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. "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. Are there pumas, or mountain lions, in Pennsylvania and the mid-Atlantic States? As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. The head of the puma is small in comparision to a house cat when compared to the entire body. 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. Fish and Wildlife Service officially declared the Eastern subspecies of the mountain lion extinct, which would seem to bolster the skeptics. To be fair, I've also spoken with people who, at first, thought they'd seen a puma only to find, to their embarassment, that they were looking at a house cat! Where they always here as a relic population? A recent alleged sighting in South Abington Township, Lackawanna County, had Facebook groups abuzz. 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. Is there a correct position for the upright on a Wimberley actionhead. Penn State's Nittany Lion hide sampled for DNA sequencing, Mountain lion reports in Pennsylvania popular, but often a hoax, More Local News to Love Start today for 50% off Expires 3/6/23. A placard affixed to the fence outside Rocky's pen states that "cougars are solitary creatures and rarely seen by humans." 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. Two different people told me that they, or a close relative, had seen pumas on more than one occasion. Then there is Rocky. The claim of mountain lions on the move was bolstered in 2009 when one was killed by a car in Greenwich, Conn. The skeleton was reassembled at the State Museum, where it has been on display ever since. Mountain Lions in Pennsylvania? Most nature magazines state whether the photos were taken "under controlled conditions" rather than in the wild.). Would my mountain ridge be declared 'Critical Habitat' for the puma? Mountain lions roamed all of the continent prior to the arrival and westward spread of European settlers, but only the eastern and Florida subspecies were found east of the Mississippi. I usually follow-up on these reports and, via email or phone conversations, I receive more details. Instead, the person usually pauses, sometimes with a sheepish or embarrassed expression on his face, and seems reluctant to continue. The coat can be spotted or solid and varies in color from light browns, reddish and silvery grey. 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. In the forests of Kenya, however, they do occur. 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. 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. 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. Heres What the Data Says. As they get older, the cubs begin to leave the den and explore. Foster said mountain lions and bobcats could not breed. Recently the US Fish and Wildlife Service formally declared the Eastern Puma an extinct species, except for the remnant population in Florida. A typical home range is around 150 square miles for adult males and 50 square miles for adult females in our region. Bushkill Falls Trail. In personal contacts, that monthly average might even be higher. I've done this myself once, in Tanzania, when I saw a black house cat that I thought was a black leopard! Apparently, this picture was really making the rounds. If it were, it would be listed. Colby is a freelance writer from Charlotte, North Carolina. Where can I find Depth of Field reference charts? PHILADELPHIA (AP) An instinct coiled way down in the human brain knows the difference between a bobcat and a mountain lion. How, Who, and Why? I am bothered by the constricted neck of the cat on the game camera; 2. the tail is curved down, rather than up, but it may have been in mid-swing; 3. the goldenrod-appearing flower, and the background of cars, gives a sense of scale and location. Are there Mountain Lions (Pumas, Cougars) in Pennsylvania and the Mid-Atlantic States? This happens usually around the 18-month mark. All of the above are Mountain Lions, or Pumas, or Cougars. I believe them. Flying over the area, I've looked down and commented upon the amount of habitat that would be available for a puma, if only they existed. Illinois can also now be added to this list a mountain lion was found on the outskirts of Chicago. Although in captivity, they can live much longer. Please keep scrolling - ALL the Puma posts are included. I've looked in the PGC game laws booklet and saw nothing on this, which I guess you could conclude means a puma would not be legal to shoot. "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. This is not a Pennsylvania puma! But more and more people in Pennsylvania, from the Alleghenies to the Poconos to rolling farmlands in York County, claim they are seeing the big cats here, even though the state's "last" native lion, also known as a cougar or puma, was shot and killed in Berks County in 1871 and the feds have declared the Eastern subspecies extinct. If you're interested in this, please pass on this link, and if you see a cat, please let me know! "With all of that said, though, there's a general lack of evidence of mountain lions in Pennsylvania. He also published a follow-up on Oct. 15 with the same mountain lion-deer hoax photo, as well as personal stories from several local residents who claim they've seen mountain lions in the Poconos. . The mountain lion is a large, slender cat, with a long rope-like tail. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. The hunting policy of the state may be the cause of the dropping population, and pressure on the Fish and Game Commission has increased. No projectile points or spearheads were found with the remains, indicating the animal may have died naturally rather than killed by native hunters. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. 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. These powerful, majestic creatures once lived across much of the country but have since been killed or pushed out of most of it. 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. original web site, although if I ever have enough time I might They are generally believed to be young cats roaming in search of new breeding territories to claim as their own. 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. with a fluted projectile point were found near Middletown, Orange County, New York. redo these pages to match the new web site But that's not Some cats had a South American genetic profile. Note the long, usually thick tail. Here's an example: A man is holding a dead eastern diamondback rattlesnake, which was found in North Carolina and measured more than 9 feet long and weighed 95 pounds. Have all of those who have seen a puma really seen a bobcat? 