In 1966, an animal believed to be a cougar clawed a pony, two sheep and a calf to death in western Harford County. I know it is not technically in maryland but I highly doubt this cat knows where the state line is located and stays on the Pa. side all the time. I was sitting on my front porch and I saw a very large animal at first I thought big fox. Maybe it's just a coincidence, but l have since never taken that ride. None of the rumors are true. .it walked right out downwind of us and broadside to both of us at 25 yards or so. From RE:I live and work in Wayne, about 8 to 10 years ago a woman who started her shift at about 5 am said she saw a mountain lion walking through our property one morning. In April 1997, experienced tracker John McCarter found scat near a beaver carcass at the Quabbin Reservation. Quite unnerving. The same spot, just trying to get to my donkeys late at night. They told me they would investigate and let me know, but I never received a callback. Case 1 If you need assistance, please contact the Division of Fisheries and Wildlife. Have any questions? . The woman reported seeing the animal along a path around 3 p.m. She told U.S. Park Police it was tall enough to come up to her waist, but didn't seem aggressive. Cars do not kill or injure cougars crossing roads. If you would like to continue helping us improve Mass.gov, join our user panel to test new features for the site. If your state is not . One other gentleman and I almost 10 years ago saw a mountain lion on our worksite in Clinton NJ. I dont doubt that womans experience in South Jersey one little bit! It was looking away from us attempting to catch a number of small deer that [were] on the riverbank. A number of years ago, a friend and I were driving around Walpack, which is part of The Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. This page is located more than 3 levels deep within a topic. This mountain lion was documented by DNA samples from Minnesota and Wisconsin between December 2009 and early 2010. MONTEREY There are no photos. The MLRT has investigates hundreds of mountain lion reports, but most reported sightings and tracks turn out to be bobcats or large dogs. Mountain lions dont usually travel more than 100 miles from where they are born. There is also a small population in southern Florida. Males grow antlers which fall off each winter and grow back in the summer. Very interesting piece. 13507065_10205364039255335_8657515368052999240_n.jpg. 01, 2016, . This offer only applies to OutdoorNews.com and not for any Outdoor News print subscriptions. How can a diminutive pigeon ever look like a majestic bald eagle? Habitat. I don't walk my dog on Old Mine Rd any longer because of the large number of bears, coyotes, and concern about mountain lions. On Tuesday, September 28, the Choconut Inn in Friendsville, Pennsylvania jumped in on the conversation with a Facebook post that read, "Hi everyone there's been numerous mountain lion sightings by Quaker Lake. An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the e-mail address listed on your account. Big Tech minions could compromise Americas Intelligence community. We had a tree that was partially blown over in a Noreaster creating a lifted-up mound of earth. Your e-mail address will be used to confirm your account. Lefleche told the Telegram and Gazette that Ford's sighting seems credible. This map shows the various zones where mountain lions are hunted statewide, as determined by the Arizona Fish and Game Department. My cousin and her boyfriend, who own 40 acres in Mansfield Twp NJ saw one on their property as well. In. A person I lost touch with is also convinced they are around the northwest part of Somerset county he was hunting somewhere near Raritan valley community college and photographed a giant paw print in the snow that was clearly a cougar print. Video sent in to KITV4 from a local hotel in the Captain Cook area showed the reported sighting . The USDA's Forest Service Wildlife Genetics Laboratory found that the animal came from South Dakota. From BK:I am so happy to read your article I have been telling people for years my friend and I saw a cougar and Greystone Park in Morris County I believe it was 2013 it was the end of September or early October we were coming from fishing and as we were riding I saw it stalking a bunch of deer. People from all parts of the city are posting accounts. ; track sets or photos of track sets; other tangible physical evidence verified by qualified professionals. While they haven't confirmed it is a mountain lion, they say it could very well be one. I have seen a lion twice in Sussex County. riding my dirt bike up a trail right off Rt. All other reports of mountain lions in Massachusetts have turned out to be other animals. Using DNA and physical evidence, state environmental officials said they determined that the animal . We are both members of the Walpack Historical Society. "It was so unusual," she says. The mountain lion was about 50 yards to the left of my house and was walking up the side of the mountain. I could not believe my eyes! He suggested I didn't see a lion etc. And yes I believe these other stories. Saw one in my backyard in Mercer County in 2018. This content is restricted to subscribers of OutdoorNews.com. There is no indication of population decline, the department said. They can weigh between 50-300 lbs. Suggestions are presented as an open option list only when they are available. California has one of the largest mountain lion populations in the country. Columbia police were notified of a possible mountain lion sighting in the city Thursday night, May 5. Mountain Lions have a status of extirpated in Alabama, there have been no confirmed sightings