mountain lions in pennsylvania

The most important aspect of the spring turkey season is this timing. There is a low-slung head and neck, high shoulders, and a long back. So it happens, and who knows if it is existing in wild pumas in the East. If bears continually return, remove the bird feeders entirely. 18 inches. The cat appears to be directly behind the railing as it moves past. In an effort to expand hunting opportunities, in 2021, Sunday hunting is only open on the following dates for the following species. Those special two were across a river just outside Glacier National Park in Montana, and consisted of a mother and two cubs (Mary saw both cubs, I only saw one, and we did so separately, as we were driving two vehicles). On a recent stifling morning in Adams County, the 290-pound mountain lion with perfect bone structure is ignoring the raw chicken breast and pork chops a . A tutorial on how to navigate the dashboard is available on the Game Commissions YouTube channel. This ensures that all hens have had opportunities to breed with gobblers, and lay their full clutch of eggs, uninterrupted by hunters. Pennsylvanias hunting seasons, bag limits and regulations protect wildlife populations for the long-term. 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? Mountain lions are large, tan cats. What species can a mentored hunter hunt? If we say it ain't so, it ain't so! Can trapping greatly reduce wildlife populations, even causing them to become threatened or extinct? A map of these managed dove fields is available online. Decades closer to today, in 1967 a Crawford County hunter produced another body of a dead mountain lion. The report is available at www.pgc.pa.gov or by clicking here. Cougar or Bobcat? Interestingly, almost all of the people I've spoken to who claim to have seen a puma have not seen a bobcat, an animal that is common enough in Pennsylvania to support a legal trapping season! However, jakes have high probability of natural survival to the next year. I'm a photographer, yet I've never had a chance to snap a photograph of one of these bears. With less deer roaming forests, she said, plant and bird biodiversity might improve, too. He's a hunter, a woodsman, and he's seen a lot of game, so I can believe he saw a back-lighted puma. With the Great Lakes in its way, the cat moved either north or south of the water, and the latter route would have seen it pass through at least some of Pennsylvania. Seal open areas under structures like porches, sheds and decks that can provide shelter for cougars or their prey. What does the area look like after the burn? Mountain lions are large, tan cats. As you can see from the above images it is very difficult to confuse the two if you have a good view. Hunters harvesting bears anywhere during the statewide archery bear season, or during any early season should contact the appropriate region office for instructions to have the animals checked. As a volunteer hunter education instructor, youll be teaching students with an easy-to-use, standardized curriculum for which all teaching aids and materials are provided. Wildlife need habitat, not handouts. However, recently I saw a photo of a melanistic bobcat, as black as could be, with bright yellow eyes. Pennsylvania Hunter-Trapper Education courses take place across the state throughout the year. However, many of my reports were at distances that people knew, and as you look at the images of the puma there really is a big difference in color and shape between a puma and a house cat. The post-Christmas grouse season, (hereafter late season), is well-loved by many grouse hunters. The fall harvest is additive mortality, since most of those birds would otherwise survive into the spring, and on average about 60 percent are hens. California state law requires the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to issue permits to kill mountain lions that attack domestic animals. The Game Commission maintains a public map that shows where prescribed burns are being planned. I'd suspect it would still be considered very rare, after all, it was thought to be extinct. Trapping provides relief from property damage for example from livestock predation or agricultural crops. 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. In 2011, a mountain lion migrated from South Dakota to Connecticut, a journey of some 1,500 miles. More than half of the Game Commissions annual revenue comes from license sales, a relatively fixed income source. Click here for more information about HuntFishPA. There is no limit on the total number of licenses a hunter can obtain in a license year. 