I was reading the post about the otters and thought I would start up a neat thread.
What are some of the "rare" animals that you have seen in Central Illinois? Or what are some of the cool nature experiences you have had.
Here are mine....

I saw a bobcat while looking for arrowheads once just outside of Moweaqua.
I saw a badger once digging in a ditch just west of the Moweaqua Golf Course.
My grandma said she once saw a black panther while she was out picking up field corn.
I saw a Pileated Woodpecker when I was mushroom hunting one spring morning. They are the crow-sized woodpeckers with the crest on their head.
I was pheasant hunting over by springfield once and my dog was on point and when I went to flush it was a coyote. Weird.