mountain lions in pennsylvaniamountain lions in pennsylvania

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! (Remember: Prescribed burns are not the same as wildfires.) Each hunting license comes with one fall turkey tag (and one spring tag), so we regulate fall harvest by season length. They regularly join the camp of those angrily claiming the commission has introduced the big cats back into Pennsylvania as a control measure against the state's huge deer population. The population is monitored for three additional years after the last release to determine population status and success. Comments for the Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners regarding current and/or proposed seasons and bag limits may be submitted to pgccomments@pa.gov. Isn't the release of another predator just going to cause or add to the further decline of species such as the wild turkey, northern goshawk, ruffed grouse, Allegheny woodrats, or rabbits? Install lighting or motion-sensor lighting in dark areas around the home to deter cougars and other wildlife. All rights reserved. Some biologists have an unusual solution: cougars. I'm passionate about helping people achieve their dreams, and I believe that education is the key to unlocking everyone's potential. Hunting mortality or number of turkeys harvested, especially in the fall, can affect turkey population due to the harvest of hens. 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 handler tossed into his pen. Would my mountain ridge be declared 'Critical Habitat' for the puma? Are there Mountain Lions in Pennsylvania? Why do I advocate manual exposure so avidly? Office of Open Records: Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Office of Open Records, Commonwealth Keystone Building, 400 North Street, 4th Floor, Harrisburg, PA 17120-0225. Mace weighs a bit over 15 lbs and stands 12 at the shoulder. 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. Pennsylvania is home to the largest wild elk herd in the northeastern United States. Are the various States guilty of essentially the same thing? Previous Game Commission research has shown that reducing the fall season by one week allows more hens to survive to spring and reproduce. Photos submitted as mountain lions are typically feral housecats. Game Commission selections are made after reviewing the previous years hunter harvests, population survey data and public input. The smell of rotting flesh was unmistakable. 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? The rule change could make more antlerless licenses available deeper into hunting season, perhaps giving hunters who purchase their licenses later a chance to get one. Students must be at least 11 years old to enroll in a class. Who can I call with additional Hunter-Trapper Education and/or mentored hunter questions? Minimize the handling of and cutting through brain and spinal tissues; 4. The uncut and unedited footage is as follows: Granted, at first glance the clip seems to reveal nothing except an animal with obvious eyeshine moving furtively along. It had been captured in Florida, and was to be released. How can opinions be submitted to the Pennsylvania Game Commission? Mountain lion killed in Connecticut was on the opposite side of Pennsylvania a year ago, Is it real? "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. Wildlife crimes affect everyone. I'll offer my own little anecdote. Its the success of these nests that dictate the future of the turkey population. In Pennsylvania, most burns take place in March, April, May and November when grass is dormant and leaves are off, allowing sunlight and wind to dry the forest floor. How can I become a Hunter-Trapper Education instructor? Still, our research shows females (both juvenile and adult) comprise a larger portion of the fall harvest than males. Although size can be difficult to determine in the field, a puma will be three or four times larger than a bobcat. The slate of deer seasons approved by the Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners for the 2021-22 license year allows for statewide concurrent hunting for antlered and antlerless deer through the duration of the firearms deer seasons in all Wildlife Management Units (WMUs). Not only is it illegal to feed elk in Pennsylvania, but it teaches them to associate people, cars and/or homes with food. And again, while they may have been mistaken, they certainly were completely convinced that they had seen a puma. I also took a tape measure with me. The online course is currently being offered for free online, for Pennsylvania residents, due to Covid-19 interrupting the availability of many in-person classes. The agencys goal is to maintain proper wild turkey management strategies while providing maximum hunting opportunities. There are many benefits to regulated trapping, but here are just a few examples: Trapping is used to protect endangered and threatened species during critical times of the year such as sea turtle nests or ground nesting birds like the piping plover. The doe bolted for the trees with the cat still attached, and every 6 feet or so you could see a large impression in the snow, which mustve been the cats rump as it was hanging on with teeth and claws. With proper management, trapping allows for sustainable use of this valuable wildlife resource. While a greater number of turkeys are harvested each spring than fall, the fall harvest is what really matters. You can also call the Game Commission's replacement card fulfillment center at 1-800-830-2268 for assistance in obtaining a replacement certificate. Contact your Game Commission region office for additional information on how to create, preserve, or enhance wildlife habitat. 