are there mountain lions in the poconosmarc bernier funeral arrangements

"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 bobcat wouldn't survive. It is almost safe to say that the panther has in these parts become extinct, Goodrich wrote. Would these ridges be declared off-limits for hunting? It is an Italianate Villa home that features authentic Victorian furniture and finishing. It was definitely a mountain lion, and it had a big buck, white-tailed deer in its jaws. Of interestRamapough Lenape chief: National park in PA and NJ would be among 'most destructive things' since colonization. Recently, on a back road in Pennsylvania, a friend and I had our first sighting of a coyote in Pennsylvania. 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. Possibly, but it seems unlikely that enough would have been released or had escaped to make for a viable population. The Pocono Mountains, commonly referred to as the Poconos / p o k n o z /, are a geographical, geological, and cultural region in Northeastern Pennsylvania.They overlook the Delaware River and Delaware Water Gap to the east, Lake Wallenpaupack to the north, Wyoming Valley and the Coal Region to the west, and the Lehigh Valley to the south. Confirmed cougar sightings have increased in the Midwest and Great Lakes states in recent years.". By the mid-1900s pumas were eliminated from almost all of the eastern states, and by mid-century were officially extinct east of the Mississippi, except for a remnant population in southern Florida. Some outdoor enthusiasts insist they have seen the big cats here and believe them to be naturally occurring, native animals. The last native mountain lion known to be killed in Pennsylvania is on display in the State Museum of Pennsylvania in Harrisburg. "It's fall bow-hunting season soon," he said. It will happen eventually. "When I started telling people, most of them didn't believe me, but I will never forget that huge face staring right at me," said a Montgomery County woman who says she saw a lion last summer in Limerick Township while walking her dog. 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. It was recorded in Minnesota and Wisconsin in late 2009 and early 2010, and then died in Connecticut in 2011. 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. Colorado and California have the highest estimated populations of mountain lions in the United States. Recent post: Why Is It Called Beaver Stadium? 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. 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. Everyone else, when reporting, were frustrated as they were told they had seen a bobcat. I've know of reports since 1973, in Cooke Forest, the heart of a lot of Pa. wilderness. Fish and Wildlife Service officially declared the Eastern subspecies of the mountain lion extinct, which would seem to bolster the skeptics. 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. 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. 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. Mountain lions, Goodrich wrote, were more dreaded than wolves as the cat could climb over any fence that could be built. Penn State's Nittany Lion hide sampled for DNA sequencing, Mountain lion reports in Pennsylvania popular, but often a hoax, More Local News to Love Start today for 50% off Expires 3/6/23. Check out our online field guide to read more in this series. Mountain lion populations struggle to outpace the high hunting limits. Is it the New Best Pack? Scientists debate whether the large prehistoric mammals became extinct at the end of the Ice Age due to over-hunting, or rapid climate warming. These powerful, majestic creatures once lived across much of the country but have since been killed or pushed out of most of it. John Leap of East Stroudsburg's Lakeside Peat Humus Co. and an employee, Paul Strauser, found the bones in a peat bog off Route 209. I have received about two dozen reports during that time, including one game camera image that still looks very credible to me. Are mountain lions on their way to Pennsylvania? Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. 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. Colby is a freelance writer from Charlotte, North Carolina. Foster said mountain lions and bobcats could not breed. Colorado is the perfect habitat for mountain lions. . While there have been no confirmed occurrences of mountain lions in Pennsylvania since the late 1800s, dozens . When he told me this, he commented on how an experience like the one he and his friends had just is not forgotten. Some may be animals that dispersed into the region from western populations. 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. 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. Cougar vs Mountain Lion What Are the Differences? In Yellowstone, definite puma country (perhaps not ideal habitat, but pumas are found in every section of Yellowstone), I've spoken to guys on road crews and with rangers, each with 20 years of field or road experience in Yellowstone, and the ranger had only seen 2 (both road kills and together) and the road crew guys two or three in all their years. Please keep scrolling - ALL the Puma posts are included. Murray also has a cross-eyed white tiger named Keisha, who crushed chicken bones with ease but delicately stepped into a metal pool to cool off. (What is meant by "heads" is not clear.). It's sort of like big foot, some people say they've seen him.". 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. The mountain lion population in Nevada is essential to the control of deer and rodent populations in the mountainous regions of the state. Hopefully, we'll see the real thing. All rights reserved (About Us). There are deserts, mountains, and swamps in the state of Utah, all of which are suitable for mountain lions. A few could, perhaps, be mistaken idenity. The Golden State has one of the largest populations of mountain lions in the country. And a bit of an unpleasant one at that, as they now faced ridicule or doubt whenever they discussed their sightings. An assessment list for Lower Smithfield Township in 1761 when it was part of Northampton County (Monroe having not yet been created) taxed "three pence per pound and shillings per head" laid on the land and inhabitants. Fish and Wildlife Service. Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. 