Big Cats in the british countryside

[salisburykeeper]

Ive seen a lot in the papers and on documentarys about the elusive big cats that are said to be living around the uk and as us lot on this forum are ut and about day and night all over the country i wondered if anyone had any sightings or encounters with these?

[pavman]

Yea lets get this going again, its been a while since I got slated by Lurch for bringing this up!

 

Yes they do, yes I have whilst out with Pav, I have no pics so it cant have happend

 

http://new.edp24.co.uk/cs/forums/658548/ShowPost.aspx

[Guest The Outlaw]

We live near a few safri parks and it has been mentioned a few times that they have been seen.

Me and a mate have been out lamping and have seen a Munty dead and ripped up but he thought a boar had done it, as we have those nasty little ******* here.

Do boar take out munties?

The big cat thing is possible but I hope it is mistaken identity.

At least they are shy if they are about and wont eat me.

 

Tony

[Dunkield]

Yes, in fact down your way SK, driving up the A34 from the Sutton Scotney A303 junction.

It was walking slowly up a field next to the road, and no - I hadn't had a drop to drink.

[AdamC]

Well the wife and I saw something very strange in Windsor Forrest when walking the dog towards the end of last year. Bear in mind this is not Windsor Park that is overun with joggers etc. We always see deer there and the odd buzzard, but on this one day, a large black object crossed the path maybe 50 - 60 meters in front of us. It was a misty day and visability was not good, be we have no idea what it was. It was large and stocky and made its way off into the woods. The wife suggested a wild boar?

 

Interestingly enough there was a spate of big cat sightings in the area about 7 years ago. A friend kept chickens and one night something dug under and got at them. he made a cast of a paw print left in the mud and was certain it was nothing native to this country.

 

I don't know, would you get wild boars in my neck of the woods? Final interesting point. Windsor Forrest where I walk the dog is right next to what use to be Windsor Safari Park. My friend with the chickens, backed onto the forrest also.

[Cranfield]

Take your pick;

 

http://forums.pigeonwatch.co.uk/forums/ind...amp;hl=big+cats

 

http://forums.pigeonwatch.co.uk/forums/ind...amp;hl=big+cats

 

http://forums.pigeonwatch.co.uk/forums/ind...amp;hl=big+cats

 

http://forums.pigeonwatch.co.uk/forums/ind...amp;hl=big+cats

 

http://forums.pigeonwatch.co.uk/forums/ind...amp;hl=big+cats

[Guest The Outlaw]

Our now re-rehomed springer Jimmy would find them if there are some.

 

Tony

[dusk2dawn]

Ive seen a lot in the papers and on documentarys about the elusive big cats that are said to be living around the uk and as us lot on this forum are ut and about day and night all over the country i wondered if anyone had any sightings or encounters with these?

 

 

Here is a question I have often pondered but thankfully so far have never had to come to a decision.

 

Obviously we all have various restrictions placed on our rifle certs and are obliged to adhere to them, however my question is

What would you do if one night you came across a big cat, call it what you will, within shooting range and you could reasonably be assured of a clean kill?

 

I really dont know what I would do, having shot it would I go public or just bury it as part of everyday keepering (possibly it had been feeding of my permission/farm animals in season), I may just tip my hat at it let it go and marvel at its just being there.

 

Answers on a postcard please

 

D2D

[njc110381]

Obviously we all have various restrictions placed on our rifle certs and are obliged to adhere to them, however my question is

What would you do if one night you came across a big cat, call it what you will, within shooting range and you could reasonably be assured of a clean kill?

 

 

If I felt threatened by it (which is unlikely unless I'd accidently cornered it) I'd shoot it, otherwise I'd let it go. These things pose little threat to humans and I'd be happy to walk in a wood knowing one was there. There are only a couple of big cats that are a real threat to us, and they'd be pretty obvious (ie not a black labridor, a lot bigger than a great dane or mastif). I've never seen one, but a work collegue I trust has (and locally). If he says he's seen one, he's seen one. No question.

[al4x]

Have to say I'd shoot it first and rely on the condition on the ticket that says Other wildlife in the course of maintenance of an estate, Of course this is only an issue if you want to go public with it, of course if you use a shottie then there are no problems at all, unless of course it turns out to be an escaped pet!

I've seen one when I went to pick up my HMR sitting in a pub car park after lunch saw this one about lab size trot down the grass opposite. But then a Hi lux turned up and a couple of blokes herded the Lynx back

[Highlander]

As Cranners pointed out this thread has been done to death on here before but...

