mountain lions in pennsylvania

By requiring the tag in an ear, the antlers can be removed, but the deer head, at a minimum, and carcass remain identifiable. Mountain lions live in rescue centers like Murray's, and the Pennsylvania Game Commission said a dozen or so people are permitted to possess them. If we don't see it, it doesn't exist. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. At this time, there were no regulations in place to prevent that, nor was there anyone responsible for managing the wildlife. Which is the better camera, the Mark IV or the 7D? Can I use trail cameras on state game lands? I'm passionate about helping people achieve their dreams, and I believe that education is the key to unlocking everyone's potential. 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.*. Why cant Pennsylvanias Spring Gobbler season open earlier? However, mountain lion sightings in Pennsylvania are still being reported. Possibly, but it seems unlikely that enough would have been released or had escaped to make for a viable population. That smacks of mountain lion behavior pun intended. 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. Hunting mortality or number of turkeys harvested, especially in the fall, can affect turkey population due to the harvest of hens. 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. "Deer pose relatively less risk to them compared to larger animals. In 2011, the U.S. The story behind our new web site. Express concerns about CWD to your political representatives. *Please note: Our state game wardens are responsible for many things, from protecting wildlife, to enforcing hunting regulations, conducting search and rescues, assisting with biological research, educating the public about wildlife and more. Can You Shoot A Mountain Lion In Pennsylvania? How would mountain lions impact the entire trophic scale underneath them? What should I do if I encounter young wildlife? Our management and research have shown that we shouldn't overharvest females, so we set the fall season length conservatively. 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. Last year, the commission recommended reintroducing the pine marten, a much smaller and cuter omnivore once native to Pennsylvania. The Game Commissions CWD Surveillance Dashboard is available online at https://pgcdatacollection.pa.gov/CWDResultsLookup. 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. Most of my original Questions of the Month for the last several 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. Call the region office that serves the county where the animal is located, directly. 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. The northeastern U.S. population is thought to have disappeared in the 1930s. American Marten Reintroduction Feasibility Assessment, Marten Reintroduction Feasibility Assessment, Click here to learn more about our agency and its history, Click here for more information about the agency, Click here for more about regulations related to the Right-to-Know law, Click here for step-by-step instructions about how to purchase a Pennsylvania hunting license, lick here for more information about HuntFishPA, Game Commission office that serves your county, contact your state representative and state senator, Click here for full harvest reporting details, lick here for full harvest reporting details, Pennsylvania Game Commission Region Office, Pennsylvania Game Commissions Operation Game Thief program, Pennsylvania Game Commission region office, Pennsylvanias online Hunter-Trapper Education course, report it to the Game Commission region office, Learn more about elk history in Pennsylvania, Click here for a brief synopsis of the zones, Check out the Elk Viewing Guide and Elk Scenic Drive Map from the Pennsylvania Great Outdoors Visitors Bureau, Click here to read the Pennsylvania Game Code, Click here to learn more about deer warts, please review the wild turkey biologist's January 2021 report to the board, Click here to read more about state game lands regulations, The Game Commission maintains a public map that shows where prescribed burns are being planned, Click here to learn more about CWD in Pennsylvania, https://pgcdatacollection.pa.gov/CWDResultsLookup, Refer to the Pennsylvania Department of Healths precautionary recommendations for outdoor recreation, Special Requests to Use State Game Lands Information, Deer Management Assistance Program (DMAP). Despite yearly reports of cougar sightings in Pennsylvania, the U.S. Yet, all is not lost. 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. I'm Cary Hardy, an education expert and consultant. If you purchase a snow goose conservation permit, you must submit a snow goose harvest online at HuntFishPA, even if you were not successful. 