are there mountain lions in the poconos

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are there mountain lions in the poconosbluntz strain indica or sativa

And yet today the debate continues: Are there mountain lions in Pennsylvania? Let's see a clear photo, or a carcass or something. At one time this fact almost resulted in this cat not being protected, since it wasn't a pure strain. For many who have believed to have seen a cougar in the wilds of the Poconos, these arguments might be less than convincing. A brief look, yes, but no question we saw a coyote. However, if it doesn't exist, and if someone saw one, wouldn't there be a worry that it was a dangerous escapee? 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. a high priority. These creatures lurking in Pa.'s woods can hurt or kill you But the point of this article isn't whether or not mountain lions exist in Pennsylvania or the Poconos. There's a saying that "things aren't always what they appear to be." 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. I wanted to know if they're here, so I called some people I trust and asked them one simple question: Are there mountain lions in Pennsylvania? Is there a correct position for the upright on a Wimberley actionhead? 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. If we don't see it, it doesn't exist. Please keep scrolling - ALL the Puma posts are included. Below is a list of physical characteristics that distinguish mountain lions from more . Contact the AZ Animals editorial team. Oregon has a large, stable breeding population of mountain lions. 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. The last of three glaciations covered 30% of Pennsylvania, including much of the Poconos, from around 20,000-10,000 B.C. Let's say the facts indicate that there have been a lot of 'pet' pumas, and many of these escaped. 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? Others would like to see some scientific proof. Geologist Dr. John Yolton made the identification. About half of the state of Montana is ideal for mountain lions, primarily in her western and central regions. 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. Over time, cats that had been released in Florida, probably pets that outlived their welcome, bred with the native puma, and their genes mingled. If you see a puma (mountain lion-cougar), contact me. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. Recently the US Fish and Wildlife Service formally declared the Eastern Puma an extinct species, except for the remnant population in Florida. No projectile points or spearheads were found with the remains, indicating the animal may have died naturally rather than killed by native hunters. The Golden State has one of the largest populations of mountain lions in the country. Big cats in Pennsylvania: mountain lions or bobcats? - Pocono Record Since mountain lions are the top predators (unlike most other states with grizzly bears), they have a well-developed population. An escapee is also possible. Are they all the product of the off-spring of pumas that escaped their owners or were released? 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. 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. What is the Kiboko backpack? 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. He also noted that if the cat was here, wouldn't they be reproducing and increasing in population by now? It is almost safe to say that the panther has in these parts become extinct, Goodrich wrote. Recent post: Why Is It Called Beaver Stadium? "The day will come," he said, "when someone will pull the trigger on a mountain lion.". There are also big swaths of thick of forests in parts of the state. "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. Pa Mountain lion, cougar, or big cat in bucks county Pennsylvania They are generally believed to be young cats roaming in search of new breeding territories to claim as their own. As they get older, the cubs begin to leave the den and explore. ", (PennLive has investigated many reports of mountain lions, and other mystery creatures, and has found no confirming evidence, including in a reported Berks County sighting on January 8. She also houses a bobcat named Nia she took in from a couple who couldn't handle her. And when our officers go out to investigate reports of mountain lions, or when our staff reviews photos that are sent to us, often we're able to verify some other animal mistakenly was reported as a mountain lion.". There is a big community of mountain lion enthusiasts across the Northeast convinced that the animals still exist in breeding populations. Can so many people be so wrong? He saw a big cat. The bounty for adult wolves and cougars was raised on March 16, 1819 to $12. (What is meant by "heads" is not clear.). Once a mountain lion matures, it will leave its mother and find its own territory. 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. 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. At one time this fact almost resulted in this cat not being protected, since it wasn't a pure strain. I'll be anxious to learn of your report. Both sheep and young cattle fell prey to wolves, unless they were under constant watch. In only one report had an official from the Pennsylvania Game Commision, a local warden, actually agree with the person reporting the sighting. This is only hearsay, however, since I'm only going on their stories. For example, leopards and jaguars, normally spotted cats, have a melanistic color morph, the 'black panther,' the black leopard or black jaguar. The coat can be spotted or solid and varies in color from light browns, reddish and silvery grey. Do elk live in Pennsylvania? Are mountain lions on their way to Pennsylvania? So it happens, and who knows if it is existing in wild pumas in the East. I asked our Game officials about evidence, and they cite no road kills. Why do I advocate manual exposure so avidly? 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. This is not a Pennsylvania puma! 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. He notes how over the millennia, the region was inhabited by humans, only to be depopulated by migration brought on by the search of food due to a fickle climate, war or epidemic. 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. 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. Why is bat photography so difficult? I was heading up the road and I saw an animal with a long tail.". "He doesn't like men too much," said Suzanne Murray, owner of East Coast Exotic Animal Rescue in this south-central Pennsylvania town. Melanism is the reverse, where there is an abundance of dark or black pigmentation. I'm a photographer, yet I've never had a chance to snap a photograph of one of these bears. 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. Granted, the image is not great, and I used some Photoshop adjustment layers to enhance the image, making it a bit easier to see. 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 . 