are there mountain lions in pennsylvania

It seems unlikely, considering captives have never shown this trait, but people are reporting big black cats. Why do I advocate manual exposure so avidly? “The tracks never seem to backtrack on themselves, so we think it was just passing through.”. years are available through this link. A few could, perhaps, be mistaken idenity. See also: That may be true, or was once true, but even a declawed puma, if it can survive off rabbits and squirrels, and breeds, its offspring would be fully equipted to survive. Can so many people be so wrong? Then I saw and was like, 'It could be a bobcat, possibly mountain lion,' " Nick Dodge said. The story behind our new web site. Red Lion, settled in 1852, was named after one of the first pubs in town, the Red Lion Tavern. Here in central Pennsylvania we live on the outskirts of what one puma-tracking website has as almost the high point of sightings, extending from north-central Pennsylvania in a southwestern diagonal that extends into the mountains of West Virginia. This is not a Pennsylvania puma! But, that doesn't mean you won't spot, or think you've spotted, one in your neighborhood. Are the Latest Fast CF Cards worth the Expense? Are there pumas, or mountain lions, in Pennsylvania and the mid-Atlantic States? "We do not believe that there are any wild, native, breeding cougar populations in Pennsylvania. We have a google map of unconfirmed public reports, pictures, videos, and historical... Mountain Lions of Pennsylvania Info Library (MLPIL) Today, there are none in existence in this area; the last mountain lions was seen in 1874. One of these days, though, I'll get one that won't be, and I hope that will be soon. The sightings were great bear views, but too fast or fleeting to allow me to grab a camera. Of course, the writer's comments were hearsay, but it does make sense. Would a puma then qualify as a native species? Pennsylvania Game Commission officials say it's very unlikely it was a mountain lion… On the second night, a mountain lion passed by, apparently drawn by the smell but put off by the stench, as the cat did not visit the kill. A Game Commission vehicle was there, and the Fed Ex driver, after reaching the bottom of a long hill, turned back to check on what he saw. The game commission maintains that these sightings are of "released" or "escaped" exotic pets, or rare wanderers from more normal habitats. I've know of reports since 1973, in Cooke Forest, the heart of a lot of Pa. wilderness. Remember, this one was photographed in Arizona in good puma country, although this was the first one I've recorded there. Are the various States guilty of essentially the same thing? We get it – Happy Travelers have a soft spot for our furry and feathered friends. For example, leopards and jaguars, normally spotted cats, have a melanistic color morph, the 'black panther,' the black leopard or black jaguar. only if it starts to run at you, because i had the same problem a few years back and i also live in PA, but what i love is when the PGC says that --->The last known Pennsylvania native mountain lion was killed in Berks County in 1874<----- LOL well no **** take them off the protected list once Pennsylvanians still report seeing mountain lions in … I have three observations here: 1. I can't dismiss the eye-witnesses I've interviewed. Imagine my surprise. The 'look' is from my In some areas, entire populations of a species exhibit this trait, for unlike albinism, which results in a conspicuous white color and light-sensitive pink eyes, there are no ill effects with melanism. Once commonplace across Pennsylvania, the mountain lion - also commonly known as the cougar - is officially extinct in Pennsylvania. Is there a correct position for the upright on a Wimberley actionhead? Check out the tails of the two! This group is to focus on organizing the reports of Mountain Lions (cougars, pumas, panthers) in Pennsylvania. A brief look, yes, but no question we saw a coyote. As you can see from the above images it is very difficult to confuse the two if you have a good view. That’s according to the U.S. However, my friend and I discussed this, and agreed, we saw what we saw, and had it been 40 years ago or four months ago, we knew we saw a coyote. One man, in the southwestern part of Pennsylvania, had seen one, at night, about 25 years ago. I think it is possible that recognizing the existence of pumas in the East could jeopardize this industry and an entire economy. In personal contacts, that monthly average might even be higher. I don't believe someone's imagination could stretch a six inch long tail to three feet! And they look like a big cat to us.”