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. And, some may be escaped or illegally released pets. The last known mountain lion in Pennsylvania was killed in Berks County in 1874. Perhaps my Fed Ex driver was simply recalling a rural legend, but he said it was an employee that he knew, and it was a story he heard first-hand. I've read a lot about this, and the usual explanation is the very human desire to see something, to see what someone wants to see, and thus these people are seeing bobcats or brown cats or dogs or foxes and, because they 'want' to see a puma, they do. When he told me this, he commented on how an experience like the one he and his friends had just is not forgotten. Enter your email in the box below to get the most mind-blowing animal stories and videos delivered directly to your inbox every day. The image in the Upper Left was from a Game Camera, sent to me by a friend. It had been captured in Florida, and was to be released. "They are very strong animals," she said. Is there a correct position for the upright on a Wimberley actionhead? Despite reported sightings throughout the East, including Pennsylvania, and a confirmed mountain lion killed in Connecticut in 2011, there has been no evidence that any of those cats were native to the East. 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. 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. Most, quite honestly, don't know or can't believe or accept what they saw, they really can't believe their eyes. 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). Mountain lions live almost everywhere in the state of Washington. What is the Kiboko backpack? 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. Mountain lions live in rescue centers like Murray's, and the Pennsylvania Game Commission said a dozen or so people are permitted to possess them. State Game Officials do concede that some people may indeed have seen a puma, but it was undoubtedly a released captive. The last of three glaciations covered 30% of Pennsylvania, including much of the Poconos, from around 20,000-10,000 B.C. That's true. 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. Hunting is legal in the state, but it is heavily controlled and restricted. do I get an immediate, 'Oh yeah!' 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? These color morphs are most common in rain forests and jungles. 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. Other states have had sightings, especially as mountain lion populations begin to explore and look to expand. Unless I am only dealing with a lot of delusional people with little judgment, something is out there. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. One of the important things for any animal is a place to call home. The state of Texas is home to many mountain lion populations, but the numbers are incredibly hard to find. 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? In only one report had an official from the Pennsylvania Game Commision, a local warden, actually agree with the person reporting the sighting. Melanism is the reverse, where there is an abundance of dark or black pigmentation. Is there a Puma conspiracy? "I know they're native to this area. On that, I've had emails sent with game trail photo attachments, or killed pumas, supposedly shot in Pennsylvania, but these were hoaxes. A brief look, yes, but no question we saw a coyote. I believe that the folks that are reporting, in detail, their sightings are faced with a similar situation. 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. In personal contacts, that monthly average might even be higher. Each year, over tha past five, I've spoken with at least one person who swears they personally saw a puma in this state. It has the color of a mountain lion, but the long tail appears to be missing. 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 . Accounts abound concerning interaction between these great beasts and people in northeast Pennsylvania, with wolves into the early 19th century and in the case with cougars, well into the early 20th century. And yes, there are people in Pennsylvania who say they exist here. Controlled hunting of mountain lions is allowed within the state. He knows and was familiar with bobcats, and it was not a weird house cat that he and his friends misjudged in size. Currently, mountain lions seem to be making a comeback in regard to their historic range. 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. It seems unlikely, considering captives have never shown this trait, but people are reporting big black cats. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Mountain lions are 7-9 feet, while bobcats are 3 feet long. 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. 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. You've got a mountain lion story or photo? Woolly mammoth bones were discovered in Bradford County in 1983. Have some feedback for us? years are available through this link. This, after they were told that there were no pumas in Pa. That summer, a team from the State Museum of Pennsylvania in Harrisburg excavated the nearly complete skeleton of the ancient elephant, the first of its kind found in the Commonwealth. Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. "When I started telling people, most of them didn't believe me, but I will never forget that huge face staring right at me," said a Montgomery County woman who says she saw a lion last summer in Limerick Township while walking her dog. I had three cameras positioned, so had a cat visited, I'd have had it. What equipment do we take in the field? Ramapough Lenape chief: National park in PA and NJ would be among 'most destructive things' since colonization, Bigfoot, mountain lions, and other mythical creatures: PA officials discuss what they know, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. "From people that I trust have had visual sightings, they've seen mountain lions.". Remember, this one was photographed in Arizona in good puma country, although this was the first one I've recorded there. There's a saying that "things aren't always what they appear to be." "People think they can get them declawed and that they're safe, but they still have teeth.". Mountain lion killed in Connecticut was on the opposite side of Pennsylvania a year ago, Is it real? The Florida panther is an endemic subspecies of cougar that has lived in the everglades region for a very long time. 