mountain lions in pennsylvania
Last year, the commission recommended reintroducing the pine marten, a much smaller and cuter omnivore once native to Pennsylvania. Yes. Second, antlers are often the first thing removed from a deer when processing begins. Fish . This is not a Pennsylvania puma! Here are a few ways to limit human-bear interactions: Bring pet food containers and bird feeders inside overnight, or completely if bears continually return; keep trash cans inside, if possible, until the morning of collection day; and regularly clean and remove grease from outside grills. Follow Kristin & PhillyVoice on Twitter: @kristin_hunt Confirming an animal is infected with CWD requires laboratory testing of the brain or lymph nodes of the head. Pennsylvanias new hunting and furtaker licensing system, Larger and more aggressive animals often exclude younger and weaker animals which causes aggressive behavior resulting in injuries and even death for particularly vulnerable individuals. Several states have shortened or closed their grouse season after grouse populations crashed. For information about local game lands, please reach out to the Game Commission region office that serves the county in which the lands are located. Although mourning doves are considered a migratory game bird species, many of the doves we have in Pennsylvania reside here throughout the winter and provide an excellent opportunity late into the season. This, after they were told that there were no pumas in Pa. 2023 WWB Holdings, LLC. But this one was black, and he knows mountain lions are some variant of brown. This can cause injury to humans and pets as well as lead to more vehicle collisions. Some biologists have an unusual solution: cougars. And it likely will result in the collateral benefit of increasing harvest reporting. Click here to learn more about our agency and its history. Paws 'N' Claws Animal Park in the Poconos. Except there's one big problem, at least for East Coasters: cougars don't really live here. *Please note: Licenses may take up to ten business days to arrive. Try to block the mountain lion from your eyes and face as you strike it. The rule change could make more antlerless licenses available deeper into hunting season, perhaps giving hunters who purchase their licenses later a chance to get one. In Pennsylvania, most burns take place in March, April, May and November when grass is dormant and leaves are off, allowing sunlight and wind to dry the forest floor. As a volunteer hunter education instructor, youll be teaching students with an easy-to-use, standardized curriculum for which all teaching aids and materials are provided. The lowered bag limit should allow AP Canada goose populations to rebound. What if Im hunting in an area where CWD is known to exist? Home Pennsylvania State University Can You Shoot A Mountain Lion In Pennsylvania? Big cats still roam parts of Pennsylvania. Click here for step-by-step instructions about how to purchase a Pennsylvania hunting license. This change is necessary to reduce harvest rates to a level that will allow for growth of this migratory Canada goose population. Is there a correct position for the upright on a Wimberley actionhead? All rights reserved. One of these days, though, I'll get one that won't be, and I hope that will be soon. If you have a question that isnt answered below, please email us at Still, our research shows females (both juvenile and adult) comprise a larger portion of the fall harvest than males. Cougars, on the other hand, typically range from 23-28 inches at the shoulder (with some odd reports listing 35 inches maximum), with a weight ranging from 75-250 pounds . Some animals lose their fear of humans and predators. Those altered prions kill brain cells and ultimately lead to tiny holes in the brains of infected animals. Please keep scrolling - ALL the Puma posts are included. When an average sized deer is donated, approximately 200 meals can be shared with hungry Pennsylvanians. It's important to note that individuals cannot take firewood from state game lands. But a mix of bounty hunting . "Deer pose relatively less risk to them compared to larger animals. When we consider apex predators currently we have the black bear, and then to a lesser degree the coyote. They have adapted to live in the suburbs in woods, fields or even backyards without being seen by people.. According to the commission, the last Pennsylvania mountain lion was killed in the late 1800s. How, Who, and Why? Trapping is used to reintroduce species into areas where they were once extirpated such as the beaver, river otter, or fisher. 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. They're able to hunt deer in suburban areas where it's not safe to hunt. According to the commission, the last Pennsylvania mountain lion was killed in the late 1800s. 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. What is the Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners? Plus, you can set alarms on timers to make sure they go off at certain times of the day when youve spotted cougars coming onto your property. Help prevent negative human-bear conflicts and keep Pennsylvania bears wild by: Removing potential bear snacks, like pet food or bird feeders, and putting them inside overnight. 