are there mountain lions in the poconos

Hunting is legal in the state, but it is heavily controlled and restricted. Over time, cats that had been released in Florida, probably pets that outlived their welcome, bred with the native puma, and their genes mingled. Among other uses, the tax was levied "for destroying wolves, foxes, heads and crows." PHILADELPHIA (AP) An instinct coiled way down in the human brain knows the difference between a bobcat and a mountain lion. Michelle LaRue, executive director of the Cougar Network and a research ecologist at the University of Minnesota, will discuss the eastern expansion of cougars from their core range in the western U.S. at 7 p.m. in Moravian College's Haupert Union Building, Bethlehem. Colorado and California have the highest estimated populations of mountain lions in the United States. "It's fall bow-hunting season soon," he said. 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. Several populations of Gray Squirrels scattered around the country are black, and recently I heard of a neighborhood of black Eastern Chipmunks. 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. 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. Some may also be kept illicitly as pets, which would quickly become a problem as the cat matures. 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. 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. The northeastern U.S. population is thought to have disappeared in the 1930s. And yet today the debate continues: Are there mountain lions in Pennsylvania? Wishful thinking? Mountain lions have a lifespan of about 8 to 13 years old in the wild. "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. Like Arizona, New Mexico is the perfect home for mountain lions. For our list, we only included US states with a stable breeding population. Since mountain lions are the top predators (unlike most other states with grizzly bears), they have a well-developed population. 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. 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. Would a puma then qualify as a native species? Many of the reports I receive are extremely credible. The Pennsylvania Game Commission is always open to review evidence, but to date only hoaxes have crossed the PGC. redo these pages to match the new web site But that's not This is actually a good thing, as genetic isolation generally weakens a species. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Many people have claimed to see them, and this writer chronicled numerous such reports in the local press from the mid-1990s to the 2010s. And again, while they may have been mistaken, they certainly were completely convinced that they had seen a puma. Noted Wayne County historian Phineas Goodrich recorded in his 1880 book on local history that the common gray wolf was much more common in this area than the cougar. years are available through this link. There are controlled hunting laws in the state of Oregon. Mountain lions weigh 90-160 pounds, while bobcats weigh 20-30 pounds. These powerful, majestic creatures once lived across much of the country but have since been killed or pushed out of most of it. The reintroduction of mountain lions into South Dakota is one of the great wins of modern conservation. There is also a small population of cougars in Florida. They include a reported attack on horses at a farm near Dillsburg, York County, that Foster thinks may be legitimate. 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. 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. Are the various States guilty of essentially the same thing? The claim of mountain lions on the move was bolstered in 2009 when one was killed by a car in Greenwich, Conn. No projectile points or spearheads were found with the remains, indicating the animal may have died naturally rather than killed by native hunters. In all those hours I never saw a coyote, bear, or bobcat, and yet all live in my area. He saw a big cat. The last native mountain lion known to be killed in Pennsylvania is on display in the State Museum of Pennsylvania in Harrisburg. In personal contacts, that monthly average might even be higher. 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. Recently, on a back road in Pennsylvania, a friend and I had our first sighting of a coyote in Pennsylvania. Most nature magazines state whether the photos were taken "under controlled conditions" rather than in the wild.). The mountains and isolated forests of the state allow these large cats to live their lives without encountering humans very often. See also: I don't want to seem like a nut case here, but I must ask this question and you'll soon understand why? There's a whole world to learn about and Colby is content to spend his life learning as much as he can about it! For example, leopards and jaguars, normally spotted cats, have a melanistic color morph, the 'black panther,' the black leopard or black jaguar. Mountain lions have killed humans in the wild, though sightings and encounters are rare even in the American West and Canada. Can so many people be wrong? One of the important things for any animal is a place to call home. They have almost been killed off a few times, but conservation efforts have helped to keep their numbers stable. Remember, this one was photographed in Arizona in good puma country, although this was the first one I've recorded there. There are approximately 4,000 of those 10- to 40-pound cats in the state. There is a small breeding population in the state, despite being killed off in the 1920s. The state of Arizona is home to a large, stable population of mountain lions. Imagination? If you're interested in this, please pass on this link, and if you see a cat, please let me know! The name Pocono is derived from the . 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. If pumas do exist in the mid-Atlantic and Northeast, could they all be released cats or escapees? He knows and was familiar with bobcats, and it was not a weird house cat that he and his friends misjudged in size. Did they migrate south from Canada? He said he'd never forget the sighting, but it was only when he saw another, a few months ago, in daylight, from his cabin, that he decided it was time to tell someone. And this genetic mix has been recognized, and the Florida puma is still protected. Colorado is the perfect habitat for mountain lions. If so, what would happen to the hunting industry in all of these states? Note the size of the tail, the pointed ears, the speckled coat, the basic lack of white underneath. But even without that second look there was no question that we'd seen a coyote. 