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. More conclusive evidence is needed: Keep your cameras handy. a high priority. After a gestation period of 90 days, female mountain lions will give birth to litters of about one to six cubs. There is no known estimate of the number of mountain lions inhabiting Texas. Fish and Wildlife Service. I asked our Game officials about evidence, and they cite no road kills. Erosion from glacial melt and violence glaciers did to the land left a. 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. Murray also has a cross-eyed white tiger named Keisha, who crushed chicken bones with ease but delicately stepped into a metal pool to cool off. Where they always here as a relic population? The life cycle then repeats itself. "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. Imagination? 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! 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. There are controlled hunting laws in the state of Oregon. "I thought I had a sighting in the late '90s," Delaware Water Gap National Recreation park ranger Chris Kross said. I have three observations here: 1. Armand Martinelli isn't only the mayor of East Stroudsburg, he's also a hunter who is connected with plenty of people in the area. In 2011, a confirmed mountain lion was killed by a vehicle in Connecticut and which had been determined that it had wandered east from the Mid-West. Who knows? Unfortunately, their web site no longer seems active, and has been taken over by some wacky drug product. It was estimated to be a young adult American Mastodon that had died about 12,000 years ago, according to radiocarbon dating. Others would like to see some scientific proof. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (each updated 1/26/2023). Angel, her African lioness who snarls at strangers, is a big girl. The name Pocono is derived from the . But no one that I've communicated with had these preconceptions, and seeing what they saw was a complete surprise. RelatedBigfoot, mountain lions, and other mythical creatures: PA officials discuss what they know. Some may be animals that dispersed into the region from western populations. If we continue to be bombarded with manipulated photos and untrue claims in most cases by people who just want to get attention then we may be very resistant to accepting the "real McCoy" if or when) one finally arrives. Colorado is the perfect habitat for mountain lions. It will happen eventually. A second image of the same cat, in a different light, reveals the trademark spots of a bobcat. 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.). Wishful thinking? Do Mountain Lions Attack Humans? The other three images are from my file, selected to most closely approximate the pose of the cat from the game camera. Packer Hill Ave. Jim Thorpe, PA 18229. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. They're seeing an animal they don't know or recognize, and while some may be watching a smaller bobcat about 35 pounds), some believe they've actually spotted a cougar. The rocky habitat that covers much of the state is perfect for these ambush predators, especially since humans dont inhabit much of the land. "We've been here 45 years and I've probably been told by people at least 100 times that they've seen a cougar or mountain lion," said owner Vince Hall. Colorado and California have the highest estimated populations of mountain lions in the United States. Here, they've not been," Lau said in an e-mail. As a state known for its mountains, its no wonder that mountain lions live here! The Bushkill Falls are a series of eight waterfalls in a 300-acre wooded enclave hidden amongst the Poconos. Contrary to popular belief, there are no black panthers in North America; no one has ever captured or killed a black Mountain Lion. Both sheep and young cattle fell prey to wolves, unless they were under constant watch. Mountain lions have a lifespan of about 8 to 13 years old in the wild. (National Park Service). There are an estimated 3,000 - 7,000 Mountain lions in Colorado. The large tracts of untouched rocky land and bighorn sheep populations make for pristine mountain lion habitat. Are mountain lions on their way to Pennsylvania? "The day will come," he said, "when someone will pull the trigger on a mountain lion.". Caribou remains, dated by radiocarbon in excess of 10,000 B.C. Most of the people I've spoken with live in this belt, but biologists friends I've spoken with have told me of their own reports, first-hand, from hunters in the Poconos who saw pumas, too. Looking for things to do in the Poconos? What do I think of the Canon 1D Mark IV? DNA collected from the mountain lion killed on a roadway in Connecticut in 2011 showed the animal to have originated in South Dakota. 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. All rights reserved (About Us). Most of the native mountain lions live in Bryce Canyon and Zion National Park, but humans rarely ever see them due to their secretive nature. 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. Hopefully, we'll see the real thing. In Tennessee, the most likely places you would find them would be in the forest. 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 Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) also reports evidence that humans arrived during the last glaciation or soon after. A Mountain Lion Cover Up "I kind of doubt they saw a cougar, but I'm not God.". 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. Goodrich said he once saw a mountain lion spring from a thicket and kill a sheep on a public road. Cougar vs Mountain Lion What Are the Differences? If pumas do exist in the mid-Atlantic and Northeast, could they all be released cats or escapees? My friend was a former hunter and fisherman, and spent a lot of time in the woods, as did I, but neither of us had ever seen a coyote. Encouraged by the bounties, settlers waged war on these perceived beasts. Would these ridges be declared off-limits for hunting? Goggling Eastern Puma brings up other web sites, however, with varying levels of professionalism or credibility. And a bit of an unpleasant one at that, as they now faced ridicule or doubt whenever they discussed their sightings. 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. At the end of the last Ice Age, many animals in Pennsylvania died out. Mountain lions thrive there due to the high elk population, dense forests, and isolated mountain ranges.
Does Murtagh Betray Eragon, Articles A
Does Murtagh Betray Eragon, Articles A