Are mountain lions on their way to Pennsylvania? The Pocono Mountains are located in Northeastern Pennsylvania. The bounty for adult wolves and cougars was raised on March 16, 1819 to $12. The skeleton was reassembled at the State Museum, where it has been on display ever since. Although unconfirmed, mountain lions continue to be reported in many spots across Pennsylvania, including several reports in the past couple months. All rights reserved. Any Truth Mountain lions typically eat about one deer per week, along with other smaller prey as the opportunity arises. Would these ridges be declared off-limits for hunting? They once inhabited the entire United States, but were killed off and pushed west. Colorado is the perfect habitat for mountain lions. They have almost been killed off a few times, but conservation efforts have helped to keep their numbers stable. Pocono beasts: Mastodons, wolves, cougars once abundant in region Mountain lions' canines are 3 to 4 inches long. As a state known for its mountains, its no wonder that mountain lions live here! Bobcats, feral cats and domestic dogs may be misidentified as mountain lion. Mountain lion killed in Connecticut was on the opposite side of Pennsylvania a year ago, Is it real? Big cats in Pennsylvania: mountain lions or bobcats? - Pocono Record Is there a Mountain Lion Conspiracy? Although there was no evidence that the 2011 mountain lion ever set foot in Pennsylvania, DNA evidence confirmed that it had been both west and east of the state. WATCH: Sharks biting alligators, the most epic lion battles, and MUCH more. It has long been popular with honeymooners, but today the Poconos are a popular destination for families, skiers, adventure seekers, NASCAR fans, and those from urban areas around New England, New York City, Philadelphia . Some have even reported seeing a "black panther," a near-impossibility because of the rarity of that recessive gene. "It's one of those things where I'll believe it when I see it," said Jason Farmer of Pocono Summit, my hunting partner for the last eight years. Erosion from glacial melt and violence glaciers did to the land left a great litter of boulders, rocks, clay and lakes covering today's landscape. Wyoming has a historically stable population of mountain lions, but recent drops in numbers have caused some to worry. An assessment list for Lower Smithfield Township in 1761 when it was part of Northampton County (Monroe having not yet been created) taxed "three pence per pound and shillings per head" laid on the land and inhabitants. 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. Melanism is the reverse, where there is an abundance of dark or black pigmentation. 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. A recent alleged sighting in South Abington Township, Lackawanna County, had Facebook groups abuzz. "We've been here 45 years and I've probably been told by people at least 100 times that they've seen a cougar or mountain lion," said owner Vince Hall. 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. "We should be getting more pictures. The states beautiful wilderness and mountainous terrain are prime mountain lion habitats. What does a Mountain Lion look like on a game camera? What equipment do we take in the field? Features Writer Micaela Hood is signing off with the Pocono Record after five years of covering arts, culture, entertainment and sports in northeastern . A bobcat gives you a warm, that-kind-of-looks-like-my-cat-but-slightly-bigger feeling. PHILADELPHIA (AP) An instinct coiled way down in the human brain knows the difference between a bobcat and a mountain lion. The last documented sighting of an eastern cougar was one killed in Maine in 1938. If you see a puma (mountain lion-cougar), contact me. Here's an example: A man is holding a dead eastern diamondback rattlesnake, which was found in North Carolina and measured more than 9 feet long and weighed 95 pounds. A dark brown puma, backlighted by a strong sun, could appear all black, or very dark, and he accepted that. September 21st, 2008, 08:14 PM #74. The last native mountain lion known to be killed in Pennsylvania is on display in the State Museum of Pennsylvania in Harrisburg. It's 90-something degrees, but Rocky's stare feels like ice down your pants. Mountain lions live in rescue centers like Murray's, and the Pennsylvania Game Commission said a dozen or so people are permitted to possess them. You know, the Penn State Nittany Lions.". The woman, a 66-year-old grandmother, asked not to be identified because she's a senior and didn't want people "bothering" her about it. But no one that I've communicated with had these preconceptions, and seeing what they saw was a complete surprise. 