are there mountain lions in the poconos

They ponder rare fossil evidence unearthed and seek to make sense of stratified geology, both fleeting in the face of what we call progress. Although there was no evidence that the 2011 mountain lion ever set foot in Pennsylvania, DNA evidence confirmed that it had been both west and east of the state. Heres What the Data Says. But Dave "Gadget" Jones, a retired wildlife conservation officer from Lackawanna County, claims he's seen a white bigfoot and a UFO in Pennsylvania, so who knows? Let me explain this. Compare any game camera image with the shots above, or this game camera image, to confirm your identification. I don't want to seem like a nut case here, but I must ask this question and you'll soon understand why? original web site, although if I ever have enough time I might It was recorded in Minnesota and Wisconsin in late 2009 and early 2010, and then died in Connecticut in 2011. In the map above, I collected data from the state and on the federal level to find state parks . In all those hours I never saw a coyote, bear, or bobcat, and yet all live in my area. Recently, a man I spoke with told me that he was reminded of a sighting he and two friends had 20 years earlier, and after recalling the incident he was motivated to call his college buddies and reflect on their observation. There is a big community of mountain lion enthusiasts across the Northeast convinced that the animals still exist in breeding populations. State Game Officials do concede that some people may indeed have seen a puma, but it was undoubtedly a released captive. If you're interested in this, please pass on this link, and if you see a cat, please let me know! They mostly live in the far western Trans-Pecos region of the state, where they can freely roam 50,000 to 80,000 acres of land. The bones were found perfectly preserved. There isnt an official estimate on mountain lions in the state. In books I've read critical or skeptical or down-right dismissive of the idea of pumas in the East, the argument has been advanced that the hopefull puma-dreamer/spotters arguing that the State needs to prove pumas don't exist does not mean that in the State not proving this means that pumas indeed do exist in this state. Many have a desire to see some clear-cut evidence. In personal contacts, that monthly average might even be higher. Something to consider, even though we all trust the government. One of these days, though, I'll get one that won't be, and I hope that will be soon. Mountain lions thrive there due to the high elk population, dense forests, and isolated mountain ranges. There is also a small population of cougars in Florida. Now, forty years ago coyotes were rare or almost nonexistent in Pennsylvania, and had had that same sighting back then, when coyotes were thought not to exist within the state we would have had the 'facts' to doubt what we saw. Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. Like Rocky, Nia is declawed. However, if it doesn't exist, and if someone saw one, wouldn't there be a worry that it was a dangerous escapee? ? 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. The claim of mountain lions on the move was bolstered in 2009 when one was killed by a car in Greenwich, Conn. 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 owners. Asa Packer Mansion Jim Thorpe. According to the Pennsylvania Game Commission, there are no wild, breeding cougar populations in this state anymore. What the Lenape Indians never did, the European colonists and their descendants did swiftly eradicate the wolf and cougars viewed as a menace to their families and livestock. On some investigations, Foster has teamed up with Stacey Griffiths, who started the Central PA Mountain Lion Sightings page earlier this year. I believe Kross fully, but I wanted to hear more. In the area around the border of Pennsylvania and West Virginia there are mountains and deep caves that contain some of the coal mines that were a major part of the state's industry in the early part of the 19 th century. One man sent me a game camera photo that was blurry but looked like a mountain lion, or puma, as I like to call them. At the end of the last Ice Age, many animals in Pennsylvania died out. He knows and was familiar with bobcats, and it was not a weird house cat that he and his friends misjudged in size. The Pocono Mountains are . On that note, I was speaking with a Fed Ex driver recently who told me that one of his colleagues had seen what he swore was a dead mountain lion on the side of a road. Had this been faked, I'd suspect the hoaxter would try for a more authentic background. Mountain lions are well-established in 14 western states and have also recently been confirmed in 10 Midwestern states: Nebraska, Kansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Minnesota, Arkansas, Missouri, Iowa, Michigan and Wisconsin. redo these pages to match the new web site But that's not It's 90-something degrees, but Rocky's stare feels like ice down your pants. The coat can be spotted or solid. And yet today the debate continues: Are there mountain lions in Pennsylvania? 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. