Prairie Works

The Mountain Lion (Puma concolor) is an elusive mammal and the largest member of the cat family in North America. Other names for this animal include: Cougar, Puma, Panther, Catamount and many local variations including the Wisconsin Puma and Florida Panther. As of late, this creature has been receiving some attention locally. 

Last month a sighting was confirmed near Janesville, WI. It was the first confirmed sighting in Wisconsin in a century, although there have been hundreds of ‘probable’ accounts. A mountain Lion was killed by a train in downstate Illinois in 2000 and ’possible’ and ’probable’ sightings have been common since. Most of the sightings have been along the Mississippi River corridor and in Shawnee National Forest.  

Here in JoDaviess county, sightings have been occuring for several years now but no solid evidence yet. Last week I was called to investigate a possible sighting of a cougar in a tree. After an hour of tracking and searching for hair samples we declared the sighting as ‘possible’.

Recent Email Hoax - Coincidentally, two weeks ago an email started to circulate around the area. This email stated that a Cougar was seen near Elizabeth, IL on someone’s deck. Four very eerie pictures were attached and it provided some good shock value. However, the pictures originated from Montana in 2003 and the same email and pictures has started rumors in different parts of the country. Some people contacted me about it, Thank you. If you received this email, IDNR officials have told us that it is not true. A quick Google search will also confirm this.

What does all of this mean? Well, Cougar populations have been rising out west and some individuals have moved eastward. Cougars have the largest range of any mammal on the continent. Being able to cover 75 miles a day, cougars will expose themselves occasionally. The probability of sightings will increase during their high travel months. Hunting and bounty killings essentially eliminated the Cougar from existence in this area 100 years ago. With that pressure now removed, reproduction and survival rates can increase. We can expect this trend to continue and expect to have more ‘confirmed’ sightings in the Midwest in the future.

If you think you have seen a Cougar or its tracks please contact one of us as soon as possible:

Cory Ritterbusch, Prairie Works, 815.751.7400

Chris Kirkpatrick, JoDaviess Conservation Foundation, 815.541.3494

Emily Lubcke, The Galena Territory Association, 815.777.2000

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-cougar_22feb22,0,4931096.story  Read the Chicago Tribune article

Recently, a bobcat was sighted within the city limits of Galena, ILL. This serves as a reflection of the status of the bobcat population regionwide. The last two decades has seen a surge in the population, especially in Northwest Illinois and adjacent Iowa.

The Bobat (Lynx rufus) was once a contemporary of bison, elk, and wolves in the wild pre-settlement times. The changing of the landscape to agriculture and bounty killings in the 1800s led to plummeting populations. High pelt prices, indiscriminate killing and little government protection in the 1900s continued this trend. In the 1980s the Bobcat was thought to be absent from the agricultural Midwest. During the late 1970s Illinois and Iowa placed the Bobcat on their lists of state-threatened species. During the 1990s sightings became more common and by 1996 92 of Illinois’ 102 counties had at least one reported sighting. The Bobcat was removed from the threatened species list in Illinois in 1999 and from Iowa’s in 2003. Iowa is currently conducting its first Bobcat trapping season this fall in over three decades. Wisconsin, always having a stable population in the Northern half of the state, is now experiencing common sightings in the Southern half.

Why is this happening? There are several reasons. First, popularity of trapping and pelting has decreased as has the pelt price for Bobcat. The average pelt price in 1982 was $70.67 in 2003 that price had dropped to $67.23. That has left little encouragement for the trapper. Secondly, several states banned the sport including Illinois, Iowa and Indiana allowing the population to rebound. Third, the threat of Bobcats to farmers has decreased as farms have become less diverse. Fourth, land use has changed as more goverment programs are available to create wildlife habitat and more recreation grounds are purchased.  Therefore, the Bobcat can increase its range.

The driftless area offers great habitat for Bobcats. Its steep ravines with small caves offer excellent den opportunities and shelter. Early winter offers the best time to see and hear Bobcats. The males begin to squall and yowl to gain attention of passing females during the night during upcoming mating season. With open woods and a cover of snow one must keep their eyes peeled to catch a glimpse of the wild cat of the Midwest.

 http://dnr.state.il.us/orc/wildlife/furbearers/bobcat.htm Illinois DNR Description

http://www.iowadnr.com/wildlife/files/bobcat.html Iowa DNR Description