And yes, there are people in Pennsylvania who say they exist here. An animal's coat can stray far from the norm. The last documented sighting of an eastern cougar was one killed in Maine in 1938. Well, right behind our property lies a mountain ridge, one of several that makes a continuous forest that extends, with little interruption, for scores of miles in three directions. If it were, it would be listed. If you see a puma (mountain lion-cougar), contact me. "They're getting a lot of that out west. But the point of this article isn't whether or not mountain lions exist in Pennsylvania or the Poconos. The Pennsylvania Game Commission is always open to review evidence, but to date only hoaxes have crossed the PGC. Are there Mountain Lions in Pennsylvania? The same goes for New York and several other eastern states. Is there a correct position for the upright on a Wimberley actionhead? 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. I've seen hoaxes, of pumas carrying deer shot with game cameras, but these were of western cats. In Yellowstone, definite puma country (perhaps not ideal habitat, but pumas are found in every section of Yellowstone), I've spoken to guys on road crews and with rangers, each with 20 years of field or road experience in Yellowstone, and the ranger had only seen 2 (both road kills and together) and the road crew guys two or three in all their years. Each year, over tha past five, I've spoken with at least one person who swears they personally saw a puma in this state. That's true. The cat is known to live in the western U.S. and Florida, South America and Canada. As you can see from the above images it is very difficult to confuse the two if you have a good view. Several populations of Gray Squirrels scattered around the country are black, and recently I heard of a neighborhood of black Eastern Chipmunks. However, it is clearly a mountain lion, and I'm presenting this poor image as a baseline reference for anyone recording a mountain lion on a game camera, or seeing one. The Pocono Mountains are located in Northeastern Pennsylvania. Some outdoor enthusiasts insist they have seen the big cats here and believe them to be naturally occurring, native animals. All rights reserved. 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 law was passed March 10, 1806, requiring the county to pay the person producing the scalp of a full-grown wolf or cougar, $8, and for the scalp of a young whelp or cub, $4. Nevertheless, I put up a MOULTRIE game camera -- a brand that I've had tremendous satisfaction with -- at the carcass, hoping that scavengers would visit. The state of Texas is home to many mountain lion populations, but the numbers are incredibly hard to find. However, if it doesn't exist, and if someone saw one, wouldn't there be a worry that it was a dangerous escapee? Mountain lions that are looking for new breeding areas are known as transient and are almost always males. Among other uses, the tax was levied "for destroying wolves, foxes, heads and crows." A tiny population of Florida cougars persists in the southeastern corner of the United States. The Poconos is a mountain area in northeastern Pennsylvania.It is 2,400 square miles of wooded mountains and valleys full of beautiful lakes, rivers, forests and wildlife. A placard affixed to the fence outside Rocky's pen states that "cougars are solitary creatures and rarely seen by humans." Mountain lions live almost everywhere in the state of Washington. The name Pocono is derived from the . I have three observations here: 1. For our list, we only included US states with a stable breeding population. It is an Italianate Villa home that features authentic Victorian furniture and finishing. 2023 www.poconorecord.com. The Pocono Mountains are . Something to consider, even though we all trust the government. Do Mountain Lions Attack Humans? He also noted that if the cat was here, wouldn't they be reproducing and increasing in population by now? They are generally believed to be young cats roaming in search of new breeding territories to claim as their own. Note the long, usually thick tail. The claim of mountain lions on the move was bolstered in 2009 when one was killed by a car in Greenwich, Conn. Mountain Lions do remain in the western states and there is evidence that in 2011, a mountain lion migrated about 1,500 miles from South Dakota to Connecticut where it was killed by a. The Pocono Mountains, commonly referred to as the Poconos / p o k n o z /, are a geographical, geological, and cultural region in Northeastern Pennsylvania.They overlook the Delaware River and Delaware Water Gap to the east, Lake Wallenpaupack to the north, Wyoming Valley and the Coal Region to the west, and the Lehigh Valley to the south. Hunting is legal, but the use of dogs was banned in 1996. 