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. Based on the image below, wherein I have used red dots to outline the cats body, I am a bit hard pressed to say that it is a bobcat. They are wart-like, hairless tumors caused by a virus. A bobcat gives you a warm, that-kind-of-looks-like-my-cat-but-slightly-bigger feeling. Periodically, via Google searches, I receive reports from people who believe they had seen a mountain lion in Pennsylvania, or in other mid-Atlantic states. "But there is certainly major costs to that return. Fire improves wildlife habitat and hunting opportunities by increasing soft mast production in shrubs like blueberry, huckleberry and blackberry. Elk hunters are encouraged to spend some time in Pennsylvanias elk country to become familiar with the area in advance of the elk hunting seasons. If a bear on your property becomes a nuisance by being destructive or dangerous, you can report it to the Game Commission region office that serves the county in which its located. The Game Commission has a carefully timed season that intentionally finds middle ground between peak gobbling and a safe nesting period. What Is Good About Penn State University? How can I help to prevent negative human-bear interactions on my property? Why arent fall turkey seasons the same throughout the state? There are currently four WPRAs in the state. 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. You be the judge. Yes. Hunters overwhelmingly pass on jakes, further enhancing their survival to fill the place of older toms removed after breeding each year with minimal impact to the population. Additionally, in Pennsylvanias Disease Management Areas, hunters who wish to have their deer tested for Chronic Wasting Disease must place the head of their deer with the harvest tag attached to the head to place it in the head collection bin. With industrial expansion into the heart of Pennsylvania in the 1700s, mountain lion sightings and attacks became more common as habitat destruction pit settlers against native predators.. In order to successfully manage furbearers in the Commonwealth, and ensure healthy populations into the future, trapping matters to all of us. Reducing the fall season in some WMUs and prohibiting rifles should allow turkey populations to reach harvest density goals without further decreasing season lengths in the future. I have three observations here: 1. Ironically, I almost deleted the image, as on the small camera LCD monitor the cat was small and I thought that it was just another deer that moved along the stream. "Cougars really are deer specialists," said Laura Prugh, an author on the study. Those with additional questions related to Pennsylvanias Hunter-Trapper Education program, as well as mentored hunting opportunities, can contact the Pennsylvania Game Commissions Hunter-Trapper Education Division by calling 717-787-7015, from Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. What is the minimum and maximum ages for a mentored hunting permit? How can I apply for a Pennsylvania elk hunting license? 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. Had this been faked, I'd suspect the hoaxter would try for a more authentic background. Certainly, wild pheasants are preferred; however, our stocked pheasants provide countless hours of hunting recreation that otherwise would not be available. But all white-tailed deer and elk that contract CWD die. Mountain lions weigh 90-160 pounds . Are there Mountain Lions (Pumas, Cougars) in Pennsylvania and the Mid-Atlantic States? An animal's coat can stray far from the norm. Please remember and take note, it is unlawful to take the antlers that are found still attached to a skull. Future season-setting will be guided by a consistent and transparent process based on grouse abundance, summer sightings and disease risk. Those wishing to purchase a hunting license can do so in-person at one of these License Issuing Agents. But as the South Dakota mountain lion proved, in its at least unusual migration to Connecticut, anything is possible. In personal contacts, that monthly average might even be higher. Is there a Mountain Lion Conspiracy? . However, allowing the inline muzzleloader hunters to use their unused buck tag to harvest a doe would have negative implications from a deer management perspective for two reasons. *Please note: You must have permission from private landowners before entering their property. "People do hunt deer, and we are hiring sharpshooters and it hasn't brought their populations down the way that a healthy population of cougars would be able to do," Prugh said. Learn more about elk history in Pennsylvania. 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. More information is available here. A few additional ways to help prevent bears getting into garbage: Keep garbage cans clean by washing them out a few times a year with bleach or ammonia; keep bears from easily getting inside cans by attaching ratchet straps (not bungee cords) across the lid in an X pattern; and do not strap cans to a tree or post, as doing so actually gives a bear leverage to more easily access a can if someone is using an actual bear-proof container or using the ratchet straps. Contact your Game Commission region office for additional information on how to create, preserve, or enhance wildlife habitat. The lowered bag limit should allow AP Canada goose populations to rebound. Can I shoot a mountain lion in self defense? Since there is no treatment or cure, limiting deer contact and interaction by increasing deer harvests across DMAs is one of the only ways to manage CWD on the landscape. Late-stage signs of CWD-infected animals include an extreme loss of body condition; excessive drinking, urination, salivation and drooling; and behavioral