 

No threat to humans??? Try telling that to our Canadian cousins. Pumas, mountain lions call ‘em what you will DO pose a very real threat to humans over there especially young children so ones roaming free here in the UK could well be a menace. All over the world big cats pose a possible threat to humans...although usually it’s the old story; if we (humans) wish to venture into their (the cats) domains then don’t wonder when they strike out!

 

I have a very hard time believing in free roaming big cats here in England, might be more of a possibility in the rougher parts of Scotland or Wales. Where is the hard evidence, not the speculation, not the hearsay, not the hype but real hard irrefutable facts? No one has ever released a pic of one or admitted and proved to shooting one and yet judging by the posts on forums like this the countryside is alive with shooters most nights who would surely have encountered one by now.

 

I admit I have seen what, at first look did resemble a BIG cat but after a while that’s all it was, a BIG cat and that was in full daylight, at night everything can distort! Plenty of overfed boogers about and some breeds like Maine Coons can be pretty BIG. I have seen feral cats, maybe even part Wildcat, that are pretty large and Wildcats themselves can grow into good proportions. All breeds of cat or for that matter animals (humans included) can throw over large specimens from time to time.

 

Big Cats free roaming in the UK? No but if I shoot one I’ll certainly let you know! Oh and if any of you guys shoot at one you better be damn sure you kill it or it’s likely to kill you! A BIG rifle or at (very) close quarters a shotgun with BIG shot is the only way.

[Catamong]

Stop knocking big Cats, they're all Gods creatures, don't ya know..??

 

Cat.

[salisburykeeper]

Im glad there are others that have had sightings , i was out with my uncle in the midlands a few years ago lamping and we watched a big black cat run away from us at about 50 yards down a hedgeline on the left hand side.it ran along and effortlessly jumped the hedge which was about 5 ft in height and 4ft wide and was off across the feild and gone, from my memory it had a really thick tail and the tail was really long, it didnt make any noise as it took off and it had been eating a muntjuck of which just the head and chest cavity was left, there was no mistaking what it was but have not mentioned it up until now as people are sceptical, I certainly didnt feel threatened but it made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up!

[Big_Sam]

There has been sightings up here as well, quite a good chance there are big cats around, most of up here is so deserted they could go for years without coming across a human.

[Ferret Master]

I'm pretty sure they are out there. But please... dont let 30g of 6's off at it if you put one up in a hedgerow as you will only just annoy it.

 

FM

Edited January 11, 2008 by Ferret Master

[young airgunner]

one of the tutors at college was telling us about a lady in winchester years ago who used to keep big cats in her home. when the the ban came in regarding the keeping of dangerous animals, she set them free into the coutryside. im sure there are big cats out there. my friends grandad who owns a farm in akeley in buckinghamshire swears he saw one 60 yrds away one night. he was in the local paper about it

[Blackbart]

Big cats only exist in the minds of shortsighted people,drunks and people who spend far too much time watching scully and mulder

If there was a BIG cat out there it would have been found,think of all the woods that are driven,all the woods,valleys,bracken a pack of hounds has trampled through......we arent talking alaska here, just little old GB

 

Having said that i thought i seen one 1 night but i couldnt get a clear view of it cos the lights of a ufo were reflecting off the windows on peter pans flying ship causing shergar to run back and forth infront of the shape of the large shadow that looked like a cat.........The truth is out there

[Oly]

When out inspecting Pow Beck just outside of Whitehaven (I wouldn't recommend it!) I ended up in the same field as a big cat. It seemed more scared of me than the other way around. Followed/tracked it for a field or two before I lost it...was very cautious though (read - conservatively sh!ting myself!) so I didn't get closer than 100yrds, and it was quite sureal as your really pinching yourself trying to convince yourself it's something else...but it was BIG, cat like and very much a skinny lioness/leopard shape (had a bad limp, mustn't have been eating too much) with rounded furry ears, a concave back and a long curved tail.

[Big_Sam]

Big cats only exist in the minds of shortsighted people,drunks and people who spend far too much time watching scully and mulder

If there was a BIG cat out there it would have been found,think of all the woods that are driven,all the woods,valleys,bracken a pack of hounds has trampled through......we arent talking alaska here, just little old GB

 

Having said that i thought i seen one 1 night but i couldnt get a clear view of it cos the lights of a ufo were reflecting off the windows on peter pans flying ship causing shergar to run back and forth infront of the shape of the large shadow that looked like a cat.........The truth is out there

 

Perhaps in your end of the country, up here there is so much land without access there could be a pack of them and you would never bump into them.