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. Road-killed deer should be reported directly to the Pennsylvania Game Commission region office that serves the county where the animal is located. Although it is beneficial to provide contact information in case game wardens have follow-up questions, callers may remain confidential. Wild pheasants are released in WPRAs for three years, depending on availability of birds and trapping success in western states. Stay calm. Remember, this one was photographed in Arizona in good puma country, although this was the first one I've recorded there. Mary saw the photo, too, and she immediately agreed, it was a puma. They ran across my yard, moving alongside my house, then disappeared into the woods. American marten weigh between 1-3 lbs. The cat mustve been after the deer that regularly invade my yard at night, usually to eat my neighbors arborvitae trees and my holly bushes.*. Harvesting 3-year-old gobblers during the spring is compensatory mortality, since most would die from predation if they are not harvested. More information about dove hunting in Pennsylvania, as well as managed dove fields on game lands is available here. When is the best time to view elk in Pennsylvania? Yes. This allows many hens to be bred, even when a much lower number of gobblers than hens exists, ensuring an adequate hatch to sustain the population. In January, the U.S. How can I become a Hunter-Trapper Education instructor? The Game Commission primarily burns to benefit wildlife and maintain the long-term health of their habitats. Its the basis of a classic fishing trick; you hold a fish a bit away from you to make it appear larger for the camera. If mountain lions are here, or are to come here, they'll have to do it on their own. Mountain Lions in Pennsylvania? Refer to the Pennsylvania Department of Healths precautionary recommendations for outdoor recreation. Cougars, also known as mountain lions or pumas, once were native to the eastern U.S. ? Click here for more information about the agency. 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 Game Commission has a carefully timed season that intentionally finds middle ground between peak gobbling and a safe nesting period. According to Prugh, cougars also could help slow the spread of Lyme's disease by taking out diseased deer and save casual gardens and crops from overgrazing. Cougar or Bobcat? If you encounter a dead or injured animal that you suspect is a victim of a wildlife crime, please report the instance to the Operation Game Thiefs toll-free hotline 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year at 1-888-PGC-8001 or fill out an online form at http://bit.ly/PGCOGT. Pictures dating to the 1930s have appeared over the years in the Pennsylvania Game Commissions magazine Game News. A tutorial on how to navigate the dashboard is available on the Game Commissions YouTube channel. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. I usually follow-up on these reports and, via email or phone conversations, I receive more details. Unfortunately, their web site no longer seems active, and has been taken over by some wacky drug product. Black panthers - cats, not superheroes - have been reported repeatedly for decades in Pennsylvania, although even more rarely than have mountain lions. Im 61 tall and it comes up to my knee. Bear check stations are open on each day of the regular firearms bear season, and on select days of the extended seasons. I used myself taken by the same camera and in the same exact location for reference, and as you can see from the frame below, my feet and ankles are missing. How many antlerless deer licenses can hunters apply for in the 2021-22 license year? Initially, the purpose of pheasant stocking was to help establish self-sustaining populations. Each year, over tha past five, I've spoken with at least one person who swears they personally saw a puma in this state. I'm thinking of the solution often suggested for pesky endangered species out west, namely wolves and grizzly bears. Everyone is familiar with albinism, the absence of pigmentation that results in a white, essentially pigment free animal, defined by pink skin and pink eyes. Are there Mountain Lions in Pennsylvania? redo these pages to match the new web site But that's not If pumas do exist in the mid-Atlantic and Northeast, could they all be released cats or escapees? It appears proportionately longer, and more pantherish. So is the second largest extant cat in North America still managing to eke out a living in the Keystone state? Granted, the image is not great, and I used some Photoshop adjustment layers to enhance the image, making it a bit easier to see. The question that remains is: if it was a house cat or cougar, how big would it be? Pennsylvanias hunting seasons, bag limits and regulations protect wildlife populations for the long-term. "Cougars really are deer specialists," said Laura Prugh, an author on the study. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. A moose is a very rare sight in Pennsylvania. Compare any game camera image with the shots above, or this game camera image, to confirm your identification. Contaminated carcasses or high-risk carcass parts which includes the head (including brain, tonsils, eyes and any lymph nodes); spinal cord backbone; spleen; skull plate with attached antlers, if visible brain or spinal cord tissue is present; cape, if visible brain or spinal cord tissue is present; upper canine teeth, if root structure or other soft tissue is present; any object or article containing visible brain or spinal cord tissue; unfinished taxidermy mounts; and brain-tanned hides may also spread the disease indirectly through environmental contamination, which lasts for years, if not decades. Would my mountain ridge be declared 'Critical Habitat' for the puma? Effective July 1, 2013; a $16 fee is charged for issuing a hunter education replacement certificate. He said the idea of having mountain lions in Pennsylvania again - they roamed the state as late as the early 1800s - seems nice at first, but would never . The mountain lionalso known as the cougar, puma, panther, or catamountis a large cat species native to the Americas. It is also unlawful to dig on state game lands. Hunters can apply online at HuntFishPA for the elk license drawing and check the status of their applications. It could, of course, also be an exceptionally big house cat, but how to find out? I'm passionate about helping people achieve their dreams, and I believe that education is the key to unlocking everyone's potential. They are there to help us. During times of the year where natural food sources are low, bears sometimes help themselves to food that is easily accessible, including bird feeders, trash cans and pet food left outside within a bears reach. Wildlife crimes affect everyone. 