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Offline Champin

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Big cats in Australia
« on: December 12, 2016, 07:16:56 PM »
OK, I was cruising along Pluto track around Aberfieldy on saturday when about 20 yards in front of me a big cat crossed the road in a slow trot. It was about 18" - 20" tall at the shoulder and about 5' to 5 1/2' long nose to tail. It was jet black and looked in pretty good nick, not too fat not too skinny.
 So you're probably thinking champins dipped into the wrong bottle of pills, or had a early morning tipple, but I was stone cold sober only under the influence of the serenity of the bush.
The thing that pee'ed me off the mostest was I had only just turned the camera off the put it on charge. I missed filming it by less than 5 minutes..
The other thing was that I was soo amazed I never even thought to look for its prints though I doubt it would have left any as it was fairly rocky ground.
 Has anyone else seen or heard of sighting of these critters around these parts? I googled big cats in Australia and there is some rough footage of one in the Blue mountains.
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Offline D4D

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Re: Big cats in Australia
« Reply #1 on: December 12, 2016, 07:22:33 PM »
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Offline kizza1

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Re: Big cats in Australia
« Reply #2 on: December 12, 2016, 07:27:42 PM »
My grandfather used to shoot feral animals in Victoria. He claimed to have seen a few over his time. As well as seeing sheep corpses hanging in the trees.
There was records of a few English dart teams bringing pumas over as mascots years ago. As well as some escaping from a circus or zoo in new roughly 100 years ago.
Not sure if any of that's true but I believe my late grandfather.
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Offline Footy Shorts Shane

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Re: Big cats in Australia
« Reply #3 on: December 12, 2016, 07:30:06 PM »
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Offline D4D

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Re: Big cats in Australia
« Reply #4 on: December 12, 2016, 07:30:59 PM »
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Offline Paddler Ed

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Re: Big cats in Australia
« Reply #5 on: December 12, 2016, 07:34:08 PM »
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Offline Nomad

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Re: Big cats in Australia
« Reply #6 on: December 12, 2016, 07:37:01 PM »
Lol........Haven't seen a big cat but have seen a monster f#ckin sized black dog when my blue and I were walking the fire trail back from Lake Cootharaba to Teewah one afternoon. It was about 50 metres infront of us going through a well cleared t intersection so I got a good view. The hair on my neck went up, so did my dogs. The big prick had a quick look at us and kept going. To say that was a brown moment was an understatement.

Asked one of the rangers about it and they have been trying to bait the bugger for a while.
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Offline Champin

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Re: Big cats in Australia
« Reply #7 on: December 12, 2016, 07:40:02 PM »
Quote from: Footy Shorts Shane on December 12, 2016, 07:30:06 PM
http://www.myswag.org/index.php?topic=35589.0

(Sorry, just had to.  ;D )

Oh ha ha. You funny fulla. :laugh: Had a few that night round the fire but.
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Offline GBC

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Re: Big cats in Australia
« Reply #8 on: December 12, 2016, 08:08:05 PM »
We've dropped some very heavy set feral cats - their legs don't get any longer so they look strange. We heard a similar story and description of big black cats around Portland roads up the Cape when we were working there in 1989. Iron range is where the yanks had a base and did their nuclear/defoliation tests and the locals also claim the mascot gone feral theory.
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Offline gronk

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Re: Big cats in Australia
« Reply #9 on: December 12, 2016, 08:22:42 PM »
Saw a black shiny Puma looking thing a few yrs ago in the Watagans. Crossed the track not 15M in front of me and the missus.
Certainly wasn't a feral cat....too big and looked nothing like a pussycat !!
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Offline Mad Hueys

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Big cats in Australia
« Reply #10 on: December 13, 2016, 01:42:14 AM »
Working on the fishing boats we use to set traps overnight as ferrals kept getting into bait. So each morning kitty learnt to breathe underwater.
They don't resemble fluffy anymore once they get a taste of the wildlife.