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. Bobcats tend to be darker brown, with lighter belly fur and spots while mountain lions tend to be more uniform brown, tawny color. Paws 'N' Claws Animal Park in the Poconos. I have three observations here: 1. 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. Consumption permits for deer and turkey only: Residents can pick up deer and turkey only for consumption purposes and must obtain a permit within 24 hours. Last year, the board allowed concurrent seasons in select WMUs, mainly in areas where Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) had been detected in free-ranging deer. It was decided that this shouldn't influence the decision and, in fact, an infusion of new genes produces a hybrid vigor, lessening the chance of in-breeding. They have adapted to live in the suburbs in woods, fields or even backyards without being seen by people.. This would show how tall said cat was, compared to both me and the tape measure I am holding. Yes. 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. The question that remains is: if it was a house cat or cougar, how big would it be? A bobcat gives you a warm, that-kind-of-looks-like-my-cat-but-slightly-bigger feeling. The last native. The stride was around 21 inches, and they ambled along at a leisurely pace. If youd like that process to be changed, contact your state representative and state senator, and let them know your thoughts on the issue. If you see a deer or elk displaying symptoms of CWD, report it to the appropriate Game Commission region office. So it happens, and who knows if it is existing in wild pumas in the East. Over the last few months several people have responded to this question with reports of their own. | @thePhillyVoiceLike us on Facebook: PhillyVoiceHave a news tip? Time is of the essence when it comes to reporting the location of a wild animal, so it's best to call, as opposed to report via email or social media. Secondary recreational uses are also permitted in accordance with the Game Commission's regulations. Today, there are none in existence in this area; the last mountain lions was seen in 1874. 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. The mountain lion, which is also called a cougar, puma or panther, weighs on . The Game Commission primarily burns to benefit wildlife and maintain the long-term health of their habitats. If so, what would happen to the hunting industry in all of these states? And while youre here, make sure you check out my free books page and help yourself. Which Penn State Campus Is Best For Criminal Justice? Click here for full harvest reporting details. Can you shoot a mountain lion if it attacks you? Because turkeys eat a variety of foods, large populations won't damage their habitat. 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. 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. So, couldn't that same argument apply to pumas in the Northeast? Mountain lions have appeared in Pennsylvania in the past 75 years, but when they're captured, it's quickly determined they were formerly exotic pets or show animals. Human foods do not offer a healthy diet for animals. Pennsylvanias management plan and seasons are not, and should not, be the same as other states, again, to ensure long-term sustainability of the wild turkey population. Express concerns about CWD to your political representatives. 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 . While some young animals might appear to be abandoned, usually they are not. The Nittany Lion at State College wasn't just created out of thin air. 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? Weather, especially during spring nesting season can affect turkey populations. Have all of those who have seen a puma really seen a bobcat? During early exploration and settlement in Pennsylvania and other states, many furbearing species were trapped to the point of extirpation. Why cant I purchase antlerless deer tags online? It is unlawful for individuals to possess a shed antler to sell, barter or trade OR to offer to sell, barter or trade any shed antler. Pennsylvania has 308 state games lands, which span more than 1.5 million acres. A hunter can retain the antlers and still have the head tested for CWD if the harvest tag is properly attached to the ear. Recently, on our Arizona Hummingbird and Bat Photo Shoot, I found a deer that had been hit by a car and had moved off to die beside a stream just 200 yards upstream from our lodge. Wildlife crimes affect