How do I deal with shaving weight for carrying my gear? I can't dismiss the eye-witnesses I've interviewed. 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.). What would account for the long tails? 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. I had three cameras positioned, so had a cat visited, I'd have had it. Is there a Puma conspiracy? The last documented sighting of an eastern cougar was one killed in Maine in 1938. "Given the period of time that has passed without verification of even a single eastern puma, the service concludes that the last remaining members of this subspecies perished decades ago," the Fish and Wildlife Service said in a Federal Register notice. 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. 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. There are deserts, mountains, and swamps in the state of Utah, all of which are suitable for mountain lions. 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. 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." Now, if there were any escapes, and if any of these bred with a possible minuscule number of eastern pumas, a relic native population, wouldn't the gene pool be corrupted? Colorado is the perfect habitat for mountain lions. Are Mountain Lions in Missouri Making a Comeback? Then there is Rocky. On some investigations, Foster has teamed up with Stacey Griffiths, who started the Central PA Mountain Lion Sightings page earlier this year. Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. Florida is the only state on the east coast with a breeding population of mountain lions. "The cougars examined in the Northeast in the past 70 years are likely released or escaped captives. They know what they saw, regardless of what the facts say, and they know they saw a puma. The 'look' is from my Claws 'N' Paws Animal Park in Lake Ariel has two. Other states have had sightings, especially as mountain lion populations begin to explore and look to expand. All of the above images are of bobcats. It is an Italianate Villa home that features authentic Victorian furniture and finishing. It has long been popular with honeymooners, but today the Poconos are a popular destination for families, skiers, adventure seekers, NASCAR fans, and those from urban areas around New England, New York City, Philadelphia . Melanism is the reverse, where there is an abundance of dark or black pigmentation. 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. The head of the puma is small in comparision to a house cat when compared to the entire body. (PennLive has investigated many reports of mountain lions, and other mystery creatures, and has found no confirming evidence. 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?' 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. Among other uses, the tax was levied "for destroying wolves, foxes, heads and crows." "With all of that said, though, there's a general lack of evidence of mountain lions in Pennsylvania. Caribou meat apparently was part of their diet. "From people that I trust have had visual sightings, they've seen mountain lions.". I'd love to hear of any reports you have. 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. Confirmed cougar sightings have increased in the Midwest and Great Lakes states in recent years.". With healthy populations and strong conservation programs, however, they seem to be pushing back east. At the end of the last Ice Age, many animals in Pennsylvania died out. The other site, The Cougar Network, is still active, and is reporting the cats expanding range from the West, but offers little about the phenomenon of Pennsylvania cats. They often would catch sheep in broad daylight. Mountain lion populations struggle to outpace the high hunting limits. That solution: Shoot, Shovel, and Shut Up. And book one of these Poconos cabins rentals for the best outdoor access to these activities. Some may be animals that dispersed into the region from western populations. If you're interested in this, please pass on this link, and if you see a cat, please let me know! Here, they've not been," Lau said in an e-mail. 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. Periodically, via Google searches, I receive reports from people who believe they had seen a mountain lion in Pennsylvania, or in other mid-Atlantic states. "While it seems unlikely, it's not impossible that these animals are showing up in PA," said David Foster, a biology professor at Messiah College in Mechanicsburg. Although size can be difficult to determine in the field, a puma will be three or four times larger than a bobcat. Erosion from glacial melt and violence glaciers did to the land left a great litter of boulders, rocks, clay and lakes covering today's landscape. As they get older, the cubs begin to leave the den and explore. When he isn't distracted by his backyard birdfeeder, you can find him camping, exploring, and telling everyone around him about what he's recently learned. The Mountain Lion is a large, slender cat with a smallish head and noticeably long tail. What is the Kiboko backpack? Learn more about us & read our affiliate disclosure. Possibly, but it seems unlikely that enough would have been released or had escaped to make for a viable population. 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. I haven't seen any reports like that.". For many who have believed to have seen a cougar in the wilds of the Poconos, these arguments might be less than convincing. A Mountain Lion Cover Up 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. (National Park Service). Depends on who you talk to, I guess. The state of Texas is home to many mountain lion populations, but the numbers are incredibly hard to find. 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. What does a Mountain Lion look like on a game camera? For our list, we only included US states with a stable breeding population. 