Went coyote hunting with my 70 year old neighbor, Don, yesterday. We sat in the truck watching the dogs run. The dogs were flying through the hills and woods and Don was having the time of his life watching a couple of his dogs lead the race. Around 11:00 AM, the dogs stopped like they had a coyote bayed up. Another guy got out of his truck and started walking in to get the dogs off the "yote" they had cornered so the race could start again. About half way into the woods, the dogs started moving again. They were coming right towards where Don and I were. About a minute later, a huge male cougar popped out of the timberline with five dogs hot on his heels! I asked Don if he had a gun with him, and he told me he sold it a couple months ago. I radioed the other guy, he had a shotgun with him. I had Don drop me off at my truck and I flew home to get the .270. It was a 20 minute (should have been 30 minutes) round trip and when I got back to where Don had been, they were two miles further down the road. Another hunter heard the radio traffic and came down to tell us we were full of caca as there are no cougars in southern Iowa. He beat me to the area the dogs were in and all of a sudden started screaming on the radio. As he got out of his truck and was getting his shotgun out, a female cougar went by him at 20 yards with two of the dogs on her. Shortly after the screaming, the female and dogs crossed the road behind me. We spent the rest of the day trying to get into position to get one of the cougars to no avail. Don has hunted coyotes for over 50 years and this was his first time seeing a big cat. I saw a young cougar around my place last summer, but nothing as big as that tom! I had a blast too, and my only regrets were that I didn't have my rifle or a camera with me when we went out. But what a day, seeing two cougars in one afternoon!
Yes they are legal to shoot in Iowa. If given the chance, I would have taken it. Not only are they a threat to livestock, but also to humans.
Yup, they say there are none here too but when one killed someone dog the other day and they had evidence in the snow they agreed. BUT, they still deny they live in the wild. The DEC's answer. It's probably a tame one that escaped. Whatever. They don't want to admit they're out there because they'd then have to start another program to protect an endangered species or something. Last I checked, my brother and his gang were up to 73 dead coyotes for the year. That was a week ago. They hunt EVERY day.
Hell we had one here in Wi, I think it was last yr, that had been seen by several people. Of course your naysayers were dumbfounded when that cat made its way to chicago, and the CPD shot the thing. The DNR suspected it made its way from out west. That animal covered some major ground in about a week.