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. Features Writer Micaela Hood is signing off with the Pocono Record after five years of covering arts, culture, entertainment and sports in northeastern . The story behind our new web site. Furthermore, a different set of photos showed a "mountain lion" dragging a deer into the woods in Bradford County. Mountain lions have killed humans in the wild, though sightings and encounters are rare even in the American West and Canada. Still, these resilient animals reside in secluded areas across the United States, with current data suggesting they may even be returning to their historical regions! original web site, although if I ever have enough time I might This, after they were told that there were no pumas in Pa. Mountain lion sightings could indicate its comeback to Pa. "I know they're native to this area. If you're interested in this, please pass on this link, and if you see a cat, please let me know! WATCH: Sharks biting alligators, the most epic lion battles, and MUCH more. Claws 'N' Paws Animal Park in Lake Ariel has two. Like Arizona, New Mexico is the perfect home for mountain lions. In 2016, a trail cam photo in South Jersey was later determined to show a house cat. Are there Mountain 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! Are Mountain Lions in Missouri Making a Comeback? Are mountain lions on their way to Pennsylvania? They know what they saw, regardless of what the facts say, and they know they saw a puma. Currently, there are only 15 states that meet that qualification. Certainly it is a romantic notion, but I've always held out the hope that pumas still roamed the east. 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? Check out our online field guide to read more in this series. 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 . Is there a Puma conspiracy? The coat can be spotted or solid. The next day, another friend, who works for Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, called me to ask if I had seen the photo of a Pocono mountain lion with a deer in its jaws. When he told me this, he commented on how an experience like the one he and his friends had just is not forgotten. (570) 325-3229. The northeastern U.S. population is thought to have disappeared in the 1930s. Archived Questions of the Month 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. Contrary to popular belief, there are no black panthers in North America; no one has ever captured or killed a black Mountain Lion. In Pennsylvania, I receive a few reports of black, big cats, which makes one wonder -- are there melanistic (black) pumas out there, or are those sightings always wrong. I don't want to seem like a nut case here, but I must ask this question and you'll soon understand why? 10 Stunning Mountains In Pennsylvania - AZ Animals Florida is the only state on the east coast with a breeding population of mountain lions. The Pocono Mountains are located in Northeastern Pennsylvania. 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. One came to her as the result of an owner's divorce. All rights reserved. But even without that second look there was no question that we'd seen a coyote. They include a reported attack on horses at a farm near Dillsburg, York County, that Foster thinks may be legitimate. 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. Granted, the image is not great, and I used some Photoshop adjustment layers to enhance the image, making it a bit easier to see. Arkansas isnt somewhere that we would generally think of when looking for mountain lions, but they are on the rebound! Are they all the product of the off-spring of pumas that escaped their owners or were released? The Pocono Mountains are . Mysterious big cat caught on security camera in Clarks Summit, Pa. "If my son would have been on a pedal bike, without a helmet on, that thing would have nailed him," said Walters, 44. Did they migrate south from Canada? 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). During this time, male mountain lions will travel in search of females. If it were, it would be listed. But an image captured by one family's. After a gestation period of 90 days, female mountain lions will give birth to litters of about one to six cubs. While it would seem impossible to confuse the two after seeing them in person, Foster said many of the sightings are in the dark, from roadways and trail cams, with bodies half-concealed. There are approximately 4,000 of those 10- to 40-pound cats in the state. Unless I am only dealing with a lot of delusional people with little judgment, something is out there. Only once has anyone later determined that they had misidentified the cat, seeing a bobcat and not a mountain lion. It was recorded in Minnesota and Wisconsin in late 2009 and early 2010, and then died in Connecticut in 2011. The states beautiful wilderness and mountainous terrain are prime mountain lion habitats. The claim of mountain lions on the move was bolstered in 2009 when one was killed by a car in Greenwich, Conn. Reports generally go uninvestigated by the Pennsylvania Game Commission, which discounts them as mistaken identities, illegal pets escaped or released and outright fabrications. "We should be getting more pictures. 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. If there were wild cougars in our midst, the Game Commission also pointed out, eventually there would be solid evidence such as a carcass, scat and paw prints that could be verified. 2023 www.poconorecord.com. 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. The mountains and isolated forests of the state allow these large cats to live their lives without encountering humans very often. About six months ago I posted the question, Are there Mountain Lions in Pennsylvania? Something to consider, even though we all trust the government. Not only do hunting licenses support the various state game commissions, and in some states the acquisition and maintenance of public hunting lands, but hunters are a huge boon to local economies each fall, with purchases of food, lodging, hunting equipment, etc. The state of Texas is home to many mountain lion populations, but the numbers are incredibly hard to find. 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. A total of 32 mountain lions have been struck and killed by vehicles in the study area since 2002. 25 Best Things to Do in The Pocono Mountains Area (for 2023) See also: A neighbor scared the animal away before it could finish its meal; the sheeps carcass was used as bait, to catch the big cat. Two weeks ago, a friend of mine who teaches in one of the Monroe County school districts called to tell me he was sending me a photo of a mountain lion taken by one of his students in the Poconos. More Questions about Pumas in Pennsylvania 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. Are the various States guilty of essentially the same thing? Apparently, this picture was really making the rounds. A typical home range is around 150 square miles for adult males and 50 square miles for adult females in our region. Let me explain this. Knowing that pumas range widely, would my ridge be the only one closed? The Mountain Lion is a large, slender cat with a smallish head and noticeably long tail. You've got a mountain lion story or photo? Transient males have been sighted as far east as New York! You know, the Penn State Nittany Lions.". And book one of these Poconos cabins rentals for the best outdoor access to these activities. Mountain lions' canines are 3 to 4 inches long. Who knows? Today, we are going to explore the 15 US states that have mountain lions, plus a few others that may have some.

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