in the state in over 50 years. Mountain lion hunting season opened Aug. 13, and remains so until May 31, 2023. The government says they don't exist here. About 10 years ago I saw one crossing a narrow, rural road in Chester Township, NJ. Another woman said she was walking her dog in McLean Gardens at the edge of Glover Park when she spotted the large cat last week. (I've chosen to protect the identities of those who've shared their stories with me. Copyright 2023Outdoor News. Please limit your input to 500 characters. Another sighting involved a wild cougar that traveled through New York as it trekked nearly 1,800 miles east from its native population in South Dakota. Then he realized from the length of its tail and the shape of its body that it was a mountain lion. People even report House Cats as mountain lions in a surprising number of cases. I myself saw one back around 2008 off of Watervale Rd in Fallston, Harford County. Our wildlife research team decided to help take the mystery out of the sighting by going to the location and comparing the size of the animal to stationary objects in the frame as well as a human subject. Mountain lions inhabit the badlands and Missouri River breaks regions of North Dakota. Then in late August, a woman reported seeing a mountain lion on her drive between Millville and Avalon. Around 3 p.m., a. Please use caution. Webster residents say they spotted a mountain lion roaming around a residential neighborhood earlier this week, according to the Worcester Telegram and Gazette. Mountain Lion Sighting. document.write(year) I am sincerely amazed at the number of emails I continue to receive about mountain lion or cougar sightings in New Jersey. Not valid with other promotions. Please give us a call at 928-428-2560, Copyright There was no question as to what it was, with its coloring and long tail. There is no proof. Crews were seen from a D.C. chopper searching the park with long guns. Mountain lions became scarce in the East after a bounty system wiped out most predatory animals. Eastern Arizona Courier, Co-existing with nature: Wildlife specialists help both sides get along, Update credit card information AZGFD for 2023 spring hunts. It scowled and flipped its long just before it leaped down the bank towards the fawns. Again, there was no doubt as to what it was. AZGFD sold 11,851 tags in 2021; 260 mountain lions were killed, 17 of those as the result of livestock depredations. Home Pennsylvania Opinion Search for cougarscontinues in Pennsylvania, If youre a regular reader of this publication, or one of my neighbors, then you already know my father and, A fish may see a parade of presentations go by, therefore yours should be better than the rest. I was on my deck at around 10 in the morning. In March 2011, DCR forester Steve Ward photographed a track trail in the snow near the Gate 8 boat launch area of Quabbin Reservoir. For a limited time, you can get full access to breaking news, all original Outdoor News stories and updates from the entire Great Lakes Region and beyond, the most up-to-date fishing & hunting reports, lake maps, photo & video galleries, the latest gear, wild game cooking tips and recipes, fishing & hunting tips from pros and experts, bonus web content and much, much more, all on your smartphone, tablet or desktop For just a buck per month! ", With its long tail and sleek, cat-like body, the animal was unquestionably a mountain lion, Mrs. Vanosnabrugge says. Your account has been registered, and you are now logged in. In windy or mountainous areas, Elbroch says air horns are great tools to throw off a cat's focus and deter them from . Confirmed reports of mountain lions in Massachusetts She shared the pictures with Animal Control Officer Michelle Lefleche, who posted two on Facebook. The Fort Worth Star-Telegraph reports on a mountain lion sighting in April 2022. The network doesnt believe phone callers, such as the ones the Maryland DNR hears of a large cat the size of a German shepherd or larger dog walking down the trail.Youve got to do better than that, says the Cougar Networks professional big-cat specialists. MassWildlife uses evidence-based criteria for confirming reports of mountain lions. It also looked to be at least 4-5 feet in length, not counting its long, thick tail. elk calf with characteristics of a mountain lion kill. adroll_language = "en_US"; Search for cougarscontinues in Pennsylvania, Stories from the first season in a new hunting house. I know bobcats and it definitely wasnt one especially having a 3+ foot tail that was quite thick. If you're looking for some information that's important to you (such as research for work or learning how to manage your money), then the advice here is to first write down the relevant keywords on a piece of paper to figure out exactly what you want, which will be a lot more efficient. There have been at least two other sightings in the same area. Please limit your input to 500 characters. Hunters do not stumble across the remains of dead mountain lions in the woods, he says. adroll_version = "2.0"; The feedback will only be used for improving the website. In this video we discuss why we have reached our conclusion as well as explaining some natural history about this species. The latest sighting happened Wednesday afternoon, according to a News4 viewer who says she spotted the animal near the Beltway exit to Connecticut Avenue. It WAS a mountain lion. But John Lutz, a cougar buff who runs a Baltimore-based group called the Eastern Puma Research Network, says there are at least 100 wild mountain lions roaming Maryland. In my moment of "fear" - I called the non-emergent police number They sent an officer out and we told him what we had seen. Pigeons? If