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. He wrote that not being a roving animal, the mountain lion was much sooner destroyed than the wolf, and he said that if there were any left, it would have to be in the most desolate places in the county. 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.). He's a hunter, a woodsman, and he's seen a lot of game, so I can believe he saw a back-lighted puma. Goodrich said he once saw a mountain lion spring from a thicket and kill a sheep on a public road. Encouraged by the bounties, settlers waged war on these perceived beasts. Viewers can never be certain that what they're seeing on a computer is actually what it's purported to be. A brief look, yes, but no question we saw a coyote. Here's more about mountain lions in Pennsylvania: If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. Granted, the image is not great, and I used some Photoshop adjustment layers to enhance the image, making it a bit easier to see. Suppose, instead of declaring the puma, or Eastern mountain lion, extinct, the USFWS actually recognized the existence of the cat as a wild, breeding species. Local outlets carried reports of cougar encounters at least into the 1910s. Cougar vs Mountain Lion What Are the Differences? Would a puma then qualify as a native species? I love the big cats and devote a huge amount of my field time photographing African lions, leopards, cheetahs, and in 2011, tigers. Over the last few months several people have responded to this question with reports of their own. 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. Ashley Catherine Fontones, Pocono Record. Here, they've not been," Lau said in an e-mail. "Hunters are always saying they see mountain lions, and the Game Commission always says there aren't any," said Robert Hale, owner of Buffalo Gap Outfitters in Dillsburg. 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. They know what they saw, regardless of what the facts say, and they know they saw a puma. Additionally, California banned the hunting of cougars back in 1972, encouraging population growth. By the mid-1900s pumas were eliminated from almost all of the eastern states, and by mid-century were officially extinct east of the Mississippi, except for a remnant population in southern Florida. I'll be anxious to learn of your report. Some may also be kept illicitly as pets, which would quickly become a problem as the cat matures. The Bushkill Falls are a series of eight waterfalls in a 300-acre wooded enclave hidden amongst the Poconos. 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 last known mountain lion in Pennsylvania was killed in Berks County in 1874. I've know of reports since 1973, in Cooke Forest, the heart of a lot of Pa. wilderness. Confirmed cougar sightings have increased in the Midwest and Great Lakes states in recent years.". 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. "It's one of those things where I'll believe it when I see it," said Jason Farmer of Pocono Summit, my hunting partner for the last eight years. Foster said mountain lions and bobcats could not breed. Two other reports went, in detail, on what they saw, the size, the length of tail, etc. They are generally believed to be young cats roaming in search of new breeding territories to claim as their own. Are there pumas, or mountain lions, in Pennsylvania and the mid-Atlantic States? Same story as 'black panthers' across the country, because of course there, scientifically, can be no such thing. Are they all the product of the off-spring of pumas that escaped their owners or were released? Is there a correct position for the upright on a Wimberley actionhead. Consider that the endangered Florida puma has mixed genes. Puma vs Mountain Lion: Is There a Difference? I haven't seen any reports like that.". John Leap of East Stroudsburg's Lakeside Peat Humus Co. and an employee, Paul Strauser, found the bones in a peat bog off Route 209. Adults are a uniform tan or tawny in color, with a white or cream-colored chin, undersides and inner legs. But the point of this article isn't whether or not mountain lions exist in Pennsylvania or the Poconos. However, recently I saw a photo of a melanistic bobcat, as black as could be, with bright yellow eyes. Mountain lions are 7-9 feet, while bobcats are 3 feet long. There are controlled hunting laws in the state of Oregon. Sadly, the hunting guidelines for cougars in Idaho are lax, with 400-600 cats being killed each year. Can so many people be so wrong? Outdoor adventures abound, and so do our fabulous shopping and restaurants. "They preyed upon the caribou, and probably the mastodon," Leslie wrote of these large animals flourishing on the grasses and cold-climate flora that sprouted following the glacier's retreat. Albinos are often very light sensitive, and they certainly are conspicuous, and most do not live very long. Find cabins in the Poconos, PA near places like Bushkill Falls, Camelback Mountain Resort, and more. Are mountain lions on their way to Pennsylvania? September 21st, 2008, 08:14 PM #74. Mountain lions have an interesting life cycle that consists of a few different characteristics. Others would like to see some scientific proof. One of the important things for any animal is a place to call home. There is a small breeding population in the state, despite being killed off in the 1920s. Where they always here as a relic population? Both were a threat to the farmer and family who carved a home in the ancient wilderness of the Poconos. For example, one man I interviewed said he saw a 'black' puma, and this should disqualify his sighting as a black puma has never been recorded. 