are there mountain lions in the poconos

Are there pumas, or mountain lions, in Pennsylvania and the mid-Atlantic States? In many regions, the population within the state is actually increasing! Adults are a uniform tan or tawny in color, with a white or cream-colored chin, undersides and inner legs. Where reports dating that far back from escapees? In some areas, entire populations of a species exhibit this trait, for unlike albinism, which results in a conspicuous white color and light-sensitive pink eyes, there are no ill effects with melanism. About six months ago I posted the question, Are there Mountain Lions in Pennsylvania? The next day, the photo disappeared from the site. 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. Others would like to see some scientific proof. Who knows? Over the last few months several people have responded to this question with reports of their own. 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. Granted, the image is not great, and I used some Photoshop adjustment layers to enhance the image, making it a bit easier to see. do I get an immediate, 'Oh yeah!' 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. Remember, this one was photographed in Arizona in good puma country, although this was the first one I've recorded there. Foster said mountain lions and bobcats could not breed. Currently, mountain lions seem to be making a comeback in regard to their historic range. Images from a homeowner's surveillance camera show a tan cat with a long body, beyond a chain-link fence. 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. "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. How, Who, and Why? (570) 325-3229. Imagine my surprise. 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. Although a large proportion of the Lenape Nation was dispersed far from their ancestral homelands in the 18th century, colonial settlers and their descendants struggled to live in this region with wolves and cougars inhabiting the forests. Can so many people be wrong? 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. Best hike for seeing waterfalls. It seems unlikely, considering captives have never shown this trait, but people are reporting big black cats. There is also a small population of cougars in Florida. 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. 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. 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. "I know they're native to this area. A brief look, yes, but no question we saw a coyote. This happens usually around the 18-month mark. Do Mountain Lions Attack Humans? 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 material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. "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. I'll be anxious to learn of your report. The mountain lion population in Nevada is essential to the control of deer and rodent populations in the mountainous regions of the state. Its fur is a light, tawny brown color which can appear gray or almost black, depending on light conditions. "I kind of doubt they saw a cougar, but I'm not God.". It wasn't, and I assumed it was a road-kill. Obviously, other pumas must be about, and the series of ridges extending north and east and west from my location could all be included as critical habitat as well. Contact the AZ Animals editorial team. If pumas do exist in the mid-Atlantic and Northeast, could they all be released cats or escapees? 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. These powerful, majestic creatures once lived across much of the country but have since been killed or pushed out of most of it. All rights reserved (About Us). They often would catch sheep in broad daylight. What does a Mountain Lion look like on a game camera? They regularly join the camp of those angrily claiming the commission has introduced the big cats back into Pennsylvania as a control measure against the state's huge deer population. 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? At one time this fact almost resulted in this cat not being protected, since it wasn't a pure strain. If you see or photograph a puma in the mid-Atlantic states, please email or call me. "He doesn't like men too much," said Suzanne Murray, owner of East Coast Exotic Animal Rescue in this south-central Pennsylvania town. 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. I want to believe they're here, but I'm having some trouble. In Michigan, there has been multiple sightings of 'black panthers,' animals that were thought to be mountain lions, or pumas, except that they were black. Same story as 'black panthers' across the country, because of course there, scientifically, can be no such thing. And yes, there are people in Pennsylvania who say they exist here. Editor's note: The Pocono Record and Tri-County Independent have collaborated for a series of stories called Mountain Beasts: Pocono cryptids, legends and lore. Can so many people be so wrong? 