My young one just came home and showed me this....whaddya think:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3HYKGmYOpeM

I think if that was my video and it was legit I would have that area lit up with trail camera's and video trail camera's.

That cat would think he was Elvis with all the lights flashing him. LOL !

Cat... The other white meat!

I think someone would be driving to my stand to pick me up!! they best be there before dark or just pick me up in the morning!!LOL!!:D

Looks like a house cat to me.

Need a little clearer video plus something of known size next to it to get some perspective. Otherwise there's no way to know how big or small the cat really is.

It's walking pace is what makes me wonder if its not a house cat. I agree with Life though, a size perspective would be nice.

Need a little clearer video plus something of known size next to it to get some perspective. Otherwise there's no way to know how big or small the cat really is.

That right there is a cougar in a cornfield. I don't need further perspective.... Is it in IL??? That is the question.

Figuring corn stubble is about 15" high (or knee high) and those that are at the edge of the woods are probably in the 3' range as it looked like they haven't been knocked down much.

I agree with Bob, it's a cougar but is it IL? I'd shoot it, take a pic of my GPS coordinates laying next to the dead cougar and then call the DNR and take a picture of their truck next to it.

Well, Farina is darn close to the area over by Wayne Co where they had the 2 reports of horse injuries/kill in November. The jury is out w/ me.

Doing a little research, there is a kid that outta be about 29 by the name of Jason Guerrettaz that lived in or does live around Salem which is darn close to Farina. Hmmm.. the plot thickens...and I don't mean feed plot..LOL

That right there is a cougar in a cornfield. I don't need further perspective.... Is it in IL??? That is the question.



Cougar's, Puma's, Mountain Lion's, and Black Panther's. They are not just here in Southern Illinois, they never left.:eek:

Did anyone else here see the episode of Monster Quest on big cats on the History Channel? It's not that easy with blurry footage like this video to make a case either way. Now if they had an object of known size shot with the same camera from the same vantage point at the same location the cat was, then there'd be a pretty good size reference.

That Dont Looooook Like A House Kitty To Me !!!! That There Is A Big Kitty From What I Could Tell!!!!!!!!

I was using the stubble for size comparison Life..But you make a really good point for those of us tat are chasing these elusive creatures...try to get a shot(s) that make it easier to determine size.

Umm like if I get close enough to start banging away with the hubble I'm going to be thinking about setting up a good shot ROFL ROFL

..I'm voting that it is indeed a big cat..and have heard rumors about one over there near Farina..
I'm betting DDave uses his superior detecting skills to get to the bottom of this!! Farina is fairly close to Scott too..wonder what his thoughts are....

I'm not saying it isn't, but just that it's really hard to be certain. I've seen housecats that were shaped like that and walked the same way. Some of them have been known to get some size to them too.

Why did the video start with a deer in a field other than corn! All the jumping around leads me to beleive he spliced the video.

You can find where he lives here,

http://maps.live.com/default.aspx?v=2&ss=wp.Jason+Guerrettaz&where1=Salem%2c+IL&style=r&s_cid=ansPhBkWp01

There are also 3 listings for that last name in the Salem area phone book, one is in Salem, one in Kell, and one in Kinmundy

Deno and I are in disagreement over this one, he thinks the stalks are not very high so here is my official analysis:
Those corn stalks, regardless of height are about 1-1 1/2" diameter, at exactly 52 seconds into this video it shows a forked tree, estimating based on corn stalk diameter I'd put the left branch on the tree at about 8" and the right branch about the same. At 13 seconds it shows the cat at the base of that same tree, figuring the right branch of that tree just above the cat at 13 seconds I'd say that cat is about 3-4 fett long.

I still say it's a cougar but just to make sure if I ever see one, with gun in hand, I'll shoot it, take pics with multiple items to show the size scale and take a photo of my GPS coordinates next to the dern thing.

I'm thinking it is a cougar doing the walking. WHERE it is walking is in question for sure.
I think I just watched 2 videos pieced together. Lots of skilled people out there doing that. Mike

Another reason why I never edit a picture, that way nobody here questions them!

Ya mean yer actually that good looking?....:D:D:D

Ya mean yer actually that good looking?....:D:D:D

..and then some!

I talked to a lady today who claims her Dad knows the guy who shot this footage. Aparently there has been talk about this cat for a while.

I also say big cat for sure. As far as in IL, they lady today seemed sure of her story. She approached me with the story, but who knows.

I think I'll stay where I'm at.

I 'm still feeling tat it's a big cat..and still open to discussion on WHERE LOL ... but the story does seem plausable..as for seing two spliced videos..maybe he put the camera down, changed views, edited out the "Oh Holy S*** there a F****ing mountain lion" part...
Just playing the devils advocate.. :)

Gretch, you may be right BUT with all the hype in Illinois about possible mountain lion sightings, I would deffinitly be saying something for the audio that would help document the footage. Like 'here I am in SIL watching a cougar on such and such date, in such and such county.'