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. While some young animals might appear to be abandoned, usually they are not. Would that declaration close that ridge to hunting? Note: The check station for the archery and late seasons is located at a separate location. However, jakes have high probability of natural survival to the next year. 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 be fair, I've also spoken with people who, at first, thought they'd seen a puma only to find, to their embarassment, that they were looking at a house cat! I don't know if a Game Commission authority has actually said this or not, but people I've spoken to have reported this. Hunters will continue to mail antlerless-license applications to county treasurers, as required by law. The dashboard is updated weekly and features an all-new way to view past and current information related to the disease. Transmission is thought to occur through biting insects and possibly by direct contact with other infected deer or various contaminated materials in the environment that might scratch the skin allowing the virus to invade. My next step was to gauge the shoulder height of the cat. Thats outside the maximum known range for a bobcat, and way beyond the size of any healthy house cat that isnt built like a sausage. It is lawful for individuals to find and retain deer and elk antlers on public land, so long as they were shed through natural causes. There are three ways hunters can report their deer or turkey harvests: Online at HuntFishPA, by phone at the NEW toll-free number 1-800-838-4431 or by mail (using the postcard in the Hunting & Trapping Digest). This is actually a good thing, as genetic isolation generally weakens a species. Certainly, wild pheasants are preferred; however, our stocked pheasants provide countless hours of hunting recreation that otherwise would not be available. How many elk hunting seasons and zones exist in Pennsylvania? The head of the puma is small in comparision to a house cat when compared to the entire body. The rounded ears, 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. Click here for more about regulations related to the Right-to-Know law. Those applying for elk licenses can select which zones they would like to hunt. 18 inches. It is our mission to manage and protect wildlife and their habitats while promoting hunting and trapping for current and future generations. Click here for information, including regulations, maps, public shooting ranges, seasonal road schedules, access for hunters with disabilities, designated routes for horses and bicycles and more. An animal's coat can stray far from the norm. A Mountain Lion Cover Up Other exceptions are included with species seasons below. Many people feed wildlife to experience a closer encounter with wild animals, help animals survive in the winter or to increase the number of game animals. Note the long, usually thick tail. But even without that second look there was no question that we'd seen a coyote. What would account for the long tails? Are the various States guilty of essentially the same thing? However, if it doesn't exist, and if someone saw one, wouldn't there be a worry that it was a dangerous escapee? Feeding also promotes the spread of infectious diseases by having them unnaturally congregate into small areas. Which Penn State Campus Is Closest To Philadelphia? Our agency is passionate about our states wild birds and wild mammals. However, the spring season does not impact the overall annual turkey population, due to the timing of when the season opens after peak breeding, and when more than half of the hens have begun incubating eggs. Be familiar with the regulations and guidelines for the transportation of harvested game where you are hunting; 2. At one time this fact almost resulted in this cat not being protected, since it wasn't a pure strain. No. Which is the better camera, the Mark IV or the 7D? Since turkey restoration efforts 5 environmental factors have changed and the interactions of these five factors can negatively affect turkey populations. Open Records Officer: Pennsylvania Game Commission, 2001 Elmerton Avenue; Harrisburg PA 17110-9797, 717-787-4250, pgcrtk@pa.gov. Let's say the facts indicate that there have been a lot of 'pet' pumas, and many of these escaped. The agencys goal is to maintain proper wild turkey management strategies while providing maximum hunting opportunities. But it is unlikely. More than half of the Game Commissions annual revenue comes from license sales, a relatively fixed income source. Occasionally, they may become ulcerated resulting in secondary bacterial infections, which would make the deer unfit for consumption. http://bit.ly/PGCOGT. If we don't see it, it doesn't exist. We are one of the leading states when it comes to turkey hunters! Bowhunter Education course records dating back to 2000 and Cable Restraint/Furtaker Education records dating back to 2005 are also maintained. The PGC has no plans to reintroduce mountain lions or any other big predator into the state, Hardisky said. Will the Game Commission refund the cost of my hunting and furtaker licenses if I cannot travel due to COVID-19-related restrictions? Can you shoot a mountain lion if it attacks you? 