. I don't know if a Game Commission authority has actually said this or not, but people I've spoken to have reported this. So what? Mountain lions, which continue to be reported across Pennsylvania throughout the year, are officially extinct east of the Mississippi River and north of Florida, according to the U.S. How, Who, and Why? The cat was far enough away that I couldn't get a size reference, and I believed the cat was further away than it actually was. Good luck, and let me know! I don't want to seem like a nut case here, but I must ask this question and you'll soon understand why? Interesting, too, are the reports I've heard from people who were told that they would be in big trouble if they shot a puma. For example, one man I interviewed said he saw a 'black' puma, and this should disqualify his sighting as a black puma has never been recorded. Are there Mountain Lions in Pennsylvania? Everyone is familiar with albinism, the absence of pigmentation that results in a white, essentially pigment free animal, defined by pink skin and pink eyes. Eyes are normal and are not light sensitive, and the over-all color, generally black, is usually not detrimental and may actually be of benefit. Recently the US Fish and Wildlife Service formally declared the Eastern Puma an extinct species, except for the remnant population in Florida. Hunters I've spoken with said they've been told you can't kill a puma, which they felt was ironic since the same official told them pumas don't exist in Pa. Some days, jokes Gary San Julian, a wildlife resources professor in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences, he feels like answering his office phone by saying "Pennsylvania Cougar Sightings Clearinghouse." Are there Mountain Lions (Pumas, Cougars) in Pennsylvania and the Mid-Atlantic States? What do I think of the Canon 1D Mark IV? But even without that second look there was no question that we'd seen a coyote. All of these forests are, with few exceptions, open to hunting, and hunting is a very important industry in Pennsylvania, New York, West Virginia, Maryland, and Virginia. Have all of those who have seen a puma really seen a bobcat? Can so many people be wrong? Now, forty years ago coyotes were rare or almost nonexistent in Pennsylvania, and had had that same sighting back then, when coyotes were thought not to exist within the state we would have had the 'facts' to doubt what we saw. I am hoping that more and more people will learn of my own interest in this, and will pass on this information and that I'll receive more reports and, hopefully, sometime, a game camera photo that is definitive. I have not spoken with a Game Commission officer personally, so I don't know whether anyone killing a puma in Pennsylvania could do so without legal repercussions. My friend was a former hunter and fisherman, and spent a lot of time in the woods, as did I, but neither of us had ever seen a coyote. Continuing with that thought, if that were so, then it'd be possible, if not very likely, that the Eastern puma would be an Endangered Species. What would account for the long tails? Here's what to do (and not to do), One-walleye harvest to be allowed on Mille Lacs in spring, and possibly fall, Historic river pollution threatens coastal Great Lakes fish. On that, I've had emails sent with game trail photo attachments, or killed pumas, supposedly shot in Pennsylvania, but these were hoaxes. If it were, it would be listed. When I first discovered this fresh carcass I examined it for throat punctures, thinking that it may have been killed by a puma. Instead, the person usually pauses, sometimes with a sheepish or embarrassed expression on his face, and seems reluctant to continue. Mountain lion reports in Pennsylvania … Perhaps my Fed Ex driver was simply recalling a rural legend, but he said it was an employee that he knew, and it was a story he heard first-hand. I am bothered by the constricted neck of the cat on the game camera; 2. the tail is curved down, rather than up, but it may have been in mid-swing; 3. the goldenrod-appearing flower, and the background of cars, gives a sense of scale and location. Over time, cats that had been released in Florida, probably pets that outlived their welcome, bred with the native puma, and their genes mingled. An animal's coat can stray far from the norm. The town was a main stop along the old Maryland and Pennsylvania Railroad, known locally as the "Ma & Pa" Railroad.That railroad ran from York County to Baltimore, Maryland.. Red Lion was once famous for the many brands of cigars made there. Shop our online store for products and gear: Print of the Year, Outdoor News History Book, Outdoor News Clothing and more! If we say it ain't so, it ain't so! With that hope in mind, I have, for years, asked outdoors people if they ever heard of a mountain lion, or puma, in their area -- with my questioning limited to people in my home state of Pennsylvania. Which is the better camera, the Mark IV or the 7D? Unless I am only dealing with a lot of delusional people with little judgment, something is out there. This page is for Mountain Lion sightings and for people who are interested in hearing the story’s about those sightings. Their are two web sites I know of that dealt with eastern pumas, with the one, the Eastern Puma Research Network, concentrating on sightings in the east. Note the size of the tail, the pointed ears, the speckled coat, the basic lack of white underneath. Since being quoted about the possibility of wild mountain lions surviving in Pennsylvania in a widely published story almost three years ago, he still gets regular e-mail and … About six months ago I posted the question, Are there Mountain Lions in Pennsylvania? Unless I am only dealing with a lot of delusional people with little judgment, something is out there. In Michigan, there has been multiple sightings of 'black panthers,' animals that were thought to be mountain lions, or pumas, except that they were black. On that note, I was speaking with a Fed Ex driver recently who told