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« Last Edit: December 13, 2016, 03:22:39 AM by Mad Hueys »
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Offline rockinj

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Re: Big cats in Australia
« Reply #11 on: December 13, 2016, 04:06:31 AM »
I watced a documentary years ago. It was a bit tounge in cheek until the very end. They played a recording of a lady 'hunter' at night in the bush. The big cat noise and her reaction sent chills that I can still feel now. I am a believer.
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Offline Fathom

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Re: Big cats in Australia
« Reply #12 on: December 13, 2016, 05:57:10 AM »
Quote from: Paddler Ed on December 12, 2016, 07:34:08 PM
Have a look at the size of tiddles that was found in Arnhem land




Years ago I use to do a little bit of shooting.
Shot some massive cats out near St George once.

Not 'puma' sized...  but certainly the biggest feral cats I have ever seen.
They'd be comparable to the pic above.
They get pretty big after a few generations wild.

Never found out if they taste like chicken though...
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Offline oldmate

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Re: Big cats in Australia
« Reply #13 on: December 13, 2016, 06:02:29 AM »
Quote from: gronk on December 12, 2016, 08:22:42 PM
Saw a black shiny Puma looking thing a few yrs ago in the Watagans. Crossed the track not 15M in front of me and the missus.
Certainly wasn't a feral cat....too big and looked nothing like a pussycat !!
Must of been the Penrith panther


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Offline D4D

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Re: Big cats in Australia
« Reply #14 on: December 21, 2016, 03:10:55 PM »
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Offline gronk

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Re: Big cats in Australia
« Reply #15 on: December 21, 2016, 03:59:55 PM »
Quote from: oldmate on December 13, 2016, 06:02:29 AM
Must of been the Penrith panther


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Nah, this one was all black.....maybe the Western Suburbs panther ??  ;D
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Offline Terry W4

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Re: Big cats in Australia
« Reply #16 on: December 21, 2016, 04:47:29 PM »
Wow these panthers certainly have a long life span. Lost to the wild during the 1940s.

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Re: Big cats in Australia
« Reply #17 on: December 21, 2016, 06:14:24 PM »
Neighbours' cats make good hats.

KB
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Offline lukeycat

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Re: Big cats in Australia
« Reply #18 on: December 21, 2016, 06:38:44 PM »
One of the guys involved in our local sporting club is a pro shooter here in vic with a few national parks contracts for feral management and he reckons the wild dogs are a nightmare when there's a few of em big mean pricks has shown me quite a few pics and I wouldn't want to come across a pack of them also mentioned there's been a few walkers over the years go "missing " up there and when found have looked like they have been attacked by wild dogs but it doesn't get reported through media channels not sure how true that is but looking at these damn things I wouldn't put it past him, has shot quite a few big pussys too lol.


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Offline doc evil

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Re: Big cats in Australia
« Reply #19 on: December 22, 2016, 07:27:45 AM »
Had a block at St Arnaud central Vic. After the second night bunny busting (and a few foxes) we were heading back to the shack. As the kids and missus' were asleep I dipped the lights on the shooting rig. The bunny cleaning area was about 100yards downhill from the shack on the fenceline. as I approached, a "black cat" bolted toward the shack and cleared the bonnet of my mates HG in one leap. 4 of us saw it but were unable to accurately identify what we had seen.
Next morning, the paw prints in the dirt were human hand sized. This would have been around the mid '80s
As a side note, a while later we found out that the piggery about 4km away lost stock occasionally.............and I'm not talking squeelers, big sows would disappear.............

 
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Offline Terry W4

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Re: Big cats in Australia
« Reply #20 on: December 22, 2016, 04:28:47 PM »
Did I tell you the time I saw the Lochness Monster swimming in Lake Burley Griffin?
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Offline moose2367

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Re: Big cats in Australia
« Reply #21 on: December 22, 2016, 06:47:24 PM »
Lol, funny how with all these stories and 'sightings', in this day and age with the technology, game cameras etc, that there has never been a clear photo or video taken.

Every dog/dingo i've shot looked a lot bigger when it was walking around compared to when it was dead. 
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Offline gronk

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Re: Big cats in Australia
« Reply #22 on: December 22, 2016, 07:51:37 PM »
Quote from: moose2367 on December 22, 2016, 06:47:24 PM
Lol, funny how with all these stories and 'sightings', in this day and age with the technology, game cameras etc, that there has never been a clear photo or video taken.



My brain took a clear video....just don't know how to upload it !!  :laugh: :laugh:
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