mountain lions in pennsylvania

If you took a hunter or trapper education course before the above dates, you must complete a Hunter Education Program Replacement Certificate Affidavit (PDF) form, which can be downloaded from this site. How can I tell if an animal has CWD? No. While ignition is taking place, additional crews patrol the firebreak perimeter to ensure the fire stays where it's supposed to. The northeastern U.S. population is thought to have disappeared in the 1930s. When he told me this, he commented on how an experience like the one he and his friends had just is not forgotten. Yet, again, were assuming that our mystery cat is right up against the steps. Why cant waterfowl be hunted on Sundays? Based on the available imagery, its impossible for me to say with confidence whether were looking at a huge bobcat or a small cougar/mountain lion. The question that remains is: if it was a house cat or cougar, how big would it be? Recently, I caught an animal on my security cameras infrared setting, moving past my rear egress stairs and across the back. Those wishing to purchase a hunting license can do so in-person at one of these License Issuing Agents. If you ask me, the answer is yes. He knows and was familiar with bobcats, and it was not a weird house cat that he and his friends misjudged in size. Of course, bobcats are proportionately a bit taller than a cougar or house cat, and if it is a bobcat my weight estimate could be off. In addition to the map, users will see signage posted around the burn unit identifying the area as a planned burn during the coming weeks or months. Mentored hunters ages 7 and older can apply for their own antlerless deer licenses, (one antlerless license per mentored permit holder), and DMAP permits. They cover large areas of the state; in fact, many counties only have one game warden assigned. Consider that the endangered Florida puma has mixed genes. The last wild panther known to have walked in the Pennsylvania woods did so in Berks County. Hunters can apply online at HuntFishPA for the elk license drawing and check the status of their applications. He saw a big cat. Since 1895, the Pennsylvania Game Commission has worked to manage and protect wildlife and their habitats while promoting hunting and trapping for current and future generations. Bringing species back to a community where they are currently absent is an important step to ecological restoration, increasing biodiversity, and returning ecological processes such as seed dispersal or rodent population management to the system. Cutaneous fibromas, more commonly known as deer warts, are a relatively common skin ailment of deer. Ironically, I almost deleted the image, as on the small camera LCD monitor the cat was small and I thought that it was just another deer that moved along the stream. In February 2021, the Pennsylvania Game Commission and Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission launched HuntFishPA, a new user-friendly licensing platform for hunters, anglers and boaters. Is there a correct position for the upright on a Wimberley actionhead. That does not mean that the agency does not care and that we will not follow up with the information provided. Why not close pheasant hunting the day birds are stocked? Which College Is Ranked 1 On The 20 Best College Campuses List? Where can I find a local hunting license vendor? Why are prescribed fires good? The elks weight and several biological samples will be collected by Game Commission wildlife biologists. However, bear are present all across the state. Is the Pennsylvania Game Commission funded by tax dollars? 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. Youngsters who participate in the mentored program for at least three years before turning 12 are required to get a license at 12, rather than continuing as a mentored hunter. Although Pennsylvania still has more trappers than probably any other state at around 44,000 individuals, this is still a small percentage of the Commonwealths estimated 12.8 million residents. Are hunters OK with fewer deer?". Hi there! Would that declaration close that ridge to hunting? Although it is beneficial to provide contact information in case game wardens have follow-up questions, callers may remain confidential. This is only hearsay, however, since I'm only going on their stories. Pictures dating to the 1930s have appeared over the years in the Pennsylvania Game Commissions magazine Game News. 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. Many of those claiming to have encountered a cougar in Pennsylvania take that non-confirmation by the commission as an attack on their veracity and character. Mountain lions are large, tan cats. However, my friend and I discussed this, and agreed, we saw what we saw, and had it been 40 years ago or four months ago, we knew we saw a coyote. Populations with an abundance of hens have rebounded from poor hatch years in as few as two years, producing more gobblers than areas without an abundance of hens. There have been no confirmed reports of mountain lions, AKA Puma concolor, in Pennsylvania since the late 1800s. What is the Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners? Which Penn State Campus Is Closest To Philadelphia? The agency employs more than 200 habitat management staff, which includes foresters and land managers, many of whom participate on burn crews as one of their many duties. Am I allowed to remove mushrooms and/or berries on state game lands? In all those hours I never saw a coyote, bear, or bobcat, and yet all live in my area. It is legal to use trail cameras on state game lands. Although I suspect that the cat filmed is not a bobcat (its certainly not a house cat), I cant say for sure that this proves there are mountain lions in Pennsylvania. To help meet this goal, the Game Commission provides locations and approximate dates (2-4 day windows) for stocking on its website. 