and neurologic changes such as repetitive walking patterns, droopy ears, a wide-based stance, and listlessness. Wildlife crimes affect everyone. If you encounter a dead or injured animal that you suspect is a victim of a wildlife crime, please report the instance to the Operation Game Thiefs toll-free hotline 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year at 1-888-PGC-8001 or fill out an online form at http://bit.ly/PGCOGT. Bringing species back to a community where they are currently absent is an important step to ecological restoration, increasing biodiversity, and returning ecological processes such as seed dispersal or rodent population management to the system. Hunters will continue to mail antlerless-license applications to county treasurers, as required by law. Consider planting vegetation that provides both food and cover. A permitted person taking a bobcat or fisher must report the harvest within 48 hours online at HuntFishPA or by phone at 1-800-838-4431. He said the idea of having mountain lions in Pennsylvania again - they roamed the state as late as the early 1800s - seems nice at first, but would never . 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. In addition, if nuisance bears are being attracted to an area by other wildlife feeding, game wardens can issue written notice to temporarily halt the activity. Except for Florida, the eastern mountain lion is believed to have extricated from the east coast by 1900. This is actually a good thing, as genetic isolation generally weakens a species. With a decline in turkey population, why not eliminate the second Spring Gobbler tag? Our visitor is also far too tall to be a house cat, so thats out. The best time of day to view elk is in the mornings and evenings. However, evidence of attempt to tag would be harder to prove if the tag was placed around the antler. This confirms the drop. This can lead to property damage, or worse, dangerous human-bear interactions. Many of the reports I receive are extremely credible. Archery and late seasons elk hunters will be notified of this location by letter or contact the Northcentral Region Office at 570-398-4744. Because the success of a seasons' offspring can be directly affected by poor weather in the spring, an abundance of hens can make it easier for a population to recover from poor hatch years. Bird feeders, trash cans and pet food left outside within a bear's reach are all free game to a hungry bear. Its the success of these nests that dictate the future of the turkey population. . I don't believe someone's imagination could stretch a six inch long tail to three feet! Granted, the image is not great, and I used some Photoshop adjustment layers to enhance the image, making it a bit easier to see. Where can I find a local hunting license vendor? 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. Mountain Lions do remain in the western states and there is evidence that in 2011, a . Heres how The Express-Times reported the unusual story on Sept. 26, 1996. They know what they saw, regardless of what the facts say, and they know they saw a puma. Fortunately, with the advent of the Game Commission, over time trapping became much more regulated with strict seasons placed on each species. A 100-year survey of cougar attacks in the U.S. and Canada found only 10 deaths and 48 injuries. These factors include: habitat, weather, predation, disease and hunting mortality. It also reduces confusion about which WMUs are open to antlerless hunting. Not only is it illegal to feed elk in Pennsylvania, but it teaches them to associate people, cars and/or homes with food. Those cats for which DNA evidence was recovered had come east from South Dakota, part of the known, modern-day, U.S. mountain lion range. Feeding also promotes the spread of infectious diseases by having them unnaturally congregate into small areas. Hunters with bears to be checked after check stations close should contact the appropriate region office. The photographer had no reason to stage the shot -- indeed, the composition and background was terrible, and not what you'd expect for something staged, but the shot wasn't perfectly clear. Although Pennsylvania still has more trappers than probably any other state at around 44,000 individuals, this is still a small percentage of the Commonwealths estimated 12.8 million residents. Most, quite honestly, don't know or can't believe or accept what they saw, they really can't believe their eyes. Bowhunter Education course records dating back to 2000 and Cable Restraint/Furtaker Education records dating back to 2005 are also maintained. 