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. Recently the US Fish and Wildlife Service formally declared the Eastern Puma an extinct species, except for the remnant population in Florida. Where they always here as a relic population? According to the commission, the last Pennsylvania mountain lion was killed in the late 1800s. It was recorded in Minnesota and Wisconsin in late 2009 and early 2010, and then died in Connecticut in 2011. Joseph Pugliese 2.2K views 7 years ago Beautiful Bobcat in our yard as our. You've got a mountain lion story or photo? I'd love to hear of any reports you have. I have received about two dozen reports during that time, including one. Mountain lions typically eat about one deer per week, along with other smaller prey as the opportunity arises. Many of the reports I receive are extremely credible. Reports generally go uninvestigated by the Pennsylvania Game Commission, which discounts them as mistaken identities, illegal pets escaped or released and outright fabrications. (PennLive has investigated many reports of mountain lions, and other mystery creatures, and has found no confirming evidence. In this at this distant epoch, archaeologists attempt to clear some of the mists and mysteries of prehistoric times. He wrote that not being a roving animal, the mountain lion was much sooner destroyed than the wolf, and he said that if there were any left, it would have to be in the most desolate places in the county. 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. Let me explain this. An escapee is also possible. 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. I think it is possible that recognizing the existence of pumas in the East could jeopardize this industry and an entire economy. What equipment do we take in the field? If it were, it would be listed. Are there Mountain Lions (Pumas, Cougars) in Pennsylvania and the Mid-Atlantic States? I'm thinking of the solution often suggested for pesky endangered species out west, namely wolves and grizzly bears. Hunting is legal, but the use of dogs was banned in 1996. They are there to help us. 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. It will happen eventually. Yet, except for Florida, which has about 100 of them "Florida panthers"), no eastern state has a verifiable population of these large 100- to 200-pound cats that were extirpated 100 years ago. The State cites that there are no road-kills, and in a heavily trafficed state like Pennsylvania there should be kills. These color morphs are most common in rain forests and jungles. Interestingly, the US Fish and Wildllife Service has declared the Eastern Puma extinct, except for the Florida population known as the Florida panther. "They're getting a lot of that out west. What would account for the long tails? A placard affixed to the fence outside Rocky's pen states that "cougars are solitary creatures and rarely seen by humans." 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. 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. 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? The skeleton was reassembled at the State Museum, where it has been on display ever since. There are at least 20,000 black bears in Pa., and a small percentage are killed each year, but we're probably not talking about 20,000 pumas in the state. Imagination? What does a Puma (Mountain Lion) look like on a Game Camera? 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). The states beautiful wilderness and mountainous terrain are prime mountain lion habitats. When I first discovered this fresh carcass I examined it for throat punctures, thinking that it may have been killed by a puma. Although size can be difficult to determine in the field, a puma will be three or four times larger than a bobcat. Contrary to popular belief, there are no black panthers in North America; no one has ever captured or killed a black Mountain Lion. I asked our Game officials about evidence, and they cite no road kills. If youve done any research on your own, you may have noticed that we didnt include a lot of states that have had cougar sightings, especially in the last few years. 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. 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. Would a puma then qualify as a native species? Viewers can never be certain that what they're seeing on a computer is actually what it's purported to be. But this one was black, and he knows mountain lions are some variant of brown. Other states have had sightings, especially as mountain lion populations begin to explore and look to expand. 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. Who knows? He knows and was familiar with bobcats, and it was not a weird house cat that he and his friends misjudged in size. After a gestation period of 90 days, female mountain lions will give birth to litters of about one to six cubs. All rights reserved. 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. 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. You would think someone would have a picture on a trail camera or whatever. Would a puma then qualify as a native species? 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. If we say it ain't so, it ain't so! All rights reserved (About Us). 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. Mountain lions thrive there due to the high elk population, dense forests, and isolated mountain ranges. The 'look' is from my YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. Biologists traced it. She feeds and cares for them with donations and grants. This is actually a good thing, as genetic isolation generally weakens a species. Kross only saw the animal for a second, but it made a believer out of him. Currently, there are only 15 states that meet that qualification. I haven't seen any reports like that.". There's a saying that "things aren't always what they appear to be." 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? Erosion from glacial melt and violence glaciers did to the land left a. 