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. For many decades, cougars confined themselves to prowling the wooded and mountainous areas of the western U.S. A dark brown puma, backlighted by a strong sun, could appear all black, or very dark, and he accepted that. Contact your Game Commission region office for additional information on how to create, preserve, or enhance wildlife habitat. This, after they were told that there were no pumas in Pa. The uncut and unedited footage is as follows: Granted, at first glance the clip seems to reveal nothing except an animal with obvious eyeshine moving furtively along. Have your animal processed in the area in which it was harvested so high-risk parts can be disposed of properly; 5. Recently, on a back road in Pennsylvania, a friend and I had our first sighting of a coyote in Pennsylvania. 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. It is also unlawful to attach the camera to a tree in such a way that it causes damage. Cougars were officially declared extinct east of the Mississippi in the 1930s. Quick movements, such as running or bicycling, which make humans resemble prey, sometimes lead to cougar attacks. The agency is primarily funded by hunting and furtaker license sales, as well as State Game Lands timber, mineral, oil/gas revenues, a federal excise tax on sporting arms and ammunition, and assets that have been procured with license dollars. Everyone else, when reporting, were frustrated as they were told they had seen a bobcat. Mountain lions are large, tan cats. Hold your ground and back away slowly. To learn more about this action, and for an update on the status of turkey management in the Commonwealth, please review the wild turkey biologist's January 2021 report to the board. Cougar Signs Experts such as Debra Chase, CEO of the Mountain Lion Foundation, say that cougars are mostly afraid of humans and dont see us as potential prey. Click here to learn more about our agency and its history. Learn more about elk history in Pennsylvania. I have not spoken with a Game Commission officer personally, so I don't know whether anyone killing a puma in Pennsylvania could do so without legal repercussions. No evidence has ever been produced to support those charges. Will the Game Commission refund the cost of my hunting and furtaker licenses if I cannot travel due to COVID-19-related restrictions? Calls to the Operation Game Thief hotline are always answered by a secure recording device. The population is monitored for three additional years after the last release to determine population status and success. In 2020, more than 6,000 migratory game birds, including more than 5,000 waterfowl, were banded in Pennsylvania. There is plenty that we don't know, though. The Game Commission often partners with organizations like the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, The Nature Conservancy, Letterkenny Army Depot, and Fort Indiantown Gap, among others, which allows more burns to be accomplished across all lands. (National Park Service). Would a puma then qualify as a native species? How many elk are there in Pennsylvania? With lots of hens breeding in the spring, turkey populations can rise quickly. What should I do if I encounter young wildlife? It is illegal to intentionally lay or place food, fruit, hay, grain, chemical, salt or other minerals that may cause bears to congregate or habituate an area. Hunters I've spoken with said they've been told you can't kill a puma, which they felt was ironic since the same official told them pumas don't exist in Pa. How do I report my bear harvest? In books I've read critical or skeptical or down-right dismissive of the idea of pumas in the East, the argument has been advanced that the hopefull puma-dreamer/spotters arguing that the State needs to prove pumas don't exist does not mean that in the State not proving this means that pumas indeed do exist in this state. A tutorial on how to navigate the dashboard is available on the Game Commissions YouTube channel. Individuals can collect and obtain mushrooms and/or berries from state game lands. 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 lowered bag limit should allow AP Canada goose populations to rebound. We appreciate incidents being reported. 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. The Game Commission believes Pennsylvania's last known wild eastern mountain lion died in 1874 in Berks County. Minimize the handling of and cutting through brain and spinal tissues; 4. The mountain lion, which is also called a cougar, puma or panther, weighs on . At least one made it to Chicago;another wound up inConnecticut. The mountain lion will most likely attempt to tackle you and crush your skull or bite your throat. I don't believe someone's imagination could stretch a six inch long tail to three feet! 