 

On my newest farm there is a wildcat, not a big cat, but quite cool all the same.

 

 

12 Sightings up here, little dot right over the farm

Edited January 11, 2008 by Big_Sam

[young airgunner]

Big cats only exist in the minds of shortsighted people,drunks and people who spend far too much time watching scully and mulder

If there was a BIG cat out there it would have been found,think of all the woods that are driven,all the woods,valleys,bracken a pack of hounds has trampled through......we arent talking alaska here, just little old GB

 

Having said that i thought i seen one 1 night but i couldnt get a clear view of it cos the lights of a ufo were reflecting off the windows on peter pans flying ship causing shergar to run back and forth infront of the shape of the large shadow that looked like a cat.........The truth is out there

 

people arent going to announce if they have shot one are they as they will loose there firearms license

[fortune]

Big Cats are like the loch Ness monster or the Yehti. A lot of people are either liars or mistaken as to what they recon that they’ve seen or there are some out there. There are a lot of wild boar around here because we’ve seen them but I’ve seen that it is difficult to find one in the countryside. My friends and I do a lot of shooting and none of us can say that we’ve actually seen one close enough to claim a scalp. The nearest possible sighting was two of the keepers were traveling through the forestry at night and an animal was drinking from a puddle on the track. Before the keepers could clearly see what it was the animal moved off of the track into the forestry. All they could say was that it was black, large lab size and moved like a cat.

Several people who I believe have said that they have had close range sight of a large / big cat. My Sister said that she had one in her garden over twenty years ago. She lived in a quiet rural house with a large garden and an attached orchard. She said that she went into the garden to hang out the washing and it was sitting basking in the sunshine by the hedge near the end of the garden and the orchard. She said that it was just like a jet-black cat only really big. She was so surprised that she just stood there watching it lick its fur. Eventually it got up and wandered away. She never told anyone because she thought that no-one would believe her as she didn’t have a photo or any evidence of it. She was very wary of going out into the garden for several years after this. If an opportunity came my way I would definitely drop it if the situation for a clean kill presented it’s self. Again this would not be broadcast to all and sundry or the media.

[salisburykeeper]

Big cats only exist in the minds of shortsighted people,drunks and people who spend far too much time watching scully and mulder

If there was a BIG cat out there it would have been found,think of all the woods that are driven,all the woods,valleys,bracken a pack of hounds has trampled through......we arent talking alaska here, just little old GB

 

Having said that i thought i seen one 1 night but i couldnt get a clear view of it cos the lights of a ufo were reflecting off the windows on peter pans flying ship causing shergar to run back and forth infront of the shape of the large shadow that looked like a cat.........The truth is out there

I havnt seen australia but there are a lot of people who tell me it exists

[dustyfox]

I dont believe in them, fox hounds would of got a scent of one if they were here. all it is is a big tom cat could easily mistake it for a panther.

 

What I do believe thou is that there are some wolverines out there, wont like to meet one of them face to face.

[new to the flock]

Personnally I do not believe the everybody running through the bush or the hounds of the hunt would put a big cat up.

 

I live in an area of Ontario where bobcat, and cougar roam. I run coon hounds, trap, hunt, fish and in the past rode to horse and hound. In all the years I have spent in the woods I have only ever seen 2 of these cats.

 

One I was somehow lucky enough to see crossing a frozen river under a full moon. right place at the righ time, the other was treed with a cat hound and destroyed after it continued to take livestock.

 

As to the hunt hounds, they are trained to run fox and coyote, they ignor deer and cats, specially as we do not want to be running Grannies Moggy around a field . Same with my hounds they run coon not cats. with the amount of noise that a pack of hounds make, or even just a hunter and dog on foot a cat would have heard you long before you were within seeing distance. The cat would know who, what, and how many and would have decided just how far it needed to move to avoid detection.

 

The only way to see a cat with hounds is to cut a track , turn loose with trained cat hounds, and be prepared to follow for miles until the cat has decided it has played enough and is willing to make a stand.

 

NTTF

[tulkyuk]

What I do believe thou is that there are some wolverines out there.

 

 

Also Beast, Nightcrawler, Storm, the proffesor and many of the other X-Men

Edited January 12, 2008 by tulkyuk