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. What does a Puma (Mountain Lion) look like on a Game Camera? In the wild, adult mountain lions can weigh anywhere from 65 to 220 pounds. Why do I advocate manual exposure so avidly? Unless I am only dealing with a lot of delusional people with little judgment, something is out there. One of the three branches or clans of the Lenape Tribe at the end of the 17th century was known as the Wolf (Minsi). I asked our Game officials about evidence, and they cite no road kills. Leslie estimated that the first humans making up the Paleo-Indians lived in the upper Delaware valley as early as 11,000 B.C. 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! There isnt an official estimate on mountain lions in the state. Caribou meat apparently was part of their diet. See also: I'll be anxious to learn of your report. This animal was undoubtedly a bobcat. Are there Mountain Lions (Pumas, Cougars) in Pennsylvania and the Mid-Atlantic States? Instead, the person usually pauses, sometimes with a sheepish or embarrassed expression on his face, and seems reluctant to continue. Travis Lau, a spokesperson for the Game Commission, said the state has a "never say never" approach when it comes to mountain lions and acknowledges that Western cats could be moving east. Among other uses, the tax was levied "for destroying wolves, foxes, heads and crows." Note the long, usually thick tail. This, after they were told that there were no pumas in Pa. I regularly ask hunters and outdoors people if they've ever seen a mountain lion, or know of anyone that has. Learn more about us & read our affiliate disclosure. What do I think of the Canon 1D Mark IV? 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. For example, leopards and jaguars, normally spotted cats, have a melanistic color morph, the 'black panther,' the black leopard or black jaguar. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. The Asa Packer Mansion, built in the year 1861, is a historic house museum. I was heading up the road and I saw an animal with a long tail.". Two other reports went, in detail, on what they saw, the size, the length of tail, etc. 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. "I kind of doubt they saw a cougar, but I'm not God.". 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 of the native mountain lions live in Bryce Canyon and Zion National Park, but humans rarely ever see them due to their secretive nature. There are approximately 4,000 of those 10- to 40-pound cats in the state. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Most, quite honestly, don't know or can't believe or accept what they saw, they really can't believe their eyes. Is there a Puma conspiracy? All rights reserved. original web site, although if I ever have enough time I might In captivity mountain, lions can live to be about 20 years old. 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? 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. According to the Pennsylvania Game Commission, the last Pennsylvania mountain lion was killed in the late 1800s. Although in captivity, they can live much longer. 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. Mountain lions typically eat about one deer per week, along with other smaller prey as the opportunity arises. This happens usually around the 18-month mark. The state of Texas is home to many mountain lion populations, but the numbers are incredibly hard to find. Are Mountain Lions in Missouri Making a Comeback? The reintroduction of mountain lions into South Dakota is one of the great wins of modern conservation. Is there a correct position for the upright on a Wimberley actionhead? The question is just like in the story of the boy who cried wolf) if that day ever arrives, how will we believe those first, true sightings after so many hoaxes have been perpetrated on the public? Now consider: If it was confirmed that there was a breeding population of endangered pumas on the mountain ridge behind my house, if the USFWS recognized the existence of this endangered species, what might happen? I've seen hoaxes, of pumas carrying deer shot with game cameras, but these were of western cats. 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. Did they migrate south from Canada? Mountain lions have an interesting life cycle that consists of a few different characteristics. If so, what would happen to the hunting industry in all of these states? Other states have had sightings, especially as mountain lion populations begin to explore and look to expand. Jones has never seen a mountain lion, but he thinks they're prowling around. To learn more about "lion country" in Colorado check here. And when our officers go out to investigate reports of mountain lions, or when our staff reviews photos that are sent to us, often we're able to verify some other animal mistakenly was reported as a mountain lion.". WATCH: Sharks biting alligators, the most epic lion battles, and MUCH more. The state of Idaho is large, expansive, and full of rocky wilderness. 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! Additionally, California banned the hunting of cougars back in 1972, encouraging population growth. On some investigations, Foster has teamed up with Stacey Griffiths, who started the Central PA Mountain Lion Sightings page earlier this year. Goodrich said he once saw a mountain lion spring from a thicket and kill a sheep on a public road. He's a hunter, a woodsman, and he's seen a lot of game, so I can believe he saw a back-lighted puma. Would my mountain ridge be declared 'Critical Habitat' for the puma? 2023 www.poconorecord.com. years are available through this link. Remember, this one was photographed in Arizona in good puma country, although this was the first one I've recorded there. Pocono Record sports writer Mike Kuhns wrote a great piece on Oct. 14, "Does the mountain lion roam PA?" After a gestation period of 90 days, female mountain lions will give birth to litters of about one to six cubs. This will be one of your best identification marks, along with size. He knows and was familiar with bobcats, and it was not a weird house cat that he and his friends misjudged in size. Leap transferred ownership rights to the state. What would account for the long tails? Although unconfirmed, mountain lions continue to be reported in many spots across Pennsylvania, including several reports in the past couple months.

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