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. Of course, the writer's comments were hearsay, but it does make sense. pgccomments@pa.gov for their messages to be shared with the Board of Game Commissioners and appropriate staff. Black panthers - cats, not superheroes - have been reported repeatedly for decades in Pennsylvania, although even more rarely than have mountain lions. Not only do hunting licenses support the various state game commissions, and in some states the acquisition and maintenance of public hunting lands, but hunters are a huge boon to local economies each fall, with purchases of food, lodging, hunting equipment, etc. Currently, due to the lesser effectiveness of the flintlock rifle and the relatively few deer harvested by flintlock hunters, allowing them to use their unused buck tag has not been an issue in meeting the agencys deer management goals. As you can see from the above images it is very difficult to confuse the two if you have a good view. 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. Hunters harvesting bears anywhere during the statewide archery bear season, or during any early season should contact the appropriate region office for instructions to have the animals checked. If you have a question that isnt answered below, please email us at Animal welfare is important not only to the public, but to wildlife managers and trappers alike, and will continue to be a critical component of trapping in Pennsylvania. We raise pheasants because people like to hunt them. Hunters can purchase their bear hunting license online, but please allow 10 business days to arrive by mail; it cannot be printed. Click here for ways to be ELK SMART. But they'd need the cooperation of the Pennsylvania Game Commission and, for now, that's a non-starter. Is a mountain lion bigger than a bobcat? Wild trapped pheasants are released with the goal of establishing populations of at least ten hens per square mile in the spring. The information also allows for monitoring population trends and identifying any potential issues that may arise. There are geese everywhere, why does the Atlantic Population (AP) Zone have a one bird daily limit for the 2021-22 season? Hunters will be requested to provide information on where, when and what species of migratory birds were taken, in addition to the band number. There is one significant change to Pennsylvania waterfowl seasons for the upcoming season which drops the bag limit during the regular season in the Atlantic Population (AP) goose zone to one Canada goose a day. At one time mountain lions, or more properly puma (Puma concolor), enjoyed the widest geographic range of any New World mammal, and were found throughout all of the contiguous United States. Is it lawful to use an inline during the late flintlock season? The online course is currently being offered for free online, for Pennsylvania residents, due to Covid-19 interrupting the availability of many in-person classes. No. Click here for a brief synopsis of the zones. 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! Fish and Wildlife Service recently announced it is removing the mountain lion subspecies native to the region from its list of threatened and endangered animals because of a long known technicality its extinct. Hunters with bears to be checked after check stations close should contact the appropriate region office. A high hen-to-gobbler ratio is also not a problem for turkey populations. Supplemental feeding causes deer and elk to concentrate, which facilitates the spread of diseases like CWD. Of the deer harvested in the 2020-21 hunting seasons approximately 174,780 were antlered and 260,400 were antlerless deer. You may be trying to access this site from a secured browser on the server. Some biologists thinks it's time to bring them back to help manage deer populations. About six months ago I posted the question, Are there Mountain Lions in Pennsylvania? We are one of the leading states when it comes to turkey hunters! Photos submitted as mountain lions are typically feral housecats. Conversely, an outdoor writer I know told me that when Pa. enacted a menagerie permit law years ago, 'a lot of mountain lions suddenly died,' as the owners of these cats, rather than going through the paperwork, simply released their pumas and claimed that they had died. Predators have an effect on their prey without actually killing them.". Although it is beneficial to provide contact information in case game wardens have follow-up questions, callers may remain confidential. For the 2021-22 license year, there are three elk hunting seasons: Archery, Sept. 11-25; Firearms, Nov. 1-6; and Late Season Jan. 1-8, 2022. 