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. But in recent years, the animals have been moving east. The report is available at www.pgc.pa.gov or by clicking here. My toes were literally against it. Two other reports went, in detail, on what they saw, the size, the length of tail, etc. Bears should be field dressed before being brought to a check station. Elk hunters are encouraged to spend some time in Pennsylvanias elk country to become familiar with the area in advance of the elk hunting seasons. Where can I find information about hunting and trapping seasons and bag limits? Let me explain this. This responsive harvest framework recommends a reduced late season when grouse populations are low, then increasing late season length as populations improve. We have a google map of unconfirmed public reports, pictures, videos, and historical. 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. Biology. Time is of the essence when it comes to reporting the location of a wild animal, so it's best to call, as opposed to report via email or social media. The Pennsylvania Game Commissions website, mobile app and Hunting and Trapping Digest are all great resources when looking for information related to current hunting and trapping seasons and beg limits. Thank you for your interest in Pennsylvania wildlife. the more visible white on the chest, the lack of spots, the huge hind quarters. Good luck, and let me know! For now, the state will stick with its current deer management plan, which leans heavily on hunting. Elk, Pa.s largest wild animal, have become a tourism boom in the northwest part of the state. 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. It probably wasnt; it was more likely 1-3 feet away, in which case my estimates will need to be scaled up a bit. Hi there! These fields are an exciting and new opportunity to take advantage of the most abundant and wide-ranging game bird in North America. First, inline muzzleloaders are far more efficient, compared to a flintlock rifle. From a deer management perspective, it would be possible to allow the use of inline muzzleloaders during the late season flintlock season if the hunters were required to use their antlerless tag for that specific Wildlife Management Unit (WMU). A new late season bull hunt was added this license year and 20 additional bull licenses are available. This change, to allow antlerless hunting throughout the season, is not intended to increase the antlerless harvest. To limit the effect of CWD in deer and elk populations, regulations restricting the movement of high-risk parts, banning feeding within Disease Management Areas (DMAs) and prohibiting the use of urine-based attractants in DMAs are in place. The mountain lion will most likely attempt to tackle you and crush your skull or bite your throat. *Interestingly, that following spring, we had a horrendous stench wafting in from the nearby woods. Time is of the essence when it comes to reporting the location of a wild animal, so it's best to call, as opposed to report via email or social media. Mountain lions can be found throughout Arizona, and data suggests the populations are not only stable, but growing. When he told me this, he commented on how an experience like the one he and his friends had just is not forgotten. That does not mean that the agency does not care and that we will not follow up with the information provided. The northeastern U.S. population is thought to have disappeared in the 1930s. 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. *It is illegal to feed elk and bear and deer with Chronic Wasting Disease Management Areas. Since there is no treatment or cure, limiting deer contact and interaction by increasing deer harvests across DMAs is one of the only ways to manage CWD on the landscape. Closing stocked properties on the day of stocking would reduce overall opportunity and simply shift the initial surge of hunting pressure to first light the following morning. When are prescribed fires scheduled? Thank you in advance for helping to protect Pennsylvania wildlife! Check out the Elk Viewing Guide and Elk Scenic Drive Map from the Pennsylvania Great Outdoors Visitors Bureau. The Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners voted in April 2021 to prohibit the use of centerfire rimfire rifles and handguns during the fall turkey season in response to concerns about spring harvest density being below goal in 15 of the states 23 Wildlife Management Units. The Pennsylvania Game Commission is seeking knowledgeable and experienced individuals to pass on the tradition and teach both basic and advanced hunter education training programs. What are the 2022-23 Hunting Season and Bag Limits? Spotting mountain lions is becoming a Pennsylvania pastime. Nevertheless, I put up a MOULTRIE game camera -- a brand that I've had tremendous satisfaction with -- at the carcass, hoping that scavengers would visit. While mountain lion attacks are rare, they do happen. I can't dismiss the eye-witnesses I've interviewed. This accomplished, my next move was to do a transparency overlay, in an effort to line up both images perfectly. Consumption permits for deer and turkey only: Residents can pick up deer and turkey only for consumption purposes and must obtain a permit within 24 hours. Ticks are inactive and temperatures are just right for running the dogs. Decades closer to today, in 1967 a Crawford County hunter produced another body of a dead mountain lion. Unless I am only dealing with a lot of delusional people with little judgment, something is out there. Once a hunter obtains six licenses, the hunter cant purchase additional licenses without first harvesting deer and reporting them. You read it here first: Mountain lions still exist in Pennsylvania: Just prior to the start of Pennsylvania's two-week firearms deer season, the volunteers at the Eastern Puma Research Network put out a call to hunters. 