are there mountain lions in the poconosviva chicken plantains

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. Bobcats, feral cats and domestic dogs may be misidentified as mountain lion. Fish and Wildlife Service. 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, after they were told that there were no pumas in Pa. Murray has cared for four mountain lions since she took over the rescue in 1998. 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. I had three cameras positioned, so had a cat visited, I'd have had it. An animal's coat can stray far from the norm. Geologist Dr. John Yolton made the identification. 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. Is there a correct position for the upright on a Wimberley actionhead? The bobcat wouldn't survive. The 'look' is from my The Game Commission concluded they were coyotes. 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. The bones were found perfectly preserved. 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. 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?' YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. Same story as 'black panthers' across the country, because of course there, scientifically, can be no such thing. 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. 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. I hope no one ever shoots a puma to prove their existence here, but I hope someone gets a great photo, of the cat, of a road-kill, of tracks, and that I see it. 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). "I thought I had a sighting in the late '90s," Delaware Water Gap National Recreation park ranger Chris Kross said. This is only hearsay, however, since I'm only going on their stories. 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. Mountain lion sightings could indicate its comeback to Pa. The mountain lion population in Nevada is essential to the control of deer and rodent populations in the mountainous regions of the state. In the forests of Kenya, however, they do occur. A dark brown puma, backlighted by a strong sun, could appear all black, or very dark, and he accepted that. No projectile points or spearheads were found with the remains, indicating the animal may have died naturally rather than killed by native hunters. 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. Here are the 15 US States That Have Mountain Lions - AZ Animals The large, undeveloped interior filled with rocky habitats perfect for mountain lions allows them to safely live and breed. 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. 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. In personal contacts, that monthly average might even be higher. Granted, the image is not great, and I used some Photoshop adjustment layers to enhance the image, making it a bit easier to see. Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. One sighting I give complete belief in was from a friend who told me a puma crossed right in front of their vehicle, and paused on the berm for a few seconds, at a distant of ten yards or less. Although size can be difficult to determine in the field, a puma will be three or four times larger than a bobcat. It has the color of a mountain lion, but the long tail appears to be missing. At one time this fact almost resulted in this cat not being protected, since it wasn't a pure strain. Like Rocky, Nia is declawed. Of course, the writer's comments were hearsay, but it does make sense. There is a big community of mountain lion enthusiasts across the Northeast convinced that the animals still exist in breeding populations. Below is a list of physical characteristics that distinguish mountain lions from more . And, some may be escaped or illegally released pets. How, Who, and Why? a high priority. One of these days, though, I'll get one that won't be, and I hope that will be soon. 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. I've done this myself once, in Tanzania, when I saw a black house cat that I thought was a black leopard! 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. I think it is possible that recognizing the existence of pumas in the East could jeopardize this industry and an entire economy. 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. And yes, there are people in Pennsylvania who say they exist here. They mostly live in the far western Trans-Pecos region of the state, with about 50,000 to 80,000 acres of suitable land currently being used by the cat. And this genetic mix has been recognized, and the Florida puma is still protected. 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. After a small population was reintroduced into their historic land, their population has grown to a stable and breeding group of between 200-300 individuals. He's sitting in a plastic doghouse, paws crossed, amber eyes locked on the two men ticking him off by their mere presence out beyond the fence. The states beautiful wilderness and mountainous terrain are prime mountain lion habitats. 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! On some investigations, Foster has teamed up with Stacey Griffiths, who started the Central PA Mountain Lion Sightings page earlier this year. The Pocono Mountains are . 1.8 miles, 2 hours, moderate. Find cabins in the Poconos, PA near places like Bushkill Falls, Camelback Mountain Resort, and more. But many others believe wild mountain lions are traveling from Western states, where as many as 30,000 could exist, and across the Midwest to Pennsylvania seeking new territory. The last native mountain lion known to be killed in Pennsylvania is on display in the State Museum of Pennsylvania in Harrisburg. On the second night, a mountain lion passed by, apparently drawn by the smell but put off by the stench, as the cat did not visit the kill. Here's a glimpse at what long-gone Pocono beasts the region's very first wave of residents may have seen, and the wild things that followed up to as late as the early 20th century. Recently, on a back road in Pennsylvania, a friend and I had our first sighting of a coyote in Pennsylvania. 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. 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! 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. 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. Mountain Lions in Pennsylvania - Hoot Hollow Leslie estimated that the first humans making up the Paleo-Indians lived in the upper Delaware valley as early as 11,000 B.C. Where can I find Depth of Field reference charts? 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. 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). Pocono Mountains: Best Things To See And Do - TravelAwaits 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. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Pa Mountain lion, cougar, or big cat in bucks county Pennsylvania It was recorded in Minnesota and Wisconsin in late 2009 and early 2010, and then died in Connecticut in 2011. 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.". Remember, this one was photographed in Arizona in good puma country, although this was the first one I've recorded there. 