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 that cat killed on a highway in Milford, Connecticut, in June 2011. Most, quite honestly, don't know or can't believe or accept what they saw, they really can't believe their eyes. 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. Are the various States guilty of essentially the same thing? 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. Although size can be difficult to determine in the field, a puma will be three or four times larger than a bobcat. Mountain lion killed in Connecticut was on the opposite side of Pennsylvania a year ago, Is it real? Mountain lions weigh 90-160 pounds, while bobcats weigh 20-30 pounds. The head of the puma is small in comparision to a house cat when compared to the entire body. I had three cameras positioned, so had a cat visited, I'd have had it. 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. Are they all the product of the off-spring of pumas that escaped their owners or were released? "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. The Cascade Mountains are an important habitat for mountain lions in the region, and a stable population lives within the state. In only one report had an official from the Pennsylvania Game Commision, a local warden, actually agree with the person reporting the sighting. 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. Illinois can also now be added to this list a mountain lion was found on the outskirts of Chicago. with a fluted projectile point were found near Middletown, Orange County, New York. 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. "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. A mastodon's skull was first located in Marshalls Creek, Monroe County, on July 5, 1968. Colby is a freelance writer from Charlotte, North Carolina. Let me know if you have seen one! 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. 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?' The image in the Upper Left was from a Game Camera, sent to me by a friend. The claim of mountain lions on the move was bolstered in 2009 when one was killed by a car in Greenwich, Conn. Recent post: Why Is It Called Beaver Stadium? 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 photographer had no reason to stage the shot -- indeed, the composition and background was terrible, and not what you'd expect for something staged, but the shot wasn't perfectly clear. Here are the 15 US States That Have Mountain Lions. There are also big swaths of thick of forests in parts of the state. All rights reserved. Still, people say they know what they saw out there. In 2015, a Pennsylvania State Historical Marker was placed near the site where the mastodon was found. "It's fall bow-hunting season soon," he said. In Michigan, there has been multiple sightings of 'black panthers,' animals that were thought to be mountain lions, or pumas, except that they were black. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. This ideal habitat allows for a large population of 2,000 mountain lions to thrive. The Mountain Lion is a large, slender cat with a smallish head and noticeably long tail. A Mountain Lion Cover Up I've seen about 20 mountain lions, or pumas, in the field, but all but 2 were in Chile. 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. Albinos are often very light sensitive, and they certainly are conspicuous, and most do not live very long. Once a mountain lion matures, it will leave its mother and find its own territory. But an image captured by one family's. Never has this been more accurate than in today's digital, computerized world. There's a whole world to learn about and Colby is content to spend his life learning as much as he can about it! Did they migrate south from Canada? 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. 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). No projectile points or spearheads were found with the remains, indicating the animal may have died naturally rather than killed by native hunters. Recently, on a back road in Pennsylvania, a friend and I had our first sighting of a coyote in Pennsylvania. As a state known for its mountains, its no wonder that mountain lions live here! Encouraged by the bounties, settlers waged war on these perceived beasts. I love the big cats and devote a huge amount of my field time photographing African lions, leopards, cheetahs, and in 2011, tigers. In the forests of Kenya, however, they do occur. 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. Additionally, California banned the hunting of cougars back in 1972, encouraging population growth. 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. And book one of these Poconos cabins rentals for the best outdoor access to these activities. Mountain lions are 7-9 feet, while bobcats are 3 feet long. "There hasn't been one solid piece of proof to believe they are here. Why is bat photography so difficult? 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. Known as the Niagara Falls of Pennsylvania, there are four trails that lead to the cascades from the Bushkill Falls trailhead, each ranging in . A phantom creature has been sighted in the vast Delaware State Forest region of Pike County. The claim of mountain lions on the move was bolstered in 2009 when one was killed by a car in Greenwich, Conn. 