Then I would get a size comparison. Put something of known size in the same spot where the alleged cougar was and go back to the stand I was in, to get some sort of comparison for the size of the cat. THEN I would take my footage and do something more with it than post it online.

The IDNR has posted a press release to deal with all these hoaxes.

Like I said, shoot one and take a pictureof it next to the DNR truck when they come to verify it.

It is a real video in Illinois they guy who shot it is on the fire department with me we all seen the video. I have talked with several other guys about this saying they have seen or heard it everyone thinks it is only on cat and making its rounds several miles around the area. The guy who shot the video of this had his camcorder with him for deer hunting just caught the cougar instead Makes the deer alittle skittish around here

Ronin..those are all good points..but you're thinking like a photographer/mythbuster! LOL
When you are just an average joe out in the stand just the sheer drama of seeing it might short circuit any kind of plan! I hope if I ever get any shots of the butter creek big cat...I have the presence of mind to do just like you said...and not just freak completely out and shoot until I can no longer..and worry about those details as the cat slinks over the hill LOL
Maybe I'll make a note of your suggestions..and pin it on my bibs so I'll hopefully remember..because they are excellent points to remember when shooting things like that!

Knowing you Gretchen, you'd get so engrossed in seeing how good of photos you could get that you'd completely forget that it's the hunter and you're the hunted. Being in a stand though, it'd probably go for easier prey like bunnies and Bambi.

THat cat might be thinkin' that photo lady in coveralls sure does like those Pistol City pie slices....I bet she'd be dang tasty...kinda premarinated from the inside out..LOL

You've heard Critter's "my dingbat wife and the buffalo..." stories I take it ???? ROFL or perhaps... the "my nutty wiife and the rattlesnake...." story or some version thereof????
ROFL......

No Gretchen, I've been with you when you were trying to get that perfect photo. I haven't had the pleasure of meeting Critter yet.

Jason Guerrettaz lives in Florida. He's 32 yrs old and his parents still live in Illinois. He was visiting home when he took the picture. You can reach him at jguerrettaz@yahoo.com. Hope that helps.

The real :confused: on everybodys mind....Why has Debunked not chimed in on this one????? The way its carryin its tail looks like a couger , kinda stiff looking and bowed up . But why was the clip of the deer added at the beginning? The deer looks to be in a bean field that was cut real short to the ground, then the part of the clip with the "cat" is in a corn field that dosen't even look like its been chopped....Looks like two different locations to me.

The real :confused: on everybodys mind....Why has Debunked not chimed in on this one????? The way its carryin its tail looks like a couger , kinda stiff looking and bowed up . But why was the clip of the deer added at the beginning? The deer looks to be in a bean field that was cut real short to the ground, then the part of the clip with the "cat" is in a corn field that dosen't even look like its been chopped....Looks like two different locations to me.

Personally I would like to know who Debunk is, after being falsely accused of being him. :cool:

I would like to have killed a buck like he has for an avatar though.

Personally I would like to know who Debunk is, after being falsely accused of being him. :cool:

I would like to have killed a buck like he has for an avatar though.
How about being accused of knowing who he is????:rolleyes::eek:

How about being accused of knowing who he is????:rolleyes::eek:

I dont know who he is, if that's what your asking.

I dont know who he is, if that's what your asking.
I just wanted to toss that out there....:rolleyes::D

Personally I would like to know who Debunk is, after being falsely accused of being him. :cool:

I would like to have killed a buck like he has for an avatar though.
Flatlander I am sorry for implyin that you where or knew the identity of Debunk..:)

Flatlander I am sorry for implyin that you where or knew the identity of Debunk..:)

Not a problem Fun

House cat, too small, color wrong, belly too close to the ground.

Bottom line, someone needs to get in there like Flatlander said. Trail Cameras and Video.

This should show DNR if its legit. I dont think thats a housecat. Size porportions to the things its walking by and from the pics of the Bobcats Ive seen, tail is too long and the body seems larger. Maybe this is an optical illusion, but I just dont see the "housecat" possibility.

The splicing seems a bit odd, why, on the replay did they show the deer again if it was a cut part of the original video?

I'm so trying to get the one down in the bottoms..maybe now with Fun having a cam down in that area too one of us will get it!
One of the neighbors did get it on his but DNR told him the images were fabricated..
I'll have to see if I can get a copy of the images from him..

Bottom line, someone needs to get in there like Flatlander said. Trail Cameras and Video.


And maybe a free lunch for the kitty, deer carcass ?

How about being accused of knowing who he is????:rolleyes::eek:

That makes 2! :eek:

:rolleyes::confused:

That's no house cat. I have observed two cougars in the wild now.

The State will not admit they are here until they see a body or tracks. Notice how they have not condemned the sightings in North Chicago. There were tracks present in the snow and mud. DNR has NOT refuted these sightings.