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. In the forests of Kenya, however, they do occur. Consider that the endangered Florida puma has mixed genes. A Mountain Lion Cover Up Arkansas isnt somewhere that we would generally think of when looking for mountain lions, but they are on the rebound! More conclusive evidence is needed: Keep your cameras handy. Mountain lions live almost everywhere in the state of Washington. The Florida panther is an endemic subspecies of cougar that has lived in the everglades region for a very long time. However, if it doesn't exist, and if someone saw one, wouldn't there be a worry that it was a dangerous escapee? The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) also reports evidence that humans arrived during the last glaciation or soon after. What does a Mountain Lion look like on a game camera? They ponder rare fossil evidence unearthed and seek to make sense of stratified geology, both fleeting in the face of what we call progress. ", (PennLive has investigated many reports of mountain lions, and other mystery creatures, and has found no confirming evidence, including in a reported Berks County sighting on January 8. These experiences are still available, but the reality is there is so much more for the mature traveler to enjoy in the Pocono Mountains. I'd love to hear of any reports you have. "It's fall bow-hunting season soon," he said. "From people that I trust have had visual sightings, they've seen mountain lions.". Local outlets carried reports of cougar encounters at least into the 1910s. Good luck, and let me know! Is there a correct position for the upright on a Wimberley actionhead. Mountain lions were once widespread across North America, but their range shrunk dramatically as they were pursued through unregulated hunting and by farmers aiming to protect their livestock, and moved off the landscape by habitat fragmentation. Have all of those who have seen a puma really seen a bobcat? "I thought I had a sighting in the late '90s," Delaware Water Gap National Recreation park ranger Chris Kross said. However, if you've seen a mountain lion, or other mystery creature, or evidence of either, in Pennsylvania, contact outdoor writer Marcus Schneck at mschneck@pennlive.com.). Mountain Lion in Pocono's Pennsylvania Kacie PA 7.9K views 2 years ago Mountain lion in bucks county pa or not? No An official form of the United States government. Currently, mountain lions seem to be making a comeback in regard to their historic range. Where reports dating that far back from escapees? Are mountain lions on their way to Pennsylvania? Suppose, instead of declaring the puma, or Eastern mountain lion, extinct, the USFWS actually recognized the existence of the cat as a wild, breeding species. And how many would let them go, or provide an opportunity for escaping? 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. When he told me this, he commented on how an experience like the one he and his friends had just is not forgotten. Here are the 15 US States That Have Mountain Lions. I regularly ask hunters and outdoors people if they've ever seen a mountain lion, or know of anyone that has. Illinois can also now be added to this list a mountain lion was found on the outskirts of Chicago. There's a whole world to learn about and Colby is content to spend his life learning as much as he can about it! 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. I'm wondering, then, if the complete dismissal of sightings of Eastern pumas (other than the acknowledgement of released or escaped pets) isn't motivated by economics. Still, these resilient animals reside in secluded areas across the United States, with current data suggesting they may even be returning to their historical regions! While the chances that I'll ever see a puma in Pennsylvania myself are virtually zero, I'm always on the alert -- for the bobcat I've never seen in Pa., for a fisher, bear, deer, red salamander, toad, or snake, and yes, I'm always hoping that I too will become one of those who saw something that officially cannot exist within the state, a puma I know I saw but, of course, could not have! And when our officers go out to investigate reports of mountain lions, or when our staff reviews photos that are sent to us, often we're able to verify some other animal mistakenly was reported as a mountain lion.". More Questions about Pumas in Pennsylvania. Colorado has a large number of mountain lions within its borders, mostly due to the high elk population, dense forests, and isolated mountain ranges. Many people have claimed to see them, and this writer chronicled numerous such reports in the local press from the mid-1990s to the 2010s. Obviously, other pumas must be about, and the series of ridges extending north and east and west from my location could all be included as critical habitat as well. They are generally believed to be young cats roaming in search of new breeding territories to claim as their own. Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. In the map above, I collected data from the state and on the federal level to find state parks . Only when I reviewed the images on my laptop did I discover that I had a mountain lion! Two different people told me that they, or a close relative, had seen pumas on more than one occasion. At one time mountain lions, or more properly puma (Puma concolor), enjoyed the widest geographic range of any New World mammal, and were found throughout all of the contiguous United States. They mostly live in the far western Trans-Pecos region of the state, with about 50,000 to 80,000 acres of suitable land currently being used by the cat. Recent post: Why Is It Called Beaver Stadium? At the end of the last Ice Age, many animals in Pennsylvania died out. Two other reports went, in detail, on what they saw, the size, the length of tail, etc. Eastern mountain lion officially declared extinct - pennlive.com In 2011, a confirmed mountain lion was killed by a vehicle in Connecticut and which had been determined that it had wandered east from the Mid-West. This ideal habitat allows for a large population of 2,000 mountain lions to thrive. Remember, this one was photographed in Arizona in good puma country, although this was the first one I've recorded there. Can so many people be wrong? These color morphs are most common in rain forests and jungles. Mountain Lions in Pennsylvania - Hoot Hollow 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. Cougar Network tracks mountain lion expansion from the western U.S. to the east. If so, what would happen to the hunting industry in all of these states? While it would seem impossible to confuse the two after seeing them in person, Foster said many of the sightings are in the dark, from roadways and trail cams, with bodies half-concealed. Confirmed cougar sightings have increased in the Midwest and Great Lakes states in recent years.". I believe Kross fully, but I wanted to hear more. Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. Have some feedback for us? It also mentioned that someone raising a mountain lion without a license may either have let it go when it became too large to handle, or that the animal had escaped. I have received about two dozen reports during that time, including one game camera image that still looks very credible to me. The Cougar Network, working with state agencies, have documented multiple mountain lions as far east as Kentucky, Tennessee and Michigan in recent years, as well as that cat killed on a highway in Milford, Connecticut, in June 2011. There is no known estimate of the number of mountain lions inhabiting Texas. 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. To learn more about "lion country" in Colorado check here. Hopefully, we'll see the real thing. Enter your email in the box below to get the most mind-blowing animal stories and videos delivered directly to your inbox every day. (National Park Service). No evidence has ever been produced to support those charges. The head of the puma is small in comparision to a house cat when compared to the entire body. For information on predator tracks, check out this guide: https://www.wildliferemoval.com/animal-track-identification-guide/, Please keep scrolling - ALL the Puma posts are included. "When I started telling people, most of them didn't believe me, but I will never forget that huge face staring right at me," said a Montgomery County woman who says she saw a lion last summer in Limerick Township while walking her dog. One of the important things for any animal is a place to call home. Are There Mountain Lions In Pa? - CLJ In captivity mountain, lions can live to be about 20 years old. Jones has never seen a mountain lion, but he thinks they're prowling around. No projectile points or spearheads were found with the remains, indicating the animal may have died naturally rather than killed by native hunters. The Asa Packer Mansion, built in the year 1861, is a historic house museum. That summer, a team from the State Museum of Pennsylvania in Harrisburg excavated the nearly complete skeleton of the ancient elephant, the first of its kind found in the Commonwealth. On that, I've had emails sent with game trail photo attachments, or killed pumas, supposedly shot in Pennsylvania, but these were hoaxes. And again, while they may have been mistaken, they certainly were completely convinced that they had seen a puma. However, it is clearly a mountain lion, and I'm presenting this poor image as a baseline reference for anyone recording a mountain lion on a game camera, or seeing one. Biologists traced it back to the Black Hills of South Dakota, from where it ventured nearly 2,000 miles looking for a new mate. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. There are an estimated 3,000 - 7,000 Mountain lions in Colorado. What you wouldn't expect to find here anymore is a mountain lion. There also were camels, sloth and hyena, which migrated elsewhere. Murray also has a cross-eyed white tiger named Keisha, who crushed chicken bones with ease but delicately stepped into a metal pool to cool off. Mountain Lions in Pennsylvania? Today, we are going to explore the 15 US states that have mountain lions, plus a few others that may have some. do I get an immediate, 'Oh yeah!' I've done this myself once, in Tanzania, when I saw a black house cat that I thought was a black leopard! That solution: Shoot, Shovel, and Shut Up. Here's a glimpse at what long-gone Pocono beasts the region's very first wave of residents may have seen, and the wild things that followed up to as late as the early 20th century.
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