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. The agency has declared extinct the eastern cougar, one of 11 subspecies ofmountain lions native to North America. This is huge news for conservationists around the country and a sign that cougars may be heading east once again. The first is the mating season which can occur during the late to early spring months. If you can figure out how to travel far back in time for even a day, get lots of wildlife photos, as the rest of us might never believe your story. One of these days, though, I'll get one that won't be, and I hope that will be soon. Goodrich said he once saw a mountain lion spring from a thicket and kill a sheep on a public road. ? With that in mind, lets break down how we classified the states. If you're interested in this, please pass on this link, and if you see a cat, please let me know! According to the Pennsylvania Game Commission, the last Pennsylvania mountain lion was killed in the late 1800s. 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. Consider that the endangered Florida puma has mixed genes. Bo Ottman is a landscaper in Connecticut who founded an . Wyoming has a historically stable population of mountain lions, but recent drops in numbers have caused some to worry. And yet today the debate continues: Are there mountain lions in Pennsylvania? Good luck, and let me know! 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. Packer Hill Ave. Jim Thorpe, PA 18229. For example, leopards and jaguars, normally spotted cats, have a melanistic color morph, the 'black panther,' the black leopard or black jaguar. Arkansas isnt somewhere that we would generally think of when looking for mountain lions, but they are on the rebound! 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 . 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. A Game Commission vehicle was there, and the Fed Ex driver, after reaching the bottom of a long hill, turned back to check on what he saw. A dark brown puma, backlighted by a strong sun, could appear all black, or very dark, and he accepted that. All of the above are Mountain Lions, or Pumas, or Cougars. Over time, cats that had been released in Florida, probably pets that outlived their welcome, bred with the native puma, and their genes mingled. This is not a Pennsylvania 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. September 21st, 2008, 08:14 PM #74. Thank you for reading! "We should be getting more pictures. 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! Check out the tails of the two! Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. 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. Most nature magazines state whether the photos were taken "under controlled conditions" rather than in the wild.). He's a hunter, a woodsman, and he's seen a lot of game, so I can believe he saw a back-lighted puma. The northeastern U.S. population is thought to have disappeared in the 1930s. I regularly ask hunters and outdoors people if they've ever seen a mountain lion, or know of anyone that has. As you can see from the above images it is very difficult to confuse the two if you have a good view. This will be one of your best identification marks, along with size. Is there a Mountain Lion Conspiracy? In captivity mountain, lions can live to be about 20 years old. More conclusive evidence is needed: Keep your cameras handy. The state of Texas is home to many mountain lion populations, but the numbers are incredibly hard to find. The sightings were great bear views, but too fast or fleeting to allow me to grab a camera. Is there a Puma conspiracy? I believe that the folks that are reporting, in detail, their sightings are faced with a similar situation. 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. How do I deal with shaving weight for carrying my gear? In July and August I received seven different reports, and everyone involved had done a search of some type to compare images of bobcats and pumas. Like Arizona, New Mexico is the perfect home for mountain lions. There are controlled hunting laws in the state of Oregon. 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 thought I had a sighting in the late '90s," Delaware Water Gap National Recreation park ranger Chris Kross said. What is the Kiboko backpack? Are mountain lions on their way to Pennsylvania? Claws 'N' Paws Animal Park in Lake Ariel has two. I don't know if a Game Commission authority has actually said this or not, but people I've spoken to have reported this. However, recently I saw a photo of a melanistic bobcat, as black as could be, with bright yellow eyes. Several populations of Gray Squirrels scattered around the country are black, and recently I heard of a neighborhood of black Eastern Chipmunks. In 2016, a trail cam photo in South Jersey was later determined to show a house cat. 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. These experiences are still available, but the reality is there is so much more for the mature traveler to enjoy in the Pocono Mountains. More Questions about Pumas in Pennsylvania. None of these sightings has been authenticated, and many of them, including a recent, alleged mountain lion picked up on a surveillance camera in Lackawanna County, turned out to be bobcats. It is an Italianate Villa home that features authentic Victorian furniture and finishing. People can manipulate, enhance or combine photos and then create their own stories about the subject's origin, location and even identification. I have received about two dozen reports during that time, including one game camera image that still looks very credible to me. 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.

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