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. Did they migrate south from Canada? Did they migrate south from Canada? I asked our Game officials about evidence, and they cite no road kills. Travis Lau, a spokesperson for the Game Commission, said the state has a "never say never" approach when it comes to mountain lions and acknowledges that Western cats could be moving east. All of the above are Mountain Lions, or Pumas, or Cougars. Goggling Eastern Puma brings up other web sites, however, with varying levels of professionalism or credibility. Recent post: Why Is It Called Beaver Stadium? The mountain lion population in Nevada is essential to the control of deer and rodent populations in the mountainous regions of the state. 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. During this time, male mountain lions will travel in search of females. According to the commission, the last Pennsylvania mountain lion was killed in the late 1800s. If mountain lions are discovered in PA anytime soon they'll either be big foot's pets or genetically engineered and released by the DCNR to cull the orangu-bear population. Activities Milford Things To Do Hotels Map Of Activities Delaware Water Gap Hotels Bushkill Lake Harmony Hawley Skytop Tannersville Pocono Mountains Counties About the Poconos Pocono Mountains History Weather Area Services . The other two clans were the Turtle and Turkey. I spend a lot of time outdoors, and I've seen about 10 black bears in Pennsylvania, and all within ten miles of my home. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. This ideal habitat allows for a large population of 2,000 mountain lions to thrive. If you can figure out how to travel far back in time for even a day, get lots of wildlife photos, as the rest of us might never believe your story. Outdoor adventures abound, and so do our fabulous shopping and restaurants. There is no known estimate of the number of mountain lions inhabiting Texas. Asa Packer Mansion Jim Thorpe. More conclusive evidence is needed: Keep your cameras handy. Consider that the endangered Florida puma has mixed genes. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. Mountain lions thrive there due to the high elk population, dense forests, and isolated mountain ranges. All of these forests are, with few exceptions, open to hunting, and hunting is a very important industry in Pennsylvania, New York, West Virginia, Maryland, and Virginia. Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. The Cougar Network, working with state agencies, have documented multiple mountain lions as far east as Kentucky, Tennessee and Michigan in recent years, as well as that cat killed on a highway in Milford, Connecticut, in June 2011. Many have a desire to see some clear-cut evidence. By the time he returned the vehicle was gone, and so was the cat, and no mention was ever made of this road kill in a radio or newspaper report. "People think they can get them declawed and that they're safe, but they still have teeth.". The first is the mating season which can occur during the late to early spring months. 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. They're common in the rural areas of the Lehigh Valley but are moving into more populated areas as evidenced by a 600-pound specimen (pictured) that was tranquilized in March after neighbors in. "I'm proud to know her," Murray said of the tiger, "but I wish I didn't.". And this genetic mix has been recognized, and the Florida puma is still protected. There isnt an official estimate on mountain lions in the state. In his 1973 book "Faces in Clay" Leslie lays open the archaeological treasures of stone arrow or spear points and tools lost long ago by a succession of native peoples. See also: Transient males have been sighted as far east as New York! The Mountain Lion is a large, slender cat with a smallish head and noticeably long tail. Over the last few years I've done several Questions of the Month regarding Mountain Lions, or Pumas as they should properly be called, in the Mid-Atlantic States and in Pennsylvania. 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. "From three really reliable sources who are always around the woods from Monroe County to Bradford, there is no doubt that there are mountain lions in Pennsylvania," East Stroudsburg University football team offensive coordinator and avid hunter Mike Terwilliger said. They once inhabited the entire United States, but were killed off and pushed west. Discover the Little-Known U.S. River Gorge That's, The 9 Best Books About National Parks for Travelers, mountain lions seem to be making a comeback. I'm thinking of the solution often suggested for pesky endangered species out west, namely wolves and grizzly bears. According to the Pennsylvania Game Commission, the last Pennsylvania mountain lion was killed in the late 1800s. On the second night, a mountain lion passed by, apparently drawn by the smell but put off by the stench, as the cat did not visit the kill. Foster, the Messiah College professor, said he has investigated about 15 reported mountain lion sightings since late May, and believed "three or four are pretty likely a mountain lion." At one point, there was debate whether that cat should be protected, since its genes were diluted from escapees or released pumas that originated in South America or our West. There are, from time to time, eyewitness accounts from hunters or hikers who claim to have seen the cat. Please keep scrolling - ALL the Puma posts are included. Mountain lions (cougars, pumas, and more) are among the top predators that live in the United States. 