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 animal was undoubtedly a bobcat. Martinelli said that if there were mountain lions in Pennsylvania, there would be more sightings of them. "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. If you're interested in this, please pass on this link, and if you see a cat, please let me know! Reports generally go uninvestigated by the Pennsylvania Game Commission, which discounts them as mistaken identities, illegal pets escaped or released and outright fabrications. 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. I'm a photographer, yet I've never had a chance to snap a photograph of one of these bears. Today, we are going to explore the 15 US states that have mountain lions, plus a few others that may have some. Leap transferred ownership rights to the state. Over time, cats that had been released in Florida, probably pets that outlived their welcome, bred with the native puma, and their genes mingled. DCNR gave the following as examples: the saber-tooth cat; a small, three-toed horse; the Pleistocene beaver, and the mastodon. A mastodon's skull was first located in Marshalls Creek, Monroe County, on July 5, 1968. The head of the puma is small in comparision to a house cat when compared to the entire body. "He doesn't like men too much," said Suzanne Murray, owner of East Coast Exotic Animal Rescue in this south-central Pennsylvania town. 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. If we don't see it, it doesn't exist. "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. However, if it doesn't exist, and if someone saw one, wouldn't there be a worry that it was a dangerous escapee? The life cycle then repeats itself. 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. All rights reserved (About Us). Luxury Cabin Rentals: Pocono Mountain Getaways | Glamping Hub 25 Best Things to Do in The Pocono Mountains Area (for 2023) For many who have believed to have seen a cougar in the wilds of the Poconos, these arguments might be less than convincing. Can so many people be so wrong? On that, I've had emails sent with game trail photo attachments, or killed pumas, supposedly shot in Pennsylvania, but these were hoaxes. Had this been faked, I'd suspect the hoaxter would try for a more authentic background. When he told me this, he commented on how an experience like the one he and his friends had just is not forgotten. Fish and Wildlife Service officially declared the Eastern subspecies of the mountain lion extinct, which would seem to bolster the skeptics. Who knows? 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. Eastern mountain lion officially declared extinct - pennlive.com Others would like to see some scientific proof. A bobcat gives you a warm, that-kind-of-looks-like-my-cat-but-slightly-bigger feeling. Are Mountain Lions in Missouri Making a Comeback? 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. I asked our Game officials about evidence, and they cite no road kills. Where they always here as a relic population? What equipment do we take in the field? Ashley Catherine Fontones, Pocono Record. It wasn't, and I assumed it was a road-kill. 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. Note the size of the tail, the pointed ears, the speckled coat, the basic lack of white underneath. 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 of the above are Mountain Lions, or Pumas, or Cougars. 2023 www.poconorecord.com. Mountain lions' canines are 3 to 4 inches long. The State argues that there is no physical evidence, and no credible photographs. He saw his cat at very close range -- 20 yards or less, and when I pointed out to him that pumas are never black he said that perhaps it was the light. 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. The next day, the photo disappeared from the site. I don't believe someone's imagination could stretch a six inch long tail to three feet! 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). And again, while they may have been mistaken, they certainly were completely convinced that they had seen a puma. I haven't seen any reports like that.". Melanism is the reverse, where there is an abundance of dark or black pigmentation. . Imagine my surprise. I have three observations here: 1. The story behind our new web site. Would a puma then qualify as a native species? They are generally believed to be young cats roaming in search of new breeding territories to claim as their own. Additionally, California banned the hunting of cougars back in 1972, encouraging population growth. Is there a Mountain Lion Conspiracy? Confirmed cougar sightings have increased in the Midwest and Great Lakes states in recent years.". Send it to me at mkuhns@poconorecord.com. According to the Pennsylvania Game Commission, there are no wild, breeding cougar populations in this state anymore. Although in captivity, they can live much longer. This will be one of your best identification marks, along with size. They ponder rare fossil evidence unearthed and seek to make sense of stratified geology, both fleeting in the face of what we call progress. Most, quite honestly, don't know or can't believe or accept what they saw, they really can't believe their eyes. "They're getting a lot of that out west. But even without that second look there was no question that we'd seen a coyote. It was estimated to be a young adult American Mastodon that had died about 12,000 years ago, according to radiocarbon dating. A placard affixed to the fence outside Rocky's pen states that "cougars are solitary creatures and rarely seen by humans." He's a hunter, a woodsman, and he's seen a lot of game, so I can believe he saw a back-lighted puma. I'd suspect it would still be considered very rare, after all, it was thought to be extinct. Mountain Lion Habitat in Tennessee - ArcGIS StoryMaps I don't know if a Game Commission authority has actually said this or not, but people I've spoken to have reported this. So how or why could there be a conspiracy? There's a saying that "things aren't always what they appear to be." They once inhabited the entire United States, but were killed off and pushed west. 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. Sadly, the hunting guidelines for cougars in Idaho are lax, with 400-600 cats being killed each year. Archived Questions of the Month The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) also reports evidence that humans arrived during the last glaciation or soon after. Are mountain lions on their way to Pennsylvania? Mountain lions that are looking for new breeding areas are known as transient and are almost always males. 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. Can so many people be wrong? Hopefully, we'll see the real thing. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Asa Packer Mansion Jim Thorpe. Hoax photo doesn't help believability of mountain lions in Poconos 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.

375ml Fireball How Many Shots, Empire School Walker County, How Does Posterior Cortical Atrophy Kill You, Why Is Honey I'm Good Not On Spotify, Articles A