats in Ohio then most people think. Their elusive nature and habits are why they are rarely seen. The farthest west that I have saw one was in western Highland county.


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## Bassnpro1

I saw one in AEP this summer and one yesterday while driving home from grouse hunting in rural Monroe county. I consider myself exceptionally lucky to spot two in one year!


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## Bulldawg

Earlier this fall a friend and co-worker of mine said his neighbor and also sister had been losing all her chickens. They thought it was just coyotes. But as more chickens came up missing they started keeping a better eye out for the culprits. Here they finally saw it was a pair of bobcats. Located in southern stark county and with approximately 1000 acres of private strip pits behind the house these bobcats could make a home for themselves and never be seen.


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## carxman17

A year or so back I had a bobcat come up between my nabors & my house.
thought it was a house cat at first, but it was way to big and grawled to loud. By the time I got outside it was gone.


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## supercanoe

Those cougers are coming on strong, I saw 14 cougers this year while bow hunting. They growled and screamed like a woman being skinned alive. I heard the ODNR is releasing them to cut down on the deer herd.


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## Bassnpro1

i saw more cougars this year than deer...


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## flathead10

Had a bobcat cross the road right in front of me in November while i was checking the fields for deer in Miamisburg. Cat had just come from a farm on Benner rd. and crossed over to the Mound/Monsanto facility. Plenty of land there that could easily hide a few cats. They say these cats have a large home range.


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## shroomhunter

Back in 1977 I saw one run accross the road in front of my car between Dalton and Orrville. This past Spring I saw one on SR284 down near AEP.

And before anyone asks...the one I saw in '77 was not due to hallucinogens


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## Lewis

14 Cougars???
Are you sure you dont have Cougars and Bobcats mixed up?
Bobcats are actually pretty common in Ohio,but Cougars?
Someone enlighten me,please.


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## Guest

> I heard the ODNR is releasing them to cut down on the deer herd.



Yes indeed. They are also dropping rattle snakes from Helicopters to cut down the turkey population.


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## shroomhunter

traphunter said:


> Yes indeed. They are also dropping rattle snakes from Helicopters to cut down the turkey population.


Spoke with a guy today in Zanesville and he said he saw a Bigfoot at AEP while working some gaslines.


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## Mean Morone

I know that the state is very interested in reports of bobcats in Ohio. They had a booth at the Cincy Boat Show last year. I picked up some literature that was asking for people to report sightings. They claimed that bobcat are endangered in Ohio. I ran into a guy fishing on one of my favorite SW Ohio smallies streams and he pointed to a spot across the creek and said his boy got all excited becasue there was a LION on the other bank. He looked over to see a bobcat coming down the hill to get a drink of water. SW Ohio isn't exactly bobcat territory, but I believe the guy. As for cougar, I wouldn't doubt it. I just got back from Houston TX and my father-in-law told me that he was coming out of his house with the dog early one morning and the dog went nutts. He looked over to see a cougar walking along the fence line. The dog went after it and the cougar took off for the woods behind his house. If these things can make it in Houston, why not Ohio. Nature has a way of coming back.


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## shroomhunter

I actually called in my Bobcat sighting to the ODNR, they have info posted I read somewhere that they want any sightings reported. They asked for specific location, roads,county, time of day etc. It took only a few minutes of my time. 
As far as cougars/big cats there were sightings here in the Pataskala area and East of here in Granville. This was shortly after the sightings in the Gahanna area. I haven't heard of any lately though so it must have moved on.


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## swantucky

I have not seen any cougars or bobcats this year but I believe the ligers have really hurt the deer herd. Every time I have a Booner approaching bowrange a liger runs it off.


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## Papascott

Dang Randy you gots all the luck. I have yet to see a liger but I did see a pizzly bear once on lake erie. It is a cross of a grizzly and a polar bear but much more UGLY!!!!!!! Even took a Pic.


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## 1catdaddy1

there have been verified sightings of cougar(very few)- but game management people are predicting that more will come in future years.black bear are uncommon,but more sightings are reported here and there. bobcats have always been around,just an elusive creature,not often sighted-had one for sure here in champaign county about 10 yrs. ago, don't know about others. wild pigs are also becoming abundant in champaign county,and if you like to hunt them most farmers would be glad to let you.they are also devastating to the mushroom crop in springtime.


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## KWILSON512

I own land in Guernsey County and before I bought it I hunted it for the previous fifteen years and never seen sign of any bobcat or cougar down there but a couple that lives in neighboring property swear a cougar attacked their horse. I dont believe them and think there is likley a explaination for the injuries they say the horse recieved but even if there were cougars in the area I cant see it attacking a horse. 

I imagine an animal of that size would need to move pretty often to get food and would likley have been caught on one of my 4 trail cams trying to get one of the deer that frequent them so like I said either that a drinking toomuch or need to quit with the backwoods chemistry set (meth lab)...Just kidding they are good people but wrong , I think.


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## supercanoe

Lewis I was just joking around. There's no cougers in Ohio. There's no Red Wolves either.


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## Bulldawg

I did a science project in high school where I had to make up a creature and its environment. I called it Tigeaver Burtle ! Its a cross between a tiger, beaver and turtle. But I think I saw one deer hunting last week . It didnt think they were native to ohio. I considered some kind of imbred. Haha


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## Guest

Well if thats true i bet theres a few of them crawling around here in Hocking County.


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## bass

A friend sent me this


Subject: Cougar Picture from Steeleville, MO









Anybody want to go camping?

Photo of a cougar killed in Steeleville , Mo. The guy who shot it is 6 foot tall and weighs about 220 lbs. 

He was in a deer stand and saw the cat pass him downwind. He then saw it pass him upwind.
When the cat passed him again;closer this time; downwind. 

He knew that it was hunting him. So, BOOM !!! We do have these things in this part of the Country. 

Steelville Mo. is about 80 miles SW of St.Louis.
Lots of people live in the area.





















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