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 coat can be spotted or solid and varies in color from light browns, reddish and silvery grey. Biologists who investigate these reports claim that several may, indeed, be mountain lions, but most likely they're animals that have escaped from captivity or have been released by their. 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. It was definitely a mountain lion, and it had a big buck, white-tailed deer in its jaws. They mostly live in the far western Trans-Pecos region of the state, with about 50,000 to 80,000 acres of suitable land currently being used by the cat. An assessment list for Lower Smithfield Township in 1761 when it was part of Northampton County (Monroe having not yet been created) taxed "three pence per pound and shillings per head" laid on the land and inhabitants. Because the neck bothered me, I decided to do some Photoshop on the puma in the lower left, moving his head higher up and changing the image to a contrasty black and white - to give a silhouette for comparision. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. Mountain lions can live in almost any habitat including forests, prairies, deserts, and swamps. Would that declaration close that ridge to hunting? "The cougars examined in the Northeast in the past 70 years are likely released or escaped captives. As they get older, the cubs begin to leave the den and explore. The Asa Packer Mansion, built in the year 1861, is a historic house museum. In August, Amy Walters said her 12-year-old son was spooked by a mountain lion in Forest County in northwest Pennsylvania while riding his dirt bike. The cat was far enough away that I couldn't get a size reference, and I believed the cat was further away than it actually was. He's sitting in a plastic doghouse, paws crossed, amber eyes locked on the two men ticking him off by their mere presence out beyond the fence. They ponder rare fossil evidence unearthed and seek to make sense of stratified geology, both fleeting in the face of what we call progress. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. Here's a glimpse at what long-gone Pocono beasts the region's very first wave of residents may have seen, and the wild things that followed up to as late as the early 20th century. I had three cameras positioned, so had a cat visited, I'd have had it. Note the size of the tail, the pointed ears, the speckled coat, the basic lack of white underneath. Very, very rarely, when I ask someone who would be a likely candidate (a hunter, someone who owns a camp in the deep woods, travels likely routes often, foresters), 'Have you ever seen a mountain lion?' People can manipulate, enhance or combine photos and then create their own stories about the subject's origin, location and even identification. Angel, her African lioness who snarls at strangers, is a big girl. So many of these sightings have been proven wrong misidentified bobcats, coyotes or even house cats) that it would be irresponsible for a biologist to accept any of them as fact without absolute physical evidence hair, droppings, tracks or a road-killed animal. A recent alleged sighting in South Abington Township, Lackawanna County, had Facebook groups abuzz. Certainly it is a romantic notion, but I've always held out the hope that pumas still roamed the east. If we don't see it, it doesn't exist. In personal contacts, that monthly average might even be higher. In prior interviews with the Game Commission, the suggestion was made to this writer that what many people may actually be seeing is a bobcat, perhaps in less than ideal circumstances. It has the color of a mountain lion, but the long tail appears to be missing. Florida is the only state on the east coast with a breeding population of mountain lions. Granted, the image is not great, and I used some Photoshop adjustment layers to enhance the image, making it a bit easier to see. I don't believe someone's imagination could stretch a six inch long tail to three feet! Why do I advocate manual exposure so avidly? 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. Hunting is legal in the state, but it is heavily controlled and restricted. Have some feedback for us? The State Museum of Pennsylvania, in Harrisburg, displays a taxidermy mount of a mountain lion in glass case, with the notation, "This lion, found near Hawk Mountain in Berks County around 1871, is the last native mountain lion known to have been shot in Pennsylvania.". The head of the puma is small in comparision to a house cat when compared to the entire body. This one streaked across the road in the early evening, and fortunately, it stopped when it climbed a hill on the other side where I had another view from my side of the truck. So, couldn't that same argument apply to pumas in the Northeast? I've seen about 20 mountain lions, or pumas, in the field, but all but 2 were in Chile. I think it is possible that recognizing the existence of pumas in the East could jeopardize this industry and an entire economy.
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