everyone. The head of the puma is small in comparision to a house cat when compared to the entire body. While the dead cougar had been roaming free in the forests of northwestern. Thank you for your interest in Pennsylvania wildlife. They were the size of small ponies, I kid you not, and had to be either mule deer or a small group of female elk. The State argues that there is no physical evidence, and no credible photographs. In a 1996 survey of Pennsylvania hunters, conducted by the Pennsylvania State University, 61 percent of respondents indicated they would like to see an increase in pheasant stocking, and 72 percent were opposed to closing pheasant propagation facilities to generate more operating capital for agency programs. This could cause them to approach people looking for more. They know what they saw, regardless of what the facts say, and they know they saw a puma. Call the region office that serves the county where the animal is located, directly. This, after they were told that there were no pumas in Pa. On the other hand, there are probably thousands of game cameras covering water holes and game trails throughout Pennsylvania, and to my knowledge no one has yet recorded a puma. They are wart-like, hairless tumors caused by a virus. For the latest information about COVID-19 in Pennsylvania, please visit the Pennsylvania Department of Healths website at www.health.pa.gov. This means the cat in question is at least 7 inches taller than it appears in the film. If you see a puma (mountain lion-cougar), contact me. American Marten Reintroduction Feasibility Assessment, Marten Reintroduction Feasibility Assessment, Click here to learn more about our agency and its history, Click here for more information about the agency, Click here for more about regulations related to the Right-to-Know law, Click here for step-by-step instructions about how to purchase a Pennsylvania hunting license, lick here for more information about HuntFishPA, Game Commission office that serves your county, contact your state representative and state senator, Click here for full harvest reporting details, lick here for full harvest reporting details, Pennsylvania Game Commission Region Office, Pennsylvania Game Commissions Operation Game Thief program, Pennsylvania Game Commission region office, Pennsylvanias online Hunter-Trapper Education course, report it to the Game Commission region office, Learn more about elk history in Pennsylvania, Click here for a brief synopsis of the zones, Check out the Elk Viewing Guide and Elk Scenic Drive Map from the Pennsylvania Great Outdoors Visitors Bureau, Click here to read the Pennsylvania Game Code, Click here to learn more about deer warts, please review the wild turkey biologist's January 2021 report to the board, Click here to read more about state game lands regulations, The Game Commission maintains a public map that shows where prescribed burns are being planned, Click here to learn more about CWD in Pennsylvania, https://pgcdatacollection.pa.gov/CWDResultsLookup, Refer to the Pennsylvania Department of Healths precautionary recommendations for outdoor recreation, Special Requests to Use State Game Lands Information, Deer Management Assistance Program (DMAP). Pennsylvania's last known wild eastern mountain lion was killed in Berks County in 1874. A moose is a very rare sight in Pennsylvania. In addition to the map, users will see signage posted around the burn unit identifying the area as a planned burn during the coming weeks or months. As the following image shows, it is the same height as the spot on the tape measure, which was 18 inches. Please remember and take note, it is unlawful to take the antlers that are found still attached to a skull. Why is bat photography so difficult? Click here for more information. This is a game regulation that has been around for many years and predates most people currently working for the Game Commission. *Please note: While we try our best, we are not always able to respond to every inquiry. It is our mission to manage and protect wildlife and their habitats while promoting hunting and trapping for current and future generations. Exact dates for reporting vary annually, but are generally January through May. Granted, the image is not great, and I used some Photoshop adjustment layers to enhance the image, making it a bit easier to see. Fish and wildlife service declared the eastern cougar, other than the Florida panther, extinct in 2011. The Mentored Hunting Program has expanded in recent years to offer opportunities to unlicensed hunters of ALL ages. Pennsylvania Game Commission officials say it's very unlikely it was a mountain lion. Despite yearly reports of cougar sightings in Pennsylvania, the U.S. 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. 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. 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. 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. Keeping trash cans and recycling in a secure area until the morning of collection day. Two other reports went, in detail, on what they saw, the size, the length of tail, etc. It is also unlawful to dig on state game lands. 