Are dangerous creatures lurking outside your tent flap or in the woods beyond your backyard if you live in Pennsylvania? One solution [to the loss of ginseng] that [this complete nut ] believes will ensure the herbs survival is to reintroduce mountain lions, wolves or other natural predators to the Appalachians. He recommends removing bird feeders for several weeks, secure household waste in a closed garage or shed, clean outdoor grills and their grease traps. death of a child by a mountain lion in Pennsylvania would create some The timber rattlesnake and northern copperhead are close to threatened, according to pennlive.com. 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. Ok, so they may have been extinct for some time, but if people are sighting them, has anyone considered migration? might have the same effect, or so the PGC feared. It has not been detected in Pennsylvania's elk herd.., Park service plans deer management through March October 16, 2022, Pennsylvania, Gettysburg Times. Mountain lions weigh 90-160 pounds, while bobcats weigh 20-30 pounds. No, we havent found a black mountain lion in North America. But they are less shy of pets and livestock, and they don't necessarily stay in the woods, either. Mountain lion rumors develop every couple of years.. Williams also dispelled the rumor that the Pennsylvania Game Commission released cougars into the region 15 years ago to control the deer population. The news staff at the Bradford Era newspaper thought the bear in the to the meeting -- the only agency that could assert jurisdiction over 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. a few weeks later about a mile away a friends wife saw a big cat crossing route 30. My horse was spooked twice & I heard a guttural growling but never seen any animal. Can you get sick from eating mountain lion? I saw a large black cat about the size of a mediym sized dog walking towards my car in pike county Tumble drying clothes for 10 minutes will kill ticks. That said there have been numerous sightings of them over the years. Founded in 1986, the Mountain Lion Foundation is a national nonprofit organization with a mission to ensure that America . Which Penn State Campus Is Best For Criminal Justice? The commission's furbearer biologist Thomas Keller said the PGC would "likely not be supportive of mountain lion reintroduction," pointing to the dangers posed to hikers, pets and other wildlife. It wa an buff colored animal about two feet tall and maybe three feet long with a very long very thick tail. Its low to the ground, it doesnt appear longer than the gate in the photo and theres no tail, Williams said. One spotted in the Delaware Water Gap 25 years ago this week was believed to be the first in over a century. The nearest breeding populations of cougars are 1,000 miles or more from Pennsylvania. 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. That proved to me how easy it is to trick yourself.. This cat had brown fur with a white underbelly, and a black, brown and white face. Mountain Lion. It has been well known that cariabou have migrated from Canada, so why not the mountain lion? This definitely wasnt a bobcat. Most are about three feet long. You can also identify the venomous snakes of Pennsylvania by their vertical pupils, similar to the pupils in cats' eyes. own pet mountain lions and some of those pet mountain lions escape their Early settlers in Northeastern Pennsylvania killed off many cougars, and diseases brought in by livestock killed much of the remaining population, according to the agencys website. These projects protected or enhanced 27,399 acres of . Hunza Guides is Pakistan's top mountain destination management company offering full board tours, trekking and expeditions services in Pakistan. Once hunted to extinction, Pennsylvanias resurgent elk herd now numbers 1,400. Seal open areas under structures like porches, sheds and decks that can provide shelter for cougars or their prey. to know how he would have felt for the rest of his life if a child, possibly Required fields are marked *. Bobcats are often misidentified as mountain lions, according to Pennsylvania Game Commission Officer Bill Williams. I'm also from northwest Pa.. Mountain lions are a subject that causes plenty of debates. While mountain lion attacks are rare, they do happen. This was hit by a truck on Mill Creek Road . They love lurking on theedge of wooded areas near agricultural areas where prey is abundant. Pennsylvania hunt alone. No wild cougars have been found in Pennsylvania since their extirpation in 1871, Despite yearly reports of cougar sightings in Pennsylvania, the U.S. UPDATE: Well, you cant believe everything you read on the internetturns out this was not in PA: 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. 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. the heads of the PGC regarding the mountain lion issue. The facts are: 1) Any kind of lion eats a lot of meat, and thus costs a lot of money to keep alive, and 2) wild mountain lion cubs quickly become very undesrieable as family pets, and 3) captive mountain lions were more common in the past than now, but they weren't very common back then either, and 3) outside of zoos, captive mountain lions are . The very sad news: there was a PGC ear tag on it. very undesrieable as family pets, and 3) captive mountain lions were more Our agency is passionate about . The Pennsylvania Game Commission is your state wildlife agency and we want to help clarify and simplify some timely and commonly asked hunting- and wildlife-related questions. Date : June 11, 2021. U.S. Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. woods unattended, perhaps during outdoor summer barbeques where enticing APPLY NOW for PA's 2023-24 elk hunting seasons for just $11.97 per season or $35.91 for all three. Friends in the area reported having a large long tailed mountain lion run across a road just in front of their truck. I was driving to work just before sun rise, Late September 2019. Thanks for reading! The bobcat, also known as the bay Iynx, wildcat, red lynx and swamp tiger, is the states only feline predator. Ablack widow bite is rarely fatal except in the young or elderly, according to the Penn State Cooperative Extension. The northeastern U.S. population is thought to have disappeared in the 1930s. February 08, 2023. There haven't been any cougars in Tennessee since the early 1900s. Their bodies are mainly covered in tawny-beige fur, except for the whitish-gray belly and chest. This was the approach of the PGC until a farmer named Roger saw a mountain Department of Community and Economic Development. So far, he said, none of them have been proven. Bobcats are also often confused for mountain lions, Williams said, but sometimes the reports are simply nothing more than a hoax. We also discuss other reports from the same area. This was yesterday around 5pm 11/6/19. This is a BIG cat! There are also mountain lions in other parts of the state but the populations are smaller and exact numbers unclear. The most difficult, but compassionate choice was to respectfully minimize his suffering and stress by humanely ending his journey. Biology. I'm also a big believer in lifelong learning- there's always something new to learn! Beware predator takeover in Pennsylvania. the lion's share of its funding from the sale of hunting licenses in Pennsylvania. 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. 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. what was said, but it must have been a proud moment for U.S. federalism, None of the previously mentioned animals are more deadly than hornets, wasps and bees in Pennsylvania. Rarely seen but surprisingly numerous, the bobcat (Lynx rufus) prowls most of Pennsylvanias woods throughout much of the state. Bradford County: Sunday, Oct. 6, 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. (rain or shine), State Game Lands 12. 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. In an October study, researchers identified several regions along the East Coast that could be suitable habitats, including a section of Pennsylvania north of Du Bois and northeast of Williamsport. Thousands of deer scamper onto American streets each year, colliding with startled drivers and causing roughly 200 deaths. Elk, Pa.s largest wild animal, have become a tourism boom in the northwest part of the state. In the first photo, the cat does have the tawny color of a mountain lion but lacks the long tail. And people want to see them. Pennsylvania had more than 7,300 confirmed cases of the disease in 2015. Tired of ads? There just isn't a mountain lion population in PA. Do everything you can to fight it off. If you encounter a bear that hasn't had time to leave, the game commission advises you to make a noise to alert the bear of your presence. The animal could not be a wild In Pennsylvania, the ring-necked phesant hunting season will run from Dec. 12-23 . Those taking the tour will find the local history of the mountain and the Game Commission's refuge system intriguing. Misericordia University in Dallas Twp. "Cougars are hunting deer year-round. I got my start in education as a teacher, working with students in grades K-12. Fish and Wildlife Service recently announced it is removing the mountain lion subspecies native to the region from its list of threatened and endangered animals because of a long known technicality its extinct. Its scientific name is Lynx rufus. LOVE, POVERTY, WAR AND Also by Christopher Hitchens BLOOD, CLASS AND EMPIRE: The Enduring Anglo-American Relationship A LONG SHORT WAR: The Postponed Liberation of Iraq WHY ORWELL MATTERS LEFT HOOKS, RIGHT CROSSES: A Decade of Political Writing (edited with Christopher Caldwell) LETTERS TO A YOUNG CONTRARIAN THE TRIAL OF HENRY KISSINGER BLAMING THE VICTIMS: Spurious Scholarship and the . FAIRFIELD, Pa. An instinct coiled way down in the human brain knows the difference between a bobcat and a mountain lion. Need to Sell? PFBC instructional videos: Fishing. Bear attacks are thankfully rare. The USFWS now asks Pennsylvanians to send sighting reports of mountain 1,234 were here. All rights reserved (About Us). I have seen three mountain lions in pa. One full grown in Erie county in 1998 and two kittens (yes I am sure they were mountain lions, not bobcats) in McKean county in 2001. The PGC's historical approach to mountain lion sightings was inappropriate Reader Jay Davoli shared these photos, saying he took them a few weeks ago at the Newtown Township park. Eating African lion meat is unusual around the worldincluding on the predators home continent, where the meat is not considered palatable, Hunter said. 103. While living in Potter County, Pennsylvania and riding my horses. farm. but it might make the difference between no caution whatsoever, and basic The other assassin, Lestang, was never apprehended. Version 2.1.0. What do you do when you run into a mountain lion? While mountain lion attacks are rare, they do happen. Do not crouch down or bend over. a photo of a skinny mangy bear. There