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. "While confirmed cougar sightings have occurred recently in the wild in the East, there is currently no scientific or physical evidence documenting the continued existence of a population of wild eastern cougars," according to the U.S. The woman, a 66-year-old grandmother, asked not to be identified because she's a senior and didn't want people "bothering" her about it. Currently, there are only 15 states that meet that qualification. "With all of that said, though, there's a general lack of evidence of mountain lions in Pennsylvania. Granted, the image is not great, and I used some Photoshop adjustment layers to enhance the image, making it a bit easier to see. What you wouldn't expect to find here anymore is a mountain lion. The Pennsylvania Game Commission is always open to review evidence, but to date only hoaxes have crossed the PGC. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. Contact the AZ Animals editorial team. This, after they were told that there were no pumas in Pa. 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 . Bo Ottman is a landscaper in Connecticut who founded an . That may be true, or was once true, but even a declawed puma, if it can survive off rabbits and squirrels, and breeds, its offspring would be fully equipted to survive. Known as the Niagara Falls of Pennsylvania, there are four trails that lead to the cascades from the Bushkill Falls trailhead, each ranging in . What equipment do we take in the field? Thank you for reading! Are there Mountain Lions (Pumas, Cougars) in Pennsylvania and the Mid-Atlantic States? The next day, the photo disappeared from the site. Erosion from glacial melt and violence glaciers did to the land left a. "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. "I'm proud to know her," Murray said of the tiger, "but I wish I didn't.". Mountain lions live almost everywhere in the state of Washington. 2023 www.poconorecord.com. "I thought I had a sighting in the late '90s," Delaware Water Gap National Recreation park ranger Chris Kross said. 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. 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. Interesting, too, are the reports I've heard from people who were told that they would be in big trouble if they shot a puma. The agency has declared extinct the eastern cougar, one of 11 subspecies ofmountain lions native to North America. If we say it ain't so, it ain't so! . With that hope in mind, I have, for years, asked outdoors people if they ever heard of a mountain lion, or puma, in their area -- with my questioning limited to people in my home state of Pennsylvania. I Googled "Pocono mountain lion" and there it was the same photo, except the caption claimed that it was taken in Oklahoma, not Pennsylvania, and various posted comments asserted that the photo was manipulated. Any Truth Did they migrate south from Canada? More about mountain lions in Pennsylvania: If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. Unless I am only dealing with a lot of delusional people with little judgment, something is out there. Now consider: If it was confirmed that there was a breeding population of endangered pumas on the mountain ridge behind my house, if the USFWS recognized the existence of this endangered species, what might happen? Although size can be difficult to determine in the field, a puma will be three or four times larger than a bobcat. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Check out our online field guide to read more in this series. Only once has anyone later determined that they had misidentified the cat, seeing a bobcat and not a mountain lion. 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. Enter your email in the box below to get the most mind-blowing animal stories and videos delivered directly to your inbox every day. Since mountain lions are the top predators (unlike most other states with grizzly bears), they have a well-developed population. This ideal habitat allows for a large population of 2,000 mountain lions to thrive. 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. I used to archery hunt for deer, and I spent a lot of time (way too much time) sitting silently in a tree stand waiting for deer. I have received about two dozen reports during that time, including one game camera image that still looks very credible to me. Mountain Lions - Rocky Mountain National Park (U.S. National Park Service) NPS.gov Park Home Learn About the Park Nature Animals Mammals Mountain Lion Mountain Lion Last updated: May 4, 2018 Was this page helpful? I don't want to seem like a nut case here, but I must ask this question and you'll soon understand why?

Carabao Cup Final Tickets 2022 General Sale, Missouri Turn Signal Color Laws, Articles A