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 one cat killed on a highway in Milford, Connecticut, in June 2011. Pennsylvania has embraced these BMPs and put additional regulations in place to ensure trapping follows these principles. And a quiet, snowy covert makes a grouse flush all-the-more dramatic. In 2011, a mountain lion migrated from South Dakota to Connecticut, a journey of some 1,500 miles. CWD is transmitted both directly through animal-to-animal contact and indirectly through food and soil contaminated with bodily excretions including feces, urine and saliva. For information about local game lands, please reach out to the Game Commission region office that serves the county in which the lands are located. After all, skeptics often suggest that puma sightings are just deer sightings, so it would be logical to worry that a hunter might shoot an endangered puma, mistaking it for a brown deer. 18 inches. The Pennsylvania Game Commissions Operation Game Thief program serves to protect wild birds and wild mammals and encourages those who have information related to wildlife crimes to report details as soon as possible. A Mountain Lion Cover Up There have been no "confirmed" reports of mountain lions, AKA Puma concolor, in Pennsylvania since the late 1800s. We work closely with wildlife biologists to ensure that while some nests may be lost throughout the year due to prescribed fire activities, the burns are restoring acres of healthy habitat that ensure significantly more nests will be successful for many years into the future. All of the above are Mountain Lions, or Pumas, or Cougars. (I know, there are no mule deer in PA, well except for the ones held in canned hunt preserves . Youll also receive an excerpt of Kronos Rising: Kraken (Vol.3) straight to your inbox. My toes were literally against it. These factors include: habitat, weather, predation, disease and hunting mortality. If its further back, it could be a far larger specimen and could conceivably weigh twice that. The animal could not be a wild mountain lion, because "there are no wild mountain lions in Pennsylvania." This was the approach of the PGC until a farmer named Roger saw a mountain lion, along with several other people on his remote farm, during a large outdoor party -- a party which included a big roast pig barbeque, near the edge of a forest. 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. Check out the tails of the two! To learn more on the history and ecology of American martens in Pennsylvania visit American Marten (pa.gov). Let me explain this. Unnatural congregation can lead to overcrowded wildlife. The permission slip should be signed by the landowner, and should include the hunter's name, address and CID license number, and the landowner's name, address and phone number. Their mothers are likely watching over them from somewhere nearby. Yet, all is not lost. Do not feed deer. What does a Mountain Lion look like on a game camera? Time is of the essence when it comes to reporting the location of a wild animal, so it's best to call, as opposed to report via email or social media. 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. Anyone, ages 11 and up, can currently register for Pennsylvanias online Hunter-Trapper Education course. If you see or photograph a puma in the mid-Atlantic states, please email or call me. New hotline info. But more importantly, he also said that regardless of color, he saw a big cat, with a tail that looked to be about 4 feet long! Where is Pennsylvanias elk herd located? While there have been no confirmed occurrences of mountain lions in Pennsylvania since the late 1800s, dozens of sincere reports of sightings and tracks and even more hoaxed reports emerge across the state each year. Species restoration also supports economic growth within the outdoor recreation industry as well as considers the cultural importance to Indigenous peoples. Those altered prions kill brain cells and ultimately lead to tiny holes in the brains of infected animals. I'd suspect it would still be considered very rare, after all, it was thought to be extinct. 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.). 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. Note the long, usually thick tail. To date, the Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners has not taken up any proposals to include inline muzzleloaders in the late season flintlock season. No. The wild turkey feeds primarily on acorns, waste grain, insects and grasses, which are unlikely to be depleted at the same time. At one time this fact almost resulted in this cat not being protected, since it wasn't a pure strain. Most of my original Questions of the Month for the last several Mountain lions in Pennsylvania, and other eastern states, account for more reports of undiscovered animals than all the other cryptids put together. Fire improves wildlife habitat and hunting opportunities by increasing soft mast production in shrubs like blueberry, huckleberry and blackberry. It probably wasnt; it was more likely 1-3 feet away, in which case my estimates will need to be scaled up a bit. What do you do when you run into a mountain lion? On average, more mature birds are taken than jakes (first-year males), even with the second tag, and those older gobblers have a lower natural survival of living until next spring. They haven't been . 