is no doubt this was a mountain lion. phoned the editor of the newspaper and told him that he was "spreading When I say large, I mean way bigger than a house cat, about the size of a 60lb dog. As biologists are quick to stress, cougars rarely attack humans. SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) Puerto Rico is closing the U.S. territory's only zoo following years of suspected negligence, a lack of resources and . Still, it can be easy to confuse a bobcat for a mountain lion at times, and Williams himself almost made the mistake. No wild cougars have been found in Pennsylvania since their extirpation in 1871. Remastered releases on Feb . However, since the 1940s, the jaguar has been limited to southern areas of Arizona. Except there's one big problem, at least for East Coasters: cougars don't really live here. If you're hiking, stay on the path and don't venture into the woods. confines every so often resulting in occassional sightings of mountain Cougars were officially declared extinct east of the Mississippi in the 1930s. The Game Commission is hiding this information from the public either that or they dont know what a mountain lion looks like. Once hunted to extinction, Pennsylvanias resurgent elk herd now numbers 1,400. Must of been chasing it for quite some time. If you have never purchased a hunting or fishing license in the state of Pennsylvania, please create an account. The male cat has since made it through Iowa and is now traveling . It has been illegal to hunt and kill mountain lions in California since 1971, but hunting the cats is permitted in Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, Colorado, Utah and Nevada. mountain lions. Given the cougar's effectiveness as a deer population control, some biologists think this eastern push is a good thing one that should even be encouraged or helped along. Learn how to improve your health and lifestyle by using Lets Healthify the incredible and informative health website. Jackson Township Police Chief Balavage, who has served in law enforcement for 37 years in the Back Mountain, has never received a call about a mountain lion sighting. effect might occur if the wives of hunters in PA were too worried to let their For Immediate Release. But then it's a really nice-sized meal as well, so it's an efficient package of meat that can feed them for about a week, as opposed to hunting smaller prey like beavers or rabbits.". 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. You should bathe soon after coming indoors, preferably within two hours. So is the second largest extant cat in North America still managing to eke out a living in the . A moose is a very rare sight in Pennsylvania. State Farm insurancecalculates that one out of every 67 drivers in Pennsylvania had a claim related to a deer collision in 2016. PGC has stated for years, emphatically, that there are no mountain lions The PGC's historical approach to mountain lion sightings is relevant to would have also blamed the PGC for leading him, and everyone else in his Follow him on Twitter @RudyMillerLV. Weve been here 45 years and Ive probably been told by people at least 100 times that theyve seen a cougar or mountain lion, said owner Vince Hall. View Additional News Releases . Mountain lions are 7-9 feet, while bobcats are 3 feet long. Don't treat the bite with ice, cold packs or sprays. might be mountain lions in Pennsylvania.". When it came back without the lion, she stopped them and asked why they had let a mountain lion out in the woods. On another occasion my sons best friend saw a fawn colored mt. Remember this post from February 28, 2005. he offered A black bear may choose to hang around a neighborhood base on food availability, Williams said. The USFWS receives its funding from everyone's taxes, but the PGC receives If you think you see a predatory cat ready to pounce, you're likely mistaken. Hunters harvested an estimated 376,810 white-tailed deer. The report says 58 people suffered allergic reactions and died from stings in Pennsylvania between 2001-13. Home Pennsylvania State University Can You Shoot A Mountain Lion In Pennsylvania? They denied there was a mountain lion in their truck. They also instill a fear. Is Penn State World Campus The Same As Main Campus? Many people believed the large feline was a mountain lion a species that hasnt existed in the wild in Pennsylvania for more than 100 years. Mountain lions, also commonly known as cougars, are officially extinct in both Pennsylvania and the United States east of the Mississippi. Coyotes inhabit Pennsylvania, including Chester County and the Philadelphia metro area. Then there is Rocky. Officials have closed a Santa Clarita park after a young boy was attacked by a mountain lion. Despite yearly reports of cougar sightings in Pennsylvania, the U.S. Get educated & stay motivated. Hunters Ive spoken with said theyve been told you cant kill a puma, which they felt was ironic since the same official told them pumas dont exist in Pa. Repellant can protect exposed skin from ticks. Sunday, Oct. 17. Connect the PGC app to your HuntFishPA account. Until recently, whenever the sighting of a mountain lion was reported He said the strange looking animal in the Jacobs photos is "definitely" This week, the Pennsylvania Game Commission plans to release about 42,000 male and female pheasants for hunters to pursue. He was told by the PGC that there were Occasionally, though, humans fool them. Many people believed the large feline was a mountain lion a species that hasn't existed in the wild in Pennsylvania for more than 100 years. 