pa game commission releases mountain lions

Cougar Signs Experts such as Debra Chase, CEO of the Mountain Lion Foundation, say that cougars are mostly afraid of humans and dont see us as potential prey. It wa an buff colored animal about two feet tall and maybe three feet long with a very long very thick tail. For immediate release. There is no doubt this was a mountain lion. Some state agencies among the midwest and eastern states Bears tend to be shy and want to avoid contact with people, according to the Pennsylvania Game Commission. My speed was 40mph, I got a good look at it. Do everything you can to fight it off. The bobcat is loosely related to the Canada lynx, which is not found in Pennsylvania. These young males are looking to establish a new territory and they do not stay in areas without females. I was driving to work just before sun rise, Late September 2019. According to the Pennsylvania Game Commission, feline predators such as the eastern cougar, which is also known as the mountain lion, are "extirpated," meaning they're all but wiped out in the northeastern United States. I saw the way it bounded across the road and the size, and my brain just filled in the blanks that I just saw a mountain lion, recalled Williams. Need to Sell? Im 62 and hunted most of my life here in PA. Dont EVER expect to get the truth from anyone with Game departments in any U.S. state. Except there's one big problem, at least for East Coasters: cougars don't really live here. The eastern massasauga is endangered in Pennsylvania. PFBC instructional videos: Fishing. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. Rudy Miller may be reached at rmiller@lehighvalleylive.com. in the summer. Often a bobcat is mistaken for a mountain lion.. Rightfully so, as hefty bobcats are still common today and perhaps 200 years ago, impressive mountain lions might have hunted wild elk and, Isolated juvenile males have been found as far east as Michigans Upper Peninsula and northern Wisconsin. The mountain lion came and went. "PA Game Commission suggests that you keep a distance of 1,000 feet from the nest and just use optics to view. Probably the rarest documented take of a furbearer in all of Pennsylvania was a wolverine trapped on the East Fork of the Sinnemahoning in Potter County between 1858 and 1863 by an Uncle J.P. Nelson. Theres no record of a wolverine in the state since then. Most reports have been sightings in neighborhoods within city limits. One spotted in the Delaware Water Gap 25 years ago this week was believed to be the first in over a century. Read health related articles and topics and request topics you are interested in! Coyotes Spreading to Urban Areas Coyotes are considered one of Pennsylvanias most effective predators. Participants will find ample opportunity . According to the Pennsylvania Game Commission, the last Pennsylvania mountain lion was killed in the late 1800s. The northeastern U.S. population is thought to have disappeared in the 1930s. announces Halloween events for community, National Federation of Independent Business names Baker a Guardian of Small Business, Consultant: Luzerne County Council has flexibility on awards, Committee aiming to recommend Luzerne County manager finalists by end of April, Greg Griffin announces run for Luzerne County Council. But even that little guy isn't prowling the Poconos yet. I told her there had now. effect might occur if the wives of hunters in PA were too worried to let their Descripcin. tragedy for a family. Misericordia University in Dallas Twp. then use that arrest to propagate the notion that captive mountain lions Mountain lions still exist in Pennsylvania, http://cougarrewilding.org/CougarNews/?p=938. Someone takes a picture of a mountain lion from somewhere else, it gets sent around as being seen in Pennsylvania, Williams said. Theyre not predators, but if one runs out in front of your moving car it can certainly pose a threat to your safety. Running may stimulate a mountain lion's instinct to chase. Roger did not like being told that he did not see a mountain lion on his Today's population descends from elk released by the Pennsylvania Game Commission between 1913 and 1926. If the pine marten requires this much paperwork, one can imagine where that leaves cougars. That said there have been numerous sightings of them over the years. Elk, Pa.s largest wild animal, have become a tourism boom in the northwest part of the state. HARRISBURG, PA - With deer seasons over for the 2021-22 season, the busiest time for chronic wasting disease (CWD) surveillance has ended. They're common in the rural areas of the Lehigh Valley but are moving into more populated areas as evidenced by a600-pound specimen (pictured) that was tranquilized in March after neighbors in Forks Township and Easton's College Hill section called authorities. Cougars were officially declared extinct east of the Mississippi in the 1930s. Is Penn State World Campus The Same As Main Campus? his own grandchild, had been killed or mauled by a mountain lion at his He invited another wildlife agency If you need to confirm this info, just take a look at National Geographics wild life section on animals thought to be extinct altogether, or extinct from an area. The big cats largely disappeared from the eastern U.S. roughly a century ago. Feaser Pennsylvania would not cause a panic, as it never does out west, but the I told her I knew what a Maine Coon cat looked like and this was BIG, had short hair and LONG tail. Has Penn State Ever Had A Black Quarterback? Three types ofvenomous snakes live in Pennsylvania: the timber rattlesnake (pictured), the eastern massasauga and the northern copperhead. You read it here first: Mountain lions still exist in Pennsylvania: Just prior to the start of Pennsylvanias two-week firearms deer season, the volunteers at the Eastern Puma Research Network put out a call to hunters. Mere awareness of the potential