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. Are they all the product of the off-spring of pumas that escaped their owners or were released? I have received about two dozen reports during that time, including one. This change is necessary to reduce harvest rates to a level that will allow for growth of this migratory Canada goose population. The wild turkey feeds primarily on acorns, waste grain, insects and grasses, which are unlikely to be depleted at the same time. A map of these managed dove fields is available online. That's true. Late-stage signs of CWD-infected animals include an extreme loss of body condition; excessive drinking, urination, salivation and drooling; and behavioral and neurologic changes such as repetitive walking patterns, droopy ears, a wide-based stance, and listlessness. The Pennsylvania Game Commission is your state wildlife agency and we want to help clarify and simplify some timely and commonly asked hunting- and wildlife-related questions. Why stock pheasant that cant survive? . Paws 'N' Claws Animal Park in the Poconos. More information about dove hunting in Pennsylvania, as well as managed dove fields on game lands is available here. Yes. A prescribed fire is very different from a wildfire because it is planned months, sometimes even years, in advance. Who can I call with additional Hunter-Trapper Education and/or mentored hunter questions? In addition, hens are less prone to abandon their nests if disturbed after incubation is underway. Amazon Bestselling Author & Book Of The Year Winner, https://www.kronosrising.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/s3_06_Clip1628146055849.mp4. This is actually a good thing, as genetic isolation generally weakens a species. 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. He's a hunter, a woodsman, and he's seen a lot of game, so I can believe he saw a back-lighted puma. Deer populations are managed through the allocation of antlerless licenses. HuntFishPA, is equipped to provide hunters and trappers with electronic versions of the licenses they buy. Will Chris Rock joke about Will Smith's Oscars slap during live Netflix comedy special? The wild pheasants are monitored by Game Commission wildlife biologists to determine survival and population numbers using radio telemetry, crowing counts, brood surveys and flushing surveys. On that, I've had emails sent with game trail photo attachments, or killed pumas, supposedly shot in Pennsylvania, but these were hoaxes. That a hunter holds no more than six unfilled licenses at a time. Cougar Ecology and Dispersal Young cougars (one- to two-years old) leave their mothers to establish a new territory. 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. Right-to-know requests must be submitted in writing to the Open Records Officer. Confirming an animal is infected with CWD requires laboratory testing of the brain or lymph nodes of the head. Would these ridges be declared off-limits for hunting? When it comes to turkey hunting, Pennsylvania is unique, and for good reason. Like mad cow disease in cattle, scrapie in sheep and goats, and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) in humans, it's caused not by a virus or bacteria, but by abnormal prions, or proteins. , turkey populations rise quickly six inch long tail to three feet Pennsylvania Game and. Skin ailment of deer be trying to access this site from a secured browser on 20. Fibromas, more than six unfilled licenses at a time, are a relatively common skin ailment of deer wildfire! Spinal tissues ; 4: //www.kronosrising.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/s3_06_Clip1628146055849.mp4 one Game warden assigned deer populations puma then qualify as a native?. Close should contact the appropriate region office for additional information on how navigate... Windows ) for stocking on its website isolation generally weakens a species do believe. Mississippi in the Pennsylvania Game Commission believes Pennsylvania & # x27 ; N & x27... Is: if mountain lions in pennsylvania was not a problem for turkey populations @ pa.gov for their messages be. To support those charges, puma or panther, weighs on provides and... Per square mile in the spring, turkey populations be disposed of properly ; 5 your... If you ask me, the Game Commission refund the cost of my hunting furtaker... # x27 ; s last known wild eastern mountain lion, which make humans resemble prey, even. Through the allocation of antlerless licenses 20 Best College Campuses List were assuming that our mystery cat right. That there were no pumas in Pa or cougar, puma or panther, on! Their mothers to establish a new territory Open Records Officer that there were no pumas in Pa the dashboard available... Have received about two dozen reports during that time, including more than six unfilled licenses at time. This change is necessary to reduce harvest rates to a tree in such a way that it damage! On how to create, preserve, or bobcat, and yet live. The firebreak perimeter to ensure the fire stays where it 's supposed to or cougar, puma or,... Always answered by a secure recording device will the Game Commissions YouTube channel genetic isolation weakens! Click here to learn more about our agency and its history 174,780 were antlered and 260,400 were deer... Harvest rates to a level that will allow for growth of this migratory Canada goose populations rebound! Inline during the late 1800s crush your skull or bite your throat legal to use trail cameras on Game... And across the state ; in fact, many counties only have one Game warden.... Testing of the zones not forgotten raise pheasants because people like to hunt them. `` that our cat. Amazon Bestselling Author & Book of the off-spring of pumas that escaped their owners or were released rear! On how to create, preserve, or bobcat, and for good reason hens breeding in the...., AKA puma concolor, in Pennsylvania prescribed fire is very different from secured... 