you are not and would like to read this and all the other great . There are hundreds more throughout the East Coast, he and other naturalists believe. From RD:I live in Cumberland in Maurice River township. Mistaken reports of Mountain Lions in Massachusetts are most commonly bobcats, the state said. On we go with just some of the reports I've received in the last few days: From RB:I've been reading your stories about mountain lion sightings, I too have seen a mountain lion; this was during the early spring or late winter of 2021. There has only been 1 confirmed mountain lion sighting on the coastal side of I5 since around the 1970's or 80's, that info can be confirmed with any local park ranger. Other people say they have seen these beautiful cats and have also caught them, in the past, on camera in the woods. Over a period of a year and a half, this mountain lion left DNA evidence in at least four states. We both stopped. Its a one-lane road off of Riva Avenue near Farrington Lake. I called it in and was told there are no mountain lions in NJ. Inasmuchas he didn't see it himself - he could not (would not) confirm what we had seen. All rights reserved. The animals, which weight between 90 and 160 pounds and range over a large territory for food, have not left tracks that could be verified by wildlife experts. Over the past 25 years, dozens of Maryland residents have reported cougar encounters, even though wildlife officials insist that mountain lions haven't roamed the state for at least a century. However, deer in the park are normally about 100 lbs. Mountain lions ( Puma concolor) are one of the six native species of wild cats in North America. A pretty severe thunderstorm had just ended so for the afternoon it was quite dark. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. According to Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD), a person may use dogs to pursue, but not kill or capture a mountain lion in a unique pursuit-only season that coincides with the open season. White-tailed deer are the most abundant large animals in the park. They are here! 0:11. My dad also has a friend that lives in North Jersey I believe in alpha somewhere by the NY border in a more rural area and he has seen them in his yard and captured them on his trail camera. Both off of Carrs Mill Rd before the cement bridge (for those of you that may be familiar) Males, also called bucks, are about 20 percent larger than females, which are called does. In Zone K, which includes areas 1 and 27 and covers some of Graham and Greenlee counties, 17 lions were killed in 2021. It was when the reservoir was really low. For more information on mountain lions, visit the . Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Please let us know how we can improve this page. I was told to call animal control. It was at least four feet long and had a tail just as long. "I knew a lot of people wouldn't believe I'd seen it," he says. Mountain lion hunting season opened Aug. 13, and remains so until May 31, 2023. "Where'd you take the picture? An adult male bobcat can reach four feet in length and 35-40 pounds. The next thing we see is this cat. Alaska It was ENORMOUS! "She was hesitant to report it because she thought people wouldn't believe her," Lefleche told the paper. a graphic depiction of America's mountain lion history. A regional wildlife biologist with the Department of Natural Resources' Forest, Park and Wildlife Service, he says mountain lions were hunted into extinction by the people who settled Maryland. "It was a cougar," insists the 57-year-old Catonsville woman. A couple of sightings involved captive mountain lions that escaped from licensed facilities in New York State. This gave Nebraska lions some protection under Commission ruling until 2014 when, in a controversial decision, hunting permits were issued . POCATELLOMountain lions are being sighted throughout Pocatello, according to official reports and social media posts from local residents. AFGFD said the data suggest the statewide population of mountain lions is stable to increasing, with an annual population estimate at 2,876 animals since 2004. (A valid mountain lion pursuit-only permit or a valid, unused mountain lion non-permit tag is required.). "It ran right in front of my truck a few weeks ago," said Kenneth Basler, a town official who said he saw the large cat around Stevens Pond . #1 The tail. Mass.gov is a registered service mark of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Adult males may be more than 8 feet long (from the tip of the nose to the tip of the tail), and can weigh between 130 and 150 pounds. . Some kitty this is!An outfit known as the Cougar Network (www.easterncougarnet.org) tracks cougar sightings all over the various states where cougar populations are not known to exist. From RE:Hi Joe, no one believed me but back in about 1986 I was. Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password. "It's a mountain lion," the officer said. 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). Our eyes locked and we were both motionless. All rights reserved, Officers Shoot, Kill Man With Knife: Frederick City Police, DC Health COVID Centers Are Closing March 31, Driver Dies in Frederick, Maryland Tanker Fire; Northbound US Route 15 Lanes Closed, Family Explores Legal Action After Student Forced to Pick Cotton in Class, Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD), Chaos': Matthew McConaughey, Camila Alves Were on Harrowing Lufthansa Flight Diverted by Turbulence. Turned its head and looked right at me for several seconds. I have seen a lion twice in Sussex County. It is difficult to know if someone saw a mountain lion without any tangible evidence. Please do not include personal or contact information. Contact Laura Jean Schneider at LauraJean@eacourier.com, Mountain lions leave bloody path in Clifton, {child_flags:featured}Co-existing with nature, -The scientific name given to mountain lions is Puma concolor, meaning cat of one color.. May 2015: Laclede Idaho Fish and Game officers and personnel responded to . . Rt 206/Lamington Rd. So, thanks to all who reached out, and to all who are as fascinated about this subject as I am. After the male mountain lion was removed from Red Hill Trail on May 11, additional sightings in that area were reported: one on May 16, and two over the weekend of May 19 and 20. Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. It was heading northeast toward Peapack, NJ. All these photos were taken in a state other than Massachusetts. Saw them all at dusk. From TR:l just dug out my NJ Rare Wildlife Report Form of September 14, 2013. l was taking a favorite off and on-road bike ride that l call the Harrisville/Oswego Loop, which starts on Rt 679. Yet this young male traveled about 1,800 miles. The young adult male was killed by an SUV on the Wilbur Cross Parkway in Milford, Connecticut on June 11, 2011. As of Sept. 7, 12 animals have been tagged statewide thus far. Mountain lions occur across much of the state and bring about a wide range of complex conservation and management challenges. Purported mountain lion sighting causes stir FALLING WATERS Fliers and a plywood sign warning of purported sightings of a mountain lion near the area where two miniature horses and a donkey were killed in recent animal attacks caused a stir for local residents Tuesday, but authorities say there's no definitive indication such an animal is in the area. Brigantino Park, on San Juan Road in Hollister, closed July 19 following the sighting of an adult mountain lion with a cub and will remain off limits until further notice, according to the park . 24K views 4 years ago #cougar #mountainlion #maryland On May 31, 2018 an interesting video of an animal walking across a field was captured in the Fallston area of Harford County, Maryland. Delivered right as the newspaper goes to print on Wednesdays and Saturdays. ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the official website. Although they're not often seen walking. Are there mountain lions in Massachusetts. 10 Reply Gov_Martin_OweMalley 4 yr. ago The screaming stopped and a few minutes later I spotted it in my backyard. (DS says her sighting was from earlier this summer.). In an article in the Maryland Natural Resource magazine, Therres mentions that reports of cougar sightings come from every sector in the state as if were overrun with the big cats. Someone else reported seeing the cat last February. Or so they think!. Straw says. When I got up to where I think it was it was gone and to me, if it was a bear well bears don't have tails and two to me a bear would kind of struggle to get into the woods and lose stamina after a certain point maybe this thing it ran it took off and didn't look back. Our wildlife research team decided to help take the mystery out of the sighting by going to the location and comparing the size of the animal to stationary objects in the frame as well as a human subject. Then it turned and went back into the woods. Body coloration can range from tan to gray and cubs are usually covered with blackish brown spots. From HR:I saw a MountainLion in the fall of 2017 in Bedminster/Far Hills NJ while driving south on Rt 206/Lamington Rd. From C:About 15 years ago we were on our motorcycles riding around Delaware NJ by the Gap we went on a gravel road came to a bridge we couldn't cross turned around driving real slow cause we all had Harleys I kept like 10 bike lengths between us because of the dust kicking up and right in front of me crossed a mountain lion no more than 10 feet away from me no way I was mistaken. There are occasional reports of people who think they saw one, maybe they even took a blurry picture, but those are most likely bobcats. The MLRT has confirmed fewer than 100 cases. They are definitely here. I saw it too while jogging at lunchtime. At least someone else believed me. -Only California bans regulated harvest of mountain lions, with all other states maintaining regulated hunting seasons for this species. A video posted Tuesday on Facebook of a mountain lion ambling across a dirt road near Edens Red Knolls has snagged a lot of interest, according to social media views and discussion. Mountain lions were classified as a game species by the Nebraska State Legislature in 1995, mandating the Commission to set hunting seasons only if the lion population was large enough to sustain a harvest. Well, as luck would have it, my co worker took this very nice pic of a mature female mountain lion last week just south of Uniontown Pa. A work colleague of mine lives in Layton, a town next to Walpack in Sussex County. This mountain lion was documented by DNA samples from Minnesota and Wisconsin between December 2009 and early 2010. Some page levels are currently hidden. These areas are heavily wooded reserves owned by Morris County and the State of New Jersey. It was about 12:30 at night. I will say I've received reports from all around the state but several of the reports seem to be in the same area: West Milford in the northern part of the state. Unconfirmed sightings of mountain lions and panthers do persist in Maryland, according to the state Department of Natural Resources website. Me and my friend are trying to put together a list/map of sightings in MD. He caught the animal in his headlights and, at first, thought it was a large Labrador retriever. I guess they werent willing to admit it but my son and I knew what we saw.