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. The skeleton was reassembled at the State Museum, where it has been on display ever since. So, couldn't that same argument apply to pumas in the Northeast? Unless I am only dealing with a lot of delusional people with little judgment, something is out there. With that in mind, lets break down how we classified the states. Transient males have been sighted as far east as New York! Of interestRamapough Lenape chief: National park in PA and NJ would be among 'most destructive things' since colonization. original web site, although if I ever have enough time I might It also mentioned that someone raising a mountain lion without a license may either have let it go when it became too large to handle, or that the animal had escaped. But an image captured by one family's. The state of Texas is home to many mountain lion populations, but the numbers are incredibly hard to find. 2023 www.poconorecord.com. No evidence has ever been produced to support those charges. Some cats had a South American genetic profile. It is an Italianate Villa home that features authentic Victorian furniture and finishing. 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. 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. "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. 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.". 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. I'll offer my own little anecdote. About six months ago I posted the question, Are there Mountain Lions in Pennsylvania? . It was estimated to be a young adult American Mastodon that had died about 12,000 years ago, according to radiocarbon dating. 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. (570) 325-3229. It had been captured in Florida, and was to be released. Over time, cats that had been released in Florida, probably pets that outlived their welcome, bred with the native puma, and their genes mingled, 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. According to the commission, the last Pennsylvania mountain lion was killed in the late 1800s. 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. It seems unlikely, considering captives have never shown this trait, but people are reporting big black cats. Good luck, and let me know! Here it is: I still couldn't get the big head/little neck, and the body is a bit stouter/shorter, but a striding cat might be stretched out a bit. I've seen so many examples of these distortions, exaggerations and lies over the last couple of years that I've grown very dubious about anything I see on a computer. I've spoken to PGC personnel, two being friends, and neither believe there are pumas in Pa. One cited how a bobcat's tail can be much longer than you expect, although I've never seen a bobcat tail longer than, at most, twice the size of the tails illustrated above of the bobcat. Foster said mountain lions and bobcats could not breed. We hope you enjoy this foray into the most weird and wonderful our beloved Pocono Mountains have to offer. I have three observations here: 1. Find cabins in the Poconos, PA near places like Bushkill Falls, Camelback Mountain Resort, and more. 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. Are they all the product of the off-spring of pumas that escaped their owners or were released? Local outlets carried reports of cougar encounters at least into the 1910s. I've never seen or heard of a verified black puma anywhere, whether wild or captive, so I'd be inclined to dismiss reports of truly black big cats as misidentifications, even when a group of guys all see the same thing. 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. What you wouldn't expect to find here anymore is a mountain lion. Caribou remains, dated by radiocarbon in excess of 10,000 B.C. 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! Although unconfirmed, mountain lions continue to be reported in many spots across Pennsylvania, including several reports in the past couple months. 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. 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 Cascade Mountains are an important habitat for mountain lions in the region, and a stable population lives within the state. What do I think of the Canon 1D Mark IV? I regularly ask hunters and outdoors people if they've ever seen a mountain lion, or know of anyone that has. 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. Remember, this one was photographed in Arizona in good puma country, although this was the first one I've recorded there. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. In only one report had an official from the Pennsylvania Game Commision, a local warden, actually agree with the person reporting the sighting. 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. 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 . Both sheep and young cattle fell prey to wolves, unless they were under constant watch. Who knows? They've been extinct in the eastern part of North America for more than a century. These experiences are still available, but the reality is there is so much more for the mature traveler to enjoy in the Pocono Mountains. Is there a correct position for the upright on a Wimberley actionhead. She also houses a bobcat named Nia she took in from a couple who couldn't handle her. ? Apparently, this picture was really making the rounds. Check out the tails of the two! In Tennessee, the most likely places you would find them would be in the forest. 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. 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. This is not a Pennsylvania puma! "If my son would have been on a pedal bike, without a helmet on, that thing would have nailed him," said Walters, 44. All of the above images are of bobcats. Some outdoor enthusiasts insist they have seen the big cats here and believe them to be naturally occurring, native animals. The Florida panther is an endemic subspecies of cougar that has lived in the everglades region for a very long time. According to the Pennsylvania Game Commission, the last Pennsylvania mountain lion was killed in the late 1800s. I've done this myself once, in Tanzania, when I saw a black house cat that I thought was a black leopard! This is only hearsay, however, since I'm only going on their stories. Images from a homeowner's surveillance camera show a tan cat with a long body, beyond a chain-link fence. The last of three glaciations covered 30% of Pennsylvania, including much of the Poconos, from around 20,000-10,000 B.C. Are Mountain Lions in Missouri Making a Comeback? There isnt an official estimate on mountain lions in the state. There are an estimated 3,000 - 7,000 Mountain lions in Colorado. And, some may be escaped or illegally released pets. There are deserts, mountains, and swamps in the state of Utah, all of which are suitable for mountain lions. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. 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. I've seen about 20 mountain lions, or pumas, in the field, but all but 2 were in Chile. And a bit of an unpleasant one at that, as they now faced ridicule or doubt whenever they discussed their sightings. 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."

Cockatiel Climbing All Over Cage, Daventry Recycling Centre, Space Engineers How To Teleport Player To Spectator, Suesan Stovall Father, Lincoln Loud Deviantart, Articles A