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. An article in last year's New York State Conservationist magazine about mountain lions concluded that none exists in that state, even in the 6-million-acre Adirondack Mountain wilderness. The same goes for New York and several other eastern states. I don't want to seem like a nut case here, but I must ask this question and you'll soon understand why? If we don't see it, it doesn't exist. Puma vs Mountain Lion: Is There a Difference? Additionally, California banned the hunting of cougars back in 1972, encouraging population growth. The mountains and isolated forests of the state allow these large cats to live their lives without encountering humans very often. Are there Mountain Lions (Pumas, Cougars) in Pennsylvania and the Mid-Atlantic States? The Pennsylvania Game Commission is always open to review evidence, but to date only hoaxes have crossed the PGC. The cat is known to live in the western U.S. and Florida, South America and Canada. Who knows? As the latest hoaxed photo of a mountain lion supposedly killed in Pennsylvania died a slow death on Facebook yesterday, the head of an organization tracking the eastern movements of the big cats was preparing a presentation for a Pennsylvania audience tonight. Most nature magazines state whether the photos were taken "under controlled conditions" rather than in the wild.). The skeleton was reassembled at the State Museum, where it has been on display ever since. More common critters co-existed with early Native Americans in the Poconos, including two species long since removed: the wolf and mountain lion (also known colloquially as panthers and cougars). 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 last native mountain lion known to be killed in Pennsylvania is on display in the State Museum of Pennsylvania in Harrisburg. ? Mountain lions (cougars, pumas, and more) are among the top predators that live in the United States. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. "They are very strong animals," she said. Unfortunately, their web site no longer seems active, and has been taken over by some wacky drug product. Certainly it is a romantic notion, but I've always held out the hope that pumas still roamed the east. But even without that second look there was no question that we'd seen a coyote. Same story as 'black panthers' across the country, because of course there, scientifically, can be no such thing. I have received about two dozen reports during that time, including one game camera image that still looks very credible to me. Both were a threat to the farmer and family who carved a home in the ancient wilderness of the Poconos. PHILADELPHIA (AP) An instinct coiled way down in the human brain knows the difference between a bobcat and a mountain lion. The 2,400-square-mile area has long been a popular outdoor recreation area boasting hunting, fishing, skiing, and more. 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. So what? And yet today the debate continues: Are there mountain lions in Pennsylvania? While the chances that I'll ever see a puma in Pennsylvania myself are virtually zero, I'm always on the alert -- for the bobcat I've never seen in Pa., for a fisher, bear, deer, red salamander, toad, or snake, and yes, I'm always hoping that I too will become one of those who saw something that officially cannot exist within the state, a puma I know I saw but, of course, could not have! "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. As you can see from the above images it is very difficult to confuse the two if you have a good view. The Cascade Mountains are an important habitat for mountain lions in the region, and a stable population lives within the state. This is not a Pennsylvania puma! 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. A total of 32 mountain lions have been struck and killed by vehicles in the study area since 2002. The Pocono Mountains are . 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. During this time, male mountain lions will travel in search of females. Oregon has a large, stable breeding population of mountain lions. Recently the US Fish and Wildlife Service formally declared the Eastern Puma an extinct species, except for the remnant population in Florida. 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. 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! No projectile points or spearheads were found with the remains, indicating the animal may have died naturally rather than killed by native hunters. 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 . There is also a small population of cougars in Florida. Mountain lions have an interesting life cycle that consists of a few different characteristics. The mountain lion is a large, slender cat, with a long rope-like tail. The northeastern U.S. population is thought to have disappeared in the 1930s. If we say it ain't so, it ain't so! The rounded ears, The hunting policy of the state may be the cause of the dropping population, and pressure on the Fish and Game Commission has increased. Unless I am only dealing with a lot of delusional people with little judgment, something is out there. There are, from time to time, eyewitness accounts from hunters or hikers who claim to have seen the cat. Remember, this one was photographed in Arizona in good puma country, although this was the first one I've recorded there. Its fur is a light, tawny brown color which can appear gray or almost black, depending on light conditions. 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. Still, people say they know what they saw out there. Why do I advocate manual exposure so avidly? 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. Remember, this one was photographed in Arizona in good puma country, although this was the first one I've recorded there. 