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. Yet even with these precautions, there are rare instances when animals and/or their nests may get burned. How do I register for a Hunter-Trapper Education Course? Recently, I caught an animal on my security cameras infrared setting, moving past my rear egress stairs and across the back. The story behind our new web site. The Mentored Hunting Program has expanded in recent years to offer opportunities to unlicensed hunters of ALL ages. Previous Game Commission research has shown that reducing the fall season by one week allows more hens to survive to spring and reproduce. Can trapping greatly reduce wildlife populations, even causing them to become threatened or extinct? When it comes to turkey hunting, Pennsylvania is unique, and for good reason. But they are less shy of pets and livestock, and they don't necessarily stay in the woods, either. How will I know where and when burns are planned? The Nittany Lion at State College wasn't just created out of thin air. Pennsylvania Game Commission officials say it's very unlikely it was a mountain lion. The Game Commission completed an American Marten Reintroduction Feasibility Assessment which found that Pennsylvania does have suitable habitat within the state, that negative impacts to other species and from other species is minimal, and the public strongly supports restoration. Those with additional questions related to Pennsylvanias Hunter-Trapper Education program, as well as mentored hunting opportunities, can contact the Pennsylvania Game Commissions Hunter-Trapper Education Division by calling 717-787-7015, from Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. What is the minimum and maximum ages for a mentored hunting permit? Feel free to reach out with your opinions, via Facebook or Twitter. I measured them and they were a solid 4+ inches across. Share on Social Have all of those who have seen a puma really seen a bobcat? Click here for ways to be ELK SMART. PhillyVoice Staff, Pennsylvania's popular bear cam returns with live feed from new den, Two bald eagle eggs spotted on New Jersey farm's nest cam, Marine experts offer explanations why humpback whales are dying at the Jersey Shore, Eagles' A.J. The increased light provided from knocking back small saplings and brush coupled with reduction in leaf litter or grass thatch will greatly enhance opportunities for new species to grow, particularly native grasses and forbs. Knowing that pumas range widely, would my ridge be the only one closed? A brief look, yes, but no question we saw a coyote. Continually feeding many wild animals in the same place can harm the habitat, people and the animals themselves. The smell of rotting flesh was unmistakable. Mentored hunters ages 7 and older can apply for their own antlerless deer licenses, (one antlerless license per mentored permit holder), and DMAP permits. Hunters and trappers buying licenses online will continue to be mailed all durable-stock license panels, including harvest tags, and will also be given access to eLicenses. A few could, perhaps, be mistaken idenity. Mountain lions have appeared in Pennsylvania in the past 75 years, but when they're captured, it's quickly determined they were formerly exotic pets or show animals. Why arent fall turkey seasons the same throughout the state? The mountain lionalso known as the cougar, puma, panther, or catamount is a large cat species native to the Americas. Those buying licenses from an issuing agent will be issued harvest tags at the time of purchase and will have the opportunity to have digital licenses provided through email. Spring hen disturbance and mortality can never be fully eliminated, but by giving them time to begin incubating their nest, were greatly decreasing the risk. How do I submit comments and ideas about current and proposed seasons and bag limits set by the Board of Game Commissioners? In an October study, researchers identified several regions along the East Coast that could be suitable habitats, including a section of Pennsylvania north of Du Bois and northeast of Williamsport. Do not run from a lion. Wildlife diseases are usually transferred from animal to animal by nose-to-nose contact, saliva, feces and urine. Where can I find a local hunting license vendor? the result of eating undercooked pork, said Dr. An important goal of the propagation program is to maximize recreational opportunities and harvest rates on stocked pheasants (return on hunter investment). If its further back, it could be a far larger specimen and could conceivably weigh twice that. Male turkeys will mate with multiple hens in a given breeding season, or even in a single day. If you ask me, the answer is yes. The more hens there are to be bred, the more gobblers a hunter can expect to see in future seasons, Senior Vice President for Conservation Programs Dr. James Earl Kennamer said.
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