Cougar or Coyote?

**corndog-44** · 12-13-2007, 02:18 AM

There has been talk of this cougar for several years around Pine Village, Indiana.
http://www.jconline.com/apps/pbcs.dl...NEWS/711060337

I just love the so-called experts comment that it is a coyote "in their professional opinion"!!! It sure looks like a large domestic cat to me. What do you think?

**Jay** · 12-13-2007, 03:01 AM

The photo is pretty bad.
I know nothing about coyotes, (except Wylie.E ...hope i spelled it right) but I do know a little bit about cats, big and small. the line of the back the curve of the tail definitely shouts cat to me.

The texture of the grass doesn't give the impression of it (the grass) being very tall.
the fringe of slightly taller grass near the bushes look as if it's about 1 1/2 - 2 ft tall.
Cant really tell about the bushes....but the propotion of the few visible branches vs leaves suggests that the leaves are fairly small. the cats ear is seems to be a close match to some of the leaves.

Strange how none of the things (Leaves, grass blades bushes against the sky etc) that can really give proportion to the whole pic seem to be missing. Also I'm not sure the blurring is natural. (I dont own a camera so i dont know much about such stuff)
Maybe I'm too suspicious & skeptical.

One thing I do know!
That Lady who said it was a coyote should not have ANYTHING to do with FELINE RESCUE!!! I'm not trying to be nasty....Just concerned for her safty and that of her fellow workers.

**Smok** · 12-13-2007, 03:18 AM

that is a house cat in my Professional opinion

**Rick** · 12-13-2007, 08:45 AM

I'm with Jay on the picture. There is just nothing in it to really allow a visual comparison for size. Cougars do exist in the Midwest although they are rare. I stated in another thread that a dead one was found in the woods near where I lived in Illinois. And you can't discount those goof balls that like to get their hands on exotic pets and then release them into the wild when they realize they can no longer take care of them. I think there are a couple of black panthers (or rumors thereof) running around the U.K. because of that.

I even mistook a leaf for a cow once...no, wait. That was the night I was out with Jack Daniels. Moving right along.

I guess, like beauty, it's all in the eye of the beholder. (close my eyes and cross my fingers) I do believe, I do believe.

**Beo** · 12-13-2007, 10:10 AM

I'm with Smok, that's a house cat walking throufh the yard or a field and the picture was blured on purpose. While there may be cougars in that area (rare) that is a yellow tabby but a big one. House Cat, look at the grass its tall from not being cut but growing wild.
Just my opinion.

**MCBushbaby** · 12-13-2007, 10:55 AM

...but there's no shortage of witnesses who claim to have seen a cougar in the area.

Well that right there tells you it's not a cougar. The chances of seeing one are very low, so a bunch of sightings are pretty much a dead giveaway it's not the reclusive cat.

**trax** · 12-13-2007, 01:00 PM

The photos pretty blurry, I think it's Sasquatch. If it's a coog it's a littlun and it sure as h*** aint a coyote. someone should explain to the xperts that coyotes aren't even cats!! If they're going by footprints it would have to be a pretty small cougar to have paws the size of a coyotes. A mature coog and a grown up wolf have similar size paw prints....big (and you know what they say about animals with big feet right?

That's riiiiight...they can run better in the snow

)

**Sarge47** · 12-13-2007, 01:31 PM

A big 'ole "kitty cat"! Here kitty, kitty, kitty. Don't tell Bear Grylls or he'll try to eat it! This is wierd, last night on the History Channel they did an episode of "Monster Quest" all about the validity of "Black Couger" claims. Truth is, I did see a Black Couger once over at our local grocery store. Coulda bought it but I don't much care for "Ford" products. Parumpum!

Thank you, you've been a wild audiance, I'll be here all week, hiding out!

**Rick** · 12-13-2007, 02:40 PM

Attention K Mart Shoppers. We have our blue light special on cougars in the Wilderness section.

I've always wondered why all the visitors to this forum never actually sign up. I'm beginning to understand their reasoning. So far, what is clearly an animal's tail has been identified as cougar, coyotte, tabby, sasquatch, a coog, and a Ford. We do know our stuff, don't we.

**Beo** · 12-13-2007, 03:47 PM

A black cougar is a black panther, a panther is another name for a cougar as is puma and mountain lion. So there are black cougars but maybe not in the U.S.

**Rick** · 12-13-2007, 04:10 PM

Scorecard here! Get your scorecard!

**FVR** · 12-13-2007, 09:46 PM

Coyotes, Cougars, I don't know. Woke up with a few coyotes, spent time with a few cougars, what can I say, they're just critters.

And I was the dog.

**trax** · 12-14-2007, 05:40 PM

ok then, I am the walrus, koo koo ka choo....

**nell67** · 12-14-2007, 05:57 PM

LOL! koo koo ka choo??? bless you!

**trax** · 12-14-2007, 06:00 PM

Originally Posted by nell67

LOL! koo koo ka choo??? bless you!

Hey, I was just quoting John Lennon

**nell67** · 12-14-2007, 06:04 PM

OOOHHH,I thought you sneezed

my bad

**toasta** · 12-14-2007, 09:26 PM

i've seen coyotes before
it has the black-ish fur on its tail which to me says coyote
but the ears look as a mountian lion
and the color is too dark to be mountain lion
and judging from the size (unless mal-nurished) coyote

so YEA i'd go with coyote
my non-profesional opinion

**Rick** · 12-14-2007, 09:37 PM

For those interested in Midwest sitings. The best, of course, has to be the 2004 siting near Chicago.

http://www.naturealmanac.com/cougars/sightings.html

"I watched a large tan cat with a black long tail and black teddy bear like ears walk into and through my backyard on a cold, rainy, dark, late afternoon."

Pass the Baily's, mate.