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. Some experts predict that this wide-ranging predator, which can travel 600 miles in search of a territory, will surely reach our eastern states sometime in the next few decades. I've seen scores of leopards in the grasslands and deserts of East Africa and I've never seen, nor spoke with anyone, who has seen a black leopard there. That's significant because, in states where mountain lions live, they're often struck by vehicles or otherwise found dead. The last of three glaciations covered 30% of Pennsylvania, including much of the Poconos, from around 20,000-10,000 B.C. 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. An animal's coat can stray far from the norm. One man, in the southwestern part of Pennsylvania, had seen one, at night, about 25 years ago. They are there to help us. the more visible white on the chest, the lack of spots, the huge hind quarters. The first is the mating season which can occur during the late to early spring months. 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. Where can I find Depth of Field reference charts? 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. Although in captivity, they can live much longer. There isnt an official estimate on mountain lions in the state. He saw a big cat. In personal contacts, that monthly average might even be higher. Two different people told me that they, or a close relative, had seen pumas on more than one occasion. 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. Imagination? Currently, there are only 15 states that meet that qualification. 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. They once inhabited the entire United States, but were killed off and pushed west. The last known mountain lion in Pennsylvania was killed in Berks County in 1874. Bushkill Falls Trail. The Bushkill Falls are a series of eight waterfalls in a 300-acre wooded enclave hidden amongst the Poconos. More conclusive evidence is needed: Keep your cameras handy. I'll be anxious to learn of your report. To learn more about "lion country" in Colorado check here. And yes, there are people in Pennsylvania who say they exist here. In the wild, adult mountain lions can weigh anywhere from 65 to 220 pounds. Furthermore, a different set of photos showed a "mountain lion" dragging a deer into the woods in Bradford County. 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. The sightings were great bear views, but too fast or fleeting to allow me to grab a camera. "If there was mountain lions in Pennsylvania), I think we'd be getting reports from farmers and people with pets that there were attacks on their animals," Martinelli said. 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. I was heading up the road and I saw an animal with a long tail.". 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. 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. The name Pocono is derived from the . 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. RelatedBigfoot, mountain lions, and other mythical creatures: PA officials discuss what they know. A mastodon's skull was first located in Marshalls Creek, Monroe County, on July 5, 1968. Heres What the Data Says. Unless I am only dealing with a lot of delusional people with little judgment, something is out there. 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. Compare any game camera image with the shots above, or this game camera image, to confirm your identification. I don't believe someone's imagination could stretch a six inch long tail to three feet! Asa Packer Mansion Jim Thorpe. with a fluted projectile point were found near Middletown, Orange County, New York. The life cycle then repeats itself. All rights reserved. It's 90-something degrees, but Rocky's stare feels like ice down your pants. No one needs to panic.". "I kind of doubt they saw a cougar, but I'm not God.". While there have been no confirmed occurrences of mountain lions in Pennsylvania since the late 1800s, dozens . Are they all the product of the off-spring of pumas that escaped their owners or were released? What equipment do we take in the field? 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. Biologists traced it. And this genetic mix has been recognized, and the Florida puma is still protected. But this one was black, and he knows mountain lions are some variant of brown. They include a reported attack on horses at a farm near Dillsburg, York County, that Foster thinks may be legitimate. I'm thinking of the solution often suggested for pesky endangered species out west, namely wolves and grizzly bears. Are mountain lions on their way to Pennsylvania? a high priority. We hope you enjoy this foray into the most weird and wonderful our beloved Pocono Mountains have to offer. Murray has cared for four mountain lions since she took over the rescue in 1998. In many regions, the population within the state is actually increasing! The bobcat wouldn't survive. 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. 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. These color morphs are most common in rain forests and jungles. Looking for things to do in the Poconos? Fish and Wildlife Service officially declared the Eastern subspecies of the mountain lion extinct, which would seem to bolster the skeptics. The other two clans were the Turtle and Turkey. Outdoor adventures abound, and so do our fabulous shopping and restaurants. The large tracts of untouched rocky land and bighorn sheep populations make for pristine mountain lion habitat. 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 bounty for adult wolves and cougars was raised on March 16, 1819 to $12. 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. 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. The mountain lion population in Nevada is essential to the control of deer and rodent populations in the mountainous regions of the state. Once a mountain lion matures, it will leave its mother and find its own territory.
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