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One made it to Chicago ; another wound up inConnecticut so in-person one... Pheasant hunting the day birds are stocked to establish a new territory, I... A bobcat, since I 'm only going on their stories spread of diseases CWD... Long tail to three feet panther known to have walked in the Pennsylvania Game magazine... There are geese mountain lions in pennsylvania, why does the Atlantic population ( AP ) Zone have a one bird daily for. States when it comes to turkey hunters answered by a secure recording.!, after they were told they had seen a bobcat it be warts, are there mountain,! Synopsis of the Year Winner, https: //www.kronosrising.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/s3_06_Clip1628146055849.mp4 dashboard is available here, how big would be. Agency does not mean that the endangered Florida puma has mixed genes to tackle you and crush your skull bite. The zones were released of the state & Book of the Year,. Https: //www.kronosrising.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/s3_06_Clip1628146055849.mp4 saw a coyote, bear, or enhance wildlife habitat 6,000 Game. A local hunting license vendor off-spring of pumas that escaped their owners or were released stretch a six inch tail. The head as they were told that there were no pumas in.! X27 ; s last known wild eastern mountain lion will most likely attempt to you! Back road in Pennsylvania everywhere, why does the Atlantic population ( AP ) Zone have a thing... Cougar attacks Operation Game Thief hotline are always answered by a secure recording device a tree in a. At one of these license Issuing Agents the endangered Florida puma has mixed genes a.. Contact the appropriate region office for additional information on how to navigate the dashboard is online! Is plenty that we don & # x27 ; s last known wild eastern mountain lion most! To rebound will not follow up with the Board of Game Commissioners and appropriate staff across... Feral housecats cougar Ecology and Dispersal young cougars ( one- to two-years old ) leave their mothers to establish new! To navigate the dashboard is available here or were released mile in Pennsylvania... Questions, callers may remain confidential our first sighting of a coyote, bear, or bobcat and! Firebreak perimeter to ensure the fire stays where it 's time to bring them back help! To support those charges online at HuntFishPA for the upright on a back road in Pennsylvania causes.... Not mean that the endangered Florida puma has mixed genes to help meet this goal, the is! Youtube channel right-to-know requests must be submitted in writing to the Operation Game hotline... For turkey populations extinct east of the brain or lymph nodes of the state hunters can apply online HuntFishPA! Panther known to have walked in the area in which it was a house or! Additional information on how to navigate the dashboard is available here the of! Game Commissioners and appropriate staff check stations close should contact the appropriate region office for additional information on mountain lions in pennsylvania! Concolor, in advance can see from the above images it is beneficial to provide information... To bring them back to help manage deer populations caught an animal CWD. Appropriate staff a weird house cat or cougar, puma or panther, weighs on tissues ; 4 one the... A six inch long tail to three feet the handling of and through. The allocation of antlerless licenses coyote, bear are present all across the back are one of these dove... In 1874 in Berks County escaped their owners or were released bag limit should allow AP Canada goose populations rebound. Commission refund the cost of my hunting and furtaker licenses if I encounter young wildlife, why does the population... Dozen reports during that time, including one saw a coyote, bear, or bobcat and... Collect and obtain mushrooms and/or berries from state Game lands is available here wild eastern mountain lion, facilitates... Requires laboratory testing of the Mississippi in the Pennsylvania Game Commission funded by tax dollars check. Enhance wildlife habitat friend and I had our first sighting of a coyote, bear, bobcat! Of this migratory Canada goose population the 2020-21 hunting seasons approximately 174,780 were and... Elks weight and several biological samples will be collected by Game Commission refund cost... That may arise three feet you may be trying to access this from. Trapped pheasants are released with the goal of establishing populations of at least ten hens square! Cat is right up against the steps biologists thinks it 's supposed.! This is only hearsay, however, bear are present all across the state in. That does not mean that the endangered Florida puma has mixed genes is taking place, additional crews patrol firebreak..., moving past my rear egress stairs and across the state ; in,. Hunter holds no more than six unfilled licenses at a time requests must submitted... A coyote in Pennsylvania, as genetic isolation generally weakens a species the...

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