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. 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 . Click here to place a classified ad. I've since worked with schools and districts all over the country, helping them improve their curriculums and instruction methods. Im an avid mature person with a biology degree. The last documented sighting of an eastern cougar was one killed in Maine in 1938. Isolated juvenile males have been found as far east as Michigans Upper Peninsula and northern Wisconsin. Also on the extirpated list are wolves, lynx, moose and wolverines. Most of the mountain lions in South Dakota can be found in the Black Hills region, where there are an estimated 300-500 lions. Should any hunter come across a cougar in Pennsylvania, they are advised to leave it alone as hunting them in the state is illegal. Reach Eileen Godin at 570-991-6387 or on Twitter @TLNews. Which College Is Ranked 1 On The 20 Best College Campuses List? They're able to hunt deer in suburban areas where it's not safe to hunt. It was not a fleeting glance, I had to stop my car to let it slowly cross the road in front of me. However, mountain lion sightings in Pennsylvania are still being reported. We receive bear calls every day, Williams said. Too many families elsewhere on this continent have learned that lesson, The bobcat is loosely related to the Canada lynx, which is not found in Pennsylvania. Do not approach a lion. 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. of people in Pennsylvania, including many government employees, have seen hundreds But they'd need the cooperation of the Pennsylvania Game Commission and, for now, that's a non-starter. The primary goal is to remove the bears food source, Williams said. Most of the recent cougar sightings east of the Rocky Mountains were confirmed due to some kind of crash with a train or vehicle and as any Angeleno could tell you, some of them even reside in cities. Are Pennsylvanians OK with these changes? Updated: Sep 20, 2022 / 04:08 PM EDT. Published: Feb. 28, 2023 at 11:23 AM PST. HARRISBURG - In announcing the current results of its ongoing investigation into an alleged mountain lion attack on Oct. 9, Pennsylvania Game Commission officials today announced that there is no evidence that the alleged attack on Samuel Fisher, 42, of Sadsbury Township, Lancaster County, occurred. The mountain lion came and went. . She tried to tell me it was a Maine Coon Cat. title: Pennsylvania Game Commission Maps and More: description: type: Web Mapping Application: tags: PGC,Map,State Game Land: thumbnail: id . In North America, however, hunting has reduced their range to isolated areas in Mexico, western U.S. wilderness areas, southern Florida and southwestern Canada, according to the Smithsonian National Zoological Park. At least one made it to Chicago;another wound up inConnecticut. Although they're occasionally reportedby hikers in remote locations, the U.S. offered Feaser said he was "certain" They said it took up most of the dirt road. Some reports include sightings of lions during daylight hours, which is not typical behavior . Today's population descends from elk released by the Pennsylvania Game Commission between 1913 and 1926. The PA Game Commission ASSOCIATED PRESS Shown are common pheasants on a meadow near Szeghalom, Hungary, in 2021. The last wild cougar in Pennsylvania was killed in 1871 and the last cougar born on the East Coast was killed in 1938 in Maine. lion, along with several other people on his remote farm, during a large They came out and investigated. It is not unexpected for wildlife, including large predators, to pass through town occasionally. 1. The Pennsylvania Game Commission this week reported results from the 2021-22 deer seasons, which ended in January. If you're bitten by a venomous snake, dial 911 immediately and seek medical attention. Bears have been fought off with rocks, sticks, binoculars or even bare hands, the game commission says. 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. Updated: Jan. 31, 2017, 2:00 p.m. | Published: Jan. 31, 2017, 1:00 p.m. . A couple of sightings involved captive mountain lions that escaped . Game wardens conducted a full investigation and concluded that Alyssa did indeed act in self defense. According to the Pennsylvania Game Commission, the last Pennsylvania mountain lion was killed in the late 1800s. Fish and Wildlife Service recently announced it is removing the mountain lion subspecies native to the region from its list of threatened and endangered animals because of a long known technicality its extinct. Was about 30 feet down the road when it crossed in front of me. Find Easton area news on Facebook. no doubt about it it was a mountain lion. and within six days after the commission of their crime, D'Horn and Mille were broken on the wheel in the Place de Grve. Cougars were officially declared extinct east of the Mississippi in the 1930s. 90: November 5, 2021: Reynolds: Photo of mountain lion taken by game camera. Can You Pay Penn State Tuition With A Credit Card. Looked just like the Nittany Lion except it was alive and running! 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. February 21, 2023. . As they grow bolder in the presence of man, they are becoming athreat to livestock and pets. Feaser During late April and in May, multiple sightings of mountain lions have been reported by residents of Ketchum and Sun Valley. 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