me that one of his colleagues had seen what he swore was a dead mountain lion on the side of a road. Where can I find Depth of Field reference charts? If you see a puma (mountain lion-cougar), contact me. Only when I reviewed the images on my laptop did I discover that I had a mountain lion! The State argues that there is no physical evidence, and no credible photographs. And this genetic mix has been recognized, and the Florida puma is still protected. Let me explain this. original web site, although if I ever have enough time I might Goggling Eastern Puma brings up other web sites, however, with varying levels of professionalism or credibility. Granted, the image is not great, and I used some Photoshop adjustment layers to enhance the image, making it a bit easier to see. However, if it doesn't exist, and if someone saw one, wouldn't there be a worry that it was a dangerous escapee? Its alleged extinction occurred around the beginning of the twentieth century because of killing by humans and the almost complete eradication of white-tailed deer, its principal prey. By the time he returned the vehicle was gone, and so was the cat, and no mention was ever made of this road kill in a radio or newspaper report. I receive about one email or phone call a month, on average, from people that I do not know who are contacting me because their sighting compelled them to do a Google search on puma sightings, and they found my site and previously posted questions. The last wild panther known to have walked in the Pennsylvania woods did so in Berks County. The other site, The Cougar Network, is still active, and is reporting the cats expanding range from the West, but offers little about the phenomenon of Pennsylvania cats. Please keep scrolling - ALL the Puma posts are included. She still thinks it was a cougar … “I have the scat in my freezer in case anyone wants to test it,” she concluded. After all, how many people have pumas? Had this been faked, I'd suspect the hoaxter would try for a more authentic background. Because the neck bothered me, I decided to do some Photoshop on the puma in the lower left, moving his head higher up and changing the image to a contrasty black and white - to give a silhouette for comparision. Gillespie Point. It was stuffed and is on display at the State Museum of Pennsylvania. The DNR maintains mountain lion sightings using a system to receive, record and review mountain lion reports. Your email address will not be published. In Yellowstone, definite puma country (perhaps not ideal habitat, but pumas are found in every section of Yellowstone), I've spoken to guys on road crews and with rangers, each with 20 years of field or road experience in Yellowstone, and the ranger had only seen 2 (both road kills and together) and the road crew guys two or three in all their years. One might argue that the eastern puma is extinct, but that does not mean that there are not pumas (mountain lions, cougars) in the east. ? The mountain lion (Puma concolor) is sometimes called cougar, puma, catamount, and panther.Mountain lions once lived in much of the eastern United States. And a bit of an unpleasant one at that, as they now faced ridicule or doubt whenever they discussed their sightings. Nevertheless, I put up a MOULTRIE game camera -- a brand that I've had tremendous satisfaction with -- at the carcass, hoping that scavengers would visit. A dark brown puma, backlighted by a strong sun, could appear all black, or very dark, and he accepted that. In only one report had an official from the Pennsylvania Game Commision, a local warden, actually agree with the person reporting the sighting. Are there Mountain Lions (Pumas, Cougars) in Pennsylvania and the Mid-Atlantic States? Archived Questions of the Month Williams acknowledged there are people who would like to see mountain lions return to Pennsylvania as a symbol of wilderness, but right now there are no wild, reproducing populations in the state. In the forests of Kenya, however, they do occur. Interestingly, the US Fish and Wildllife Service has declared the Eastern Puma extinct, except for the Florida population known as the Florida panther. A Mountain Lion Cover Up What does a Mountain Lion look like on a game camera? At one point, there was debate whether that cat should be protected, since its genes were diluted from escapees or released pumas that originated in South America or our West. Possibly, but it seems unlikely that enough would have been released or had escaped to make for a viable population. Imagination? Is there a correct position for the upright on a Wimberley actionhead. If you're interested in this, please pass on this link, and if you see a cat, please let me know! This time, a Lancaster woman sent me some photos taken near a camp she and her husband recently purchased near Houtzdale in Clearfield County. How does the 7D hold up in a recent shoot? Over the last few years I've done several Questions of the Month regarding Mountain Lions, or Pumas as they should properly be called, in the Mid-Atlantic States and in Pennsylvania. At one time this fact almost resulted in this cat not being protected, since it wasn't a pure strain. One man sent me a game camera photo that was blurry but looked like a mountain lion, or puma, as I like to call them. The Nittany Lion at State College wasn’t just created out of thin