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. This confirms the drop. *Please note: Junior hunters, ages 12 and 13, must be accompanied by an adult member of their family, (at least 18 years of age), or by an adult serving in the place of a parent. 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. How many elk hunting seasons and zones exist in Pennsylvania? Those impacts are not immediately visible as CWD-infected animals might not show symptoms of the disease for 18 to 24 months. A 100-year survey of cougar attacks in the U.S. and Canada found only 10 deaths and 48 injuries. For more information, call 866-474-2141 or visit www.sharedeer.org. Am I allowed to remove mushrooms and/or berries on state game lands? Fish and Wildlife Service formally declared the eastern cougar extinct, but said the subspecies had probably been stamped out in the 1930s. Is there a correct position for the upright on a Wimberley actionhead? Although it is beneficial to provide contact information in case game wardens have follow-up questions, callers may remain confidential. 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. 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. Yes, they will be for the 2021-22 hunting license year. Who conducts burns on State Game Lands? Disease Management Areas are found in all or parts of Adams, Armstrong, Bedford, Berks, Blair, Cambria, Centre, Clarion, Clearfield, Cumberland, Fulton, Franklin, Huntingdon, Indiana, Jefferson, Juniata, Lancaster, Lebanon, Mifflin, Perry, Somerset, Snyder, Union and Westmoreland counties. Transmission is thought to occur through biting insects and possibly by direct contact with other infected deer or various contaminated materials in the environment that might scratch the skin allowing the virus to invade. I've know of reports since 1973, in Cooke Forest, the heart of a lot of Pa. wilderness. 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. A turkey's ability to forage from a variety of sources enables large populations to thrive in small areas, according to Weyerhausers Southern Wildlife Program Manager Dr. Darren Miller. Hunter-Trapper Education course records dating back to 1987 are maintained on a computer database. Unfortunately, just like any tool, they can be used inappropriately and result with negative impact. 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. The image in the Upper Left was from a Game Camera, sent to me by a friend. buy hey, maybe some got out? It is best to call the region office directly because the region dispatcher might have additional questions for the caller about an exact location, the time the animal was witnessed or other something else. Crews will remain on site until they are sure the fire is contained to the burn unit and is out cold along the firebreaks. Cougars, also known as mountain lions or pumas, once were native to the eastern U.S. There have been no confirmed reports of mountain lions, AKA Puma concolor, in Pennsylvania since the late 1800s. Possibly, but it seems unlikely that enough would have been released or had escaped to make for a viable population. It seems unlikely, considering captives have never shown this trait, but people are reporting big black cats. Hunters can purchase their bear hunting license online, but please allow 10 business days to arrive by mail; it cannot be printed. The northeastern U.S. population is thought to have disappeared in the 1930s. Why must I tag my harvested deer in the ear and not on the antlers? Confirming an animal is infected with CWD requires laboratory testing of the brain or lymph nodes of the head. 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. For the 2021-22 license year, there are three elk hunting seasons: Archery, Sept. 11-25; Firearms, Nov. 1-6; and Late Season Jan. 1-8, 2022. When we consider apex predators currently we have the black bear, and then to a lesser degree the coyote. Is there a Mountain Lion Conspiracy? Why is there no post-Christmas grouse hunting season? Second, antlerless allocations are set at the WMU to harvest a targeted number of antlerless deer. The goal of a WPRA is to establish a sustainable wild pheasant population that can be hunted. The footage is dark and amorphous, and very hard to make out. Elk harvests should be reported to the Pennsylvania Game Commissions Elk Check Station, located at the Elk Country Visitors Center, located at 134 Homestead Drive, PA 15821, within 24 hours of the harvest. How is the Pennsylvania Game Commission organized? I don't believe someone's imagination could stretch a six inch long tail to three feet! Be familiar with the regulations and guidelines for the transportation of harvested game where you are hunting; 2. They wanted to hear from anyone who saw a mountain lion or signs of one, like tracks or scats.

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