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. Cougars in Pennsylvania may still be a pipe dream in 2023, but who knows? Would these ridges be declared off-limits for hunting? This is a game regulation that has been around for many years and predates most people currently working for the Game Commission. The license year begins July 1 and ends June 30. Both deer and turkey harvests must be reported within ten days (five days for turkeys or deer taken by mentored hunters, or persons required to make a homemade tag). (National Park Service). Predominantly staying out of sight, when it is seen the bobcat is sometimes mistaken for the common housecat or a mountain lion. Are the Latest Fast CF Cards worth the Expense? Isnt trapping just a few folks each year trying to make money from pelts? (PennLive has investigated many reports of mountain lions, and other mystery creatures, and has found no confirming evidence. Are the various States guilty of essentially the same thing? Little is known of the wolf in Pennsylvania, or if indeed the same animal now called the Eastern coyote in fact might have been similar to the wolf of the past. Pennsylvania has more roads and hunters than just about every other state in America. By expanding concurrent seasons statewide, hunters are provided with more opportunities to harvest antlerless deer. Plus, you can set alarms on timers to make sure they go off at certain times of the day when youve spotted cougars coming onto your property. We appreciate incidents being reported. Can I use a metal detector on state game lands? What do you do when you run into a mountain lion? Keystone State. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). 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. This change is necessary to reduce harvest rates to a level that will allow for growth of this migratory Canada goose population. Bear harvest data is available on a map on the Game Commissions website. Can the public still access Pennsylvania State Game Lands? Many of the reports I receive are extremely credible. I've worked with students of all ages and backgrounds, and I love helping them unlock their full potential. Through rigorous scientific process, biologists manage and track population trends and harvest very closely each year to inform management decisions while game wardens work tirelessly to enforce the laws and regulations on trapping. "Cougars are hunting deer year-round. Are Pennsylvanians OK with these changes? Again, I've been told that some Game Commission personnel have admitted that pumas may exist in Pennsylvania, but they rationalize this by saying that the pumas are not breeding and they are not from original wild stock. How old must I be to mentor a mentored hunter? A game warden can prove that an attempt to tag the animal was made based on the evidence of a hole in the ear. The population declined significantly and experienced a near total reproductive failure in 2018. Do everything you can to fight it off. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. However, that said, this past winter we did have a very large bobcat attempt to take a deer behind the house. 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. While the dead cougar had been roaming free in the forests of northwestern. The information also allows for monitoring population trends and identifying any potential issues that may arise. This is not a Pennsylvania puma! How do I report my bobcat or fisher harvest(s)? Can so many people be so wrong? Bear check stations are open on each day of the regular firearms bear season, and on select days of the extended seasons. And this genetic mix has been recognized, and the Florida puma is still protected. Mountain lions weigh 90-160 pounds, while bobcats weigh 20-30 pounds. Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) is a neurological disease that affects members of the cervid family (e.g., deer, elk, moose and reindeer/caribou). What is a prescribed fire? I was able to match the images perfectly in terms of scale, size and position. For many decades, cougars confined themselves to prowling the wooded and mountainous areas of the western U.S. Opening day is biologically timed for when most hens, on an average year, have started to incubate their eggs. Commissioners are appointed from various geographical districts of the state to ensure uniform representation for all residents. Click here for more information. Then I saw and was like, 'It could be a bobcat, possibly mountain lion,' " Nick Dodge said. The mountain lionalso known as the cougar, puma, panther, or catamount is a large cat species native to the Americas. Stay calm. Human foods do not offer a healthy diet for animals. Keep in mind, just as the elk herd calls northcentral Pennsylvania home, so do plenty of human residents and camp owners. This accomplished, my next move was to do a transparency overlay, in an effort to line up both images perfectly. 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. Please remember to be respectful of private property while visiting. Callers anywhere in the state can now dial 1-833-PGC-HUNT or 1-833-PGC-WILD to contact the Pennsylvania Game Commission's Centralized Dispatch Center and be directed appropriately. After enhancing a few frames, however, I was able to deduce that it was, indeed, a large feline of some kind. If you took a hunter or trapper education course before the above dates, you must complete a Hunter Education Program Replacement Certificate Affidavit (PDF) form, which can be downloaded from this site. Current harvest success of inline muzzleloaders is approximately 17 percent, compared to a harvest success rate of 10 percent by flintlock hunters. Its a matter of perspective.

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