air.Eastern mountain lions lived in central Pennsylvania until the late 1800s, according to Foster. How do I deal with shaving weight for carrying my gear? The only native North American mountain lion species (Puma concolor) has long since been extirpated from the eastern United States, with the exception of a … Over the last two years I have occasionally posted a Question of the Month soliciting sightings from people who believed that they have seen a mountain lion in Pennsylvania or in other areas in the mid-Atlantic states. Theories include the Nittany Lion, Mountain Lion, Puma, Cougar, Bobcat and even an actual black eastern Panther . In July and August I received seven different reports, and everyone involved had done a search of some type to compare images of bobcats and pumas. More Questions about Pumas in Pennsylvania. I forwarded her photos to a Penn State wildlife ecology professor and asked him what he thought. “If there was a bear there, he would have left tracks in the snow,” she responded “The only tracks surrounding the scat were the same as those I sent photos of. Required fields are marked *. I receive about one email or phone call a month, on average, from people that I do not know who are contacting me because their sighting compelled them to do a Google search on puma sightings, and they found my site and previously posted questions. I've spoken to PGC personnel, two being friends, and neither believe there are pumas in Pa. One cited how a bobcat's tail can be much longer than you expect, although I've never seen a bobcat tail longer than, at most, twice the size of the tails illustrated above of the bobcat. Recently, on a back road in Pennsylvania, a friend and I had our first sighting of a coyote in Pennsylvania. And again, while they may have been mistaken, they certainly were completely convinced that they had seen a puma. Now, if there were any escapes, and if any of these bred with a possible minuscule number of eastern pumas, a relic native population, wouldn't the gene pool be corrupted? It doesn't really matter if you don't believe me, as my neighbors and I, the people who have actually SEEN it and have to deal with it, are 100% certain it is a mountain lion. That's not to say that there is not a mountain lion in the wild," he explains. The configuration of the scat looks more like bear,” he wrote. I spend a lot of time outdoors, and I've seen about 10 black bears in Pennsylvania, and all within ten miles of my home. Please keep scrolling - ALL the Puma posts are included. He saw a big cat. This is only hearsay, however, since I'm only going on their stories. Two different people told me that they, or a close relative, had seen pumas on more than one occasion. He knows and was familiar with bobcats, and it was not a weird house cat that he and his friends misjudged in size. Consider that the endangered Florida puma has mixed genes. Well, right behind our property lies a mountain ridge, one of several that makes a continuous forest that extends, with little interruption, for scores of miles in three directions. Conversely, an outdoor writer I know told me that when Pa. enacted a menagerie permit law years ago, 'a lot of mountain lions suddenly died,' as the owners of these cats, rather than going through the paperwork, simply released their pumas and claimed that they had died. Heard an interesting one recently, and it ended the way they all have. Wishful thinking? Remember, this one was photographed in Arizona in good puma country, although this was the first one I've recorded there. Claws 'N' Paws Animal Park in Lake Ariel has two. He said he'd never forget the sighting, but it was only when he saw another, a few months ago, in daylight, from his cabin, that he decided it was time to tell someone. Is there a Puma conspiracy? The image in the Upper Left was from a Game Camera, sent to me by a friend. He's a hunter, a woodsman, and he's seen a lot of game, so I can believe he saw a back-lighted puma. Hopefully, we'll see the real thing. What is the Kiboko backpack? Were they house hold pets released int the wild or people just misidentifying big feral house cats there has been persistent rumors of large mountain lion size cats and black panthers. Most, quite honestly, don't know or can't believe or accept what they saw, they really can't believe their eyes. I hope no one ever shoots a puma to prove their existence here, but I hope someone gets a great photo, of the cat, of a road-kill, of tracks, and that I see it. Bobcats don’t have long tails.”, Also, she pointed out that the scat is on top of the snow. Flying over the area, I've looked down and commented upon the amount of habitat that would be available for a puma, if only they existed. I've never seen or heard of a verified black puma anywhere, whether wild or captive, so I'd be inclined to dismiss reports of truly black big cats as misidentifications, even when a group of guys all see the same thing. These color morphs are most common in rain forests and jungles. All of the above images are of bobcats. Albinos are often very light sensitive, and they certainly are conspicuous, and most do not live very long. I've seen scores of leopards in the grasslands and deserts of East Africa and I've never seen, nor spoke with anyone, who has seen a black leopard there.

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