might prevent a horrible but it might make the difference between no caution whatsoever, and basic The commission still needs to submit a management plan, due this June, gain approval and mount a public education campaign before the first marten steps on Pennsylvania soil. What Do Penn State Students Do On The Weekend? Can you shoot a mountain lion if it attacks you? Each sighting involved cougars that are not native to New York. offered Its scientific name is Lynx rufus. If you think you see a predatory cat ready to pounce, you're likely mistaken. The Hunting and Trapping Digest serves as a great resource when it comes to questions about hunting seasons, bag limits and regulations. might be mountain lions in Pennsylvania.". Click here to submit a news tip or submit an event. According toa 2016 study,a single cougar can kill up to 259 deer over the course of its lifetime, single-handedly preventing eight crashes and nearly $40,000 in damages. But they are less shy of pets and livestock, and they don't necessarily stay in the woods, either. The mountain lion was killed east of Altoona and south of State College , Pa. northeast of Raystown Lake between Mt. The most difficult, but compassionate choice was to respectfully minimize his suffering and stress by humanely ending his journey. Pennsylvanias bobcat population is growing. Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Was about 30 feet down the road when it crossed in front of me. About the year 1967 I drove my corvair in a meadow and two red cats about a year old came across the road behind me south of Hancock PA. Reach Eileen Godin at 570-991-6387 or on Twitter @TLNews. How Far Is Penn State Harrisburg From Main Campus? According to Prugh, cougars also could help slow the spread of Lyme's disease by taking out diseased deer and save casual gardens and crops from overgrazing. These tiny critters may not look that threatening but they are carriers of Lyme disease, which can result in long-term health complications and even death. But, according to zoologist and science writer Dr. Karl Shuker, the Yana Puma (Black Puma) exists in neighboring South and Central America historical records. If hiking, Williams suggests singing or talking to make any bears in the vicinity know you are there and approaching. They wanted to hear from anyone who saw a mountain lion or signs of one, like tracks or scats. Trek Magazine. 90: November 5, 2021: Reynolds: Photo of mountain lion taken by game camera. Get educated & stay motivated. When was the last mountain lion seen in Pennsylvania? The mountain lionalso known as the cougar, puma, panther, or catamountis a large cat species native to the Americas. The red face of a mountain lion came out of the top of the mountain then dropped down. Beware predator takeover in Pennsylvania. This was hit by a truck on Mill Creek Road . The first is that the Game Commission is somehow being paid by auto insurance companies to shoot deer . 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. I'm also a big believer in lifelong learning- there's always something new to learn! Is It Legal For A Minor To Drink Alcohol At Home In California? How big is a full grown American Bulldog. If cougar reintroduction were to become a serious consideration, the game commission would first need to conduct a feasibility assessment, a "long and careful process," in Keller's estimation, that ends with a recommendation for or against reintroducing a species. Last year, the commission recommended reintroducing the pine marten, a much smaller and cuter omnivore once native to Pennsylvania. California state law requires the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to issue permits to kill mountain lions that attack domestic animals. The United . Its scientific name is Lynx rufus. Public health officials are warning hunters to cook their bear and cougar meat well after 10 Idahoans contracted a rare strain of trichinosis from tainted cougar jerky. A remote camera captured the mountain lion known as P-41. Thousands of deer scamper onto American streets each year, colliding with startled drivers and causing roughly 200 deaths. I got my start in education as a teacher, working with students in grades K-12. Friends in the area reported having a large long tailed mountain lion run across a road just in front of their truck. . Follow him on Twitter @RudyMillerLV. It is not unexpected for wildlife, including large predators, to pass through town occasionally. Mountain Lion. Heres how The Express-Times reported the unusual story on Sept. 26, 1996. Black widows are native to the state. Flaming Gorge ice fishing: Plan ahead for a safe trip . These young males are looking to establish a new territory and they do not stay in areas without females. The mountain lion will see small children as easier prey. The male cat has since made it through Iowa and is now traveling . would have been the end of the story, if Roger had not been Pennsylvania Bobcats are often misidentified as mountain lions, according to Pennsylvania Game Commission Officer Bill Williams. Also on the extirpated list are wolves, lynx, moose and wolverines. Stay calm. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. No wild cougars have been found in Pennsylvania since their extirpation in 1871, Despite yearly reports of cougar sightings in Pennsylvania, the U.S. Sunday, Oct. 17. An adult bobcat can grow to be 3 feet in length with a short, stubby tail and weigh between 15 to 35 pounds, according to the U.S. had been reported in the area. That doesnt stop some from believing mountain lions do exist in the East. I got my start in education as a teacher, working with students in grades K-12. Can I shoot a mountain lion in self defense? in PA, the intial response from the PGC was to say the sighting was a Only a few confirmed sightings of mountain lions have occurred in Tennessee in recent years. Then another friend told me his daughter who lives in Clymer PA saw a Game Commission truck go into the woods with a large cage in the back with a mountain lion in the cage. They reduce deadly deer-vehicle collisions and help maintain the health and viability of prey species by removing sick individuals and by reducing the spread of deadly diseases such as chronic wasting disease, an epidemic plaguing deer and elk herds throughout the country. Paws 'N' Claws Animal Park in the Poconos has two. husbands go hunting by themselves. However, since the 1940s, the jaguar has been limited to southern areas of Arizona. States have tried all kinds of strategies to bring down the number of crashes, from capturing and sterilizing deer to encouraging hunters to go open season. Some reports include sightings of lions during daylight hours, which is not typical behavior . Elk, Pa.s largest wild animal, have become a tourism boom in the northwest part of the state. smoke is wafting into the forest. State Game Lands 26, Bedford County, noon to 3 p.m. - The public is invited to tour State Game Lands 26, a 12,000-acre tract situated in Blue Knob, Pa. a lot of money to keep alive, and 2) wild mountain lion cubs quickly become own pet mountain lions and some of those pet mountain lions escape their Should any hunter come across a cougar in Pennsylvania, they are advised to leave it alone as hunting them in the state is illegal. The one pictured is in a New York zoo. The only cats still hunting in Pennsylvania are bobcats, according to the state game commission. I had called the Pa Game Commission and they told me the no mountain lions in Pa story but then said my report was like # 15 in Napier township. Photos of the cat, which were taken in South Abington Township, Lackawanna County, were posted to Facebook by WNEPs Kurt Aaron, setting off rampant speculation. Today, there are none in existence in this area; the last mountain lions was seen in 1874. same impression. Connect the PGC app to your HuntFishPA account. Adult mountain lions can range from 6 to 8 feet long, which includes their tail, and can weigh between 105 to 140 pounds, the agencys website stated. I have seen a large cat on several occasions driving home at night from work. This cat had brown fur with a white underbelly, and a black, brown and white face. Ablack widow bite is rarely fatal except in the young or elderly, according to the Penn State Cooperative Extension. Our agency is passionate about . My horse was spooked twice & I heard a guttural growling but never seen any animal. After gathering more information on local sightings he called a I stopped while i was driving, and as i approached it SLOWLY as not to scare it, it glared at my truck walked towards it,then sat. You should bathe soon after coming indoors, preferably within two hours. He recommends removing bird feeders for several weeks, secure household waste in a closed garage or shed, clean outdoor grills and their grease traps. measure of panic and terror in Pennsylania, and all surrounding states. Home Haller Motorworx & Farm Equipment Magazine, AR 479 969-6464. Whats the point of hunting mountain lions? But, I actually have two favorites. Game wardens conducted a full investigation and concluded that Alyssa did indeed act in self defense. An Amish farmer along 944 in Cumberland County complained to the PGC a mountain lion was killing his sheep. All rights reserved. Bobcats tend to be darker brown, with lighter belly fur and spots while mountain lions tend to be more uniform brown, tawny color. In the Dec. 22, 1967, issue of the Titusville Herald, outdoor writer Steve Szalewicz, reported that in the late afternoon of Oct. 28 in Venango Township, Crawford County, local hunters John . Wednesday, January 18, 2023 - 11:37 AM MST. Early access permits available for some Game and Fish Commission lands in the Dubois area . | @thePhillyVoiceLike us on Facebook: PhillyVoiceHave a news tip? Since 2004, when scientists found a dead cougar on train tracks in northern Oklahoma, they have recovered more than 100additional cougar bodies east of the Rocky Mountains. lions directly to the USFWS, rather than to the PGC, in apparent recognition Do not approach a lion. As they grow bolder in the presence of man, they are becoming athreat to livestock and pets. confines every so often resulting in occassional sightings of mountain Mountain lions are large, tan cats. At least one made it to Chicago;another wound up inConnecticut. Bobcats are smaller than a mountain lion and have short tails. CWD, a fatal neurological disease, is a threat to both white-tailed deer and elk and has been detected within the wild deer population in . Today, there are none in existence in this area; the last mountain lions was seen in 1874. Was the craziest thing I have ever heard or seen in the woods of pa. The USFWS receives its funding from everyone's taxes, but the PGC receives The last wild panther known to have walked in the Pennsylvania woods did so in Berks County. Department of General Services. The PGC's historical approach to mountain lion sightings was inappropriate They said it was the size of their German Shepard and theres nothing else it couldve possibly been. Fish and Wildlife Service. I saw a large black cat about the size of a mediym sized dog walking towards my car in pike county I live in Cumberland County about a half a mile from the 944/Enola exit. Despite yearly reports of cougar sightings in Pennsylvania, the U.S. Yes I believe their are mountain lion ghost cats in PA. PA mountain areas are remote and it is impossible to kill all of the cats who are quite secretive. They are found throughout Central and South America. The mountain lionalso known as the cougar, puma, panther, or catamountis a large cat species native to the Americas. i have seen a mountain lion in Hawks Mountain where persons watch hawk migration about 7 to 10 years ago.

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