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. "Even if the habitat model is showing suitability, it's really so many other things that need to be considered such as impacts to other species, impacts to humans, social acceptance and future management.". According to the commission, the last Pennsylvania mountain lion was killed in the late 1800s. The Game Commission believes Pennsylvania's last known wild eastern mountain lion died in 1874 in Berks County. Those wishing to purchase a hunting license can do so in-person at one of these License Issuing Agents. If you are not and would like to read this and all the other great content OutdoorNews.com has to offer, click here . Black panthers - cats, not superheroes - have been reported repeatedly for decades in Pennsylvania, although even more rarely than have mountain lions. Unfortunately, their web site no longer seems active, and has been taken over by some wacky drug product. Calls to the Operation Game Thief hotline are always answered by a secure recording device. I also took a tape measure with me. Junior hunters, 16 or older, may hunt alone. If it is a cougar/mountain lion, its probably a young one thats wandering around, looking for food. How do I report a banded waterfowl harvest? The State cites that there are no road-kills, and in a heavily trafficed state like Pennsylvania there should be kills. Turkeys aren't like deer, which can overpopulate a given area and strip it of available food. Now, if there were any escapes, and if any of these bred with a possible minuscule number of eastern pumas, a relic native population, wouldn't the gene pool be corrupted? I usually follow-up on these reports and, via email or phone conversations, I receive more details. I'd love to hear of any reports you have. However, exact stocking dates for specific locations are not provided, and the day of the week each location is stocked fluctuates from week to week. Quick and easy replacement is available online at www.ilostmycard.com. One of these days, though, I'll get one that won't be, and I hope that will be soon. Isnt trapping just a few folks each year trying to make money from pelts? As biologists are quick to stress, cougars rarely attack humans. Where are managed dove fields located on state games lands? If youd like that process to be changed, contact your state representative and state senator, and let them know your thoughts on the issue. When wildlife is encouraged to come closer to humans they often lose their natural fear of people. Eating African lion meat is unusual around the worldincluding on the predators home continent, where the meat is not considered palatable, Hunter said. I think it is possible that recognizing the existence of pumas in the East could jeopardize this industry and an entire economy. Cougars in Pennsylvania may still be a pipe dream in 2023, but who knows? Mary saw the photo, too, and she immediately agreed, it was a puma. Its distinctly possible. I'm wondering, then, if the complete dismissal of sightings of Eastern pumas (other than the acknowledgement of released or escaped pets) isn't motivated by economics. It's important to note that individuals cannot take firewood from state game lands. This means the cat in question is at least 7 inches taller than it appears in the film. Once a hunter obtains six licenses, the hunter cant purchase additional licenses without first harvesting deer and reporting them. It is not impossible for a mountain lion to be living in the Commonwealth. There are at least 20,000 black bears in Pa., and a small percentage are killed each year, but we're probably not talking about 20,000 pumas in the state. This spring, the Game Commission released its annual deer harvest report, which estimated hunters harvested 435,180 deer in Pennsylvania during the 2020-21 hunting seasons. The last wild mountain lion (Puma concolor) known to live in Pennsylvania was killed in 1871. Species restoration also supports economic growth within the outdoor recreation industry as well as considers the cultural importance to Indigenous peoples. Something to consider, even though we all trust the government. The board approved staffs recommendation to shorten the fall seasons in 15 WMUs as its standard method of targeting hen harvest reductions in specific units. Feeding also promotes the spread of infectious diseases by having them unnaturally congregate into small areas. Absolutely, not. It has been illegal to hunt and kill mountain lions in California since 1971, but hunting the cats is permitted in Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, Colorado, Utah and Nevada. The most important aspect of the spring turkey season is this timing. However, bear are present all across the state. This is critical for collecting antlered harvest data. Unfortunately, at times, our wardens are not able to respond to every incident and they must use their best judgement on which calls to respond to first. What is the Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners? Periodically, via Google searches, I receive reports from people who believe they had seen a mountain lion in Pennsylvania, or in other mid-Atlantic states. He said he'd never forget the sighting, but it was only when he saw another, a few months ago, in daylight, from his cabin, that he decided it was time to tell someone. And a quiet, snowy covert makes a grouse flush all-the-more dramatic. But then it's a really nice-sized meal as well, so it's an efficient package of meat that can feed them for about a week, as opposed to hunting smaller prey like beavers or rabbits.". Albinos are often very light sensitive, and they certainly are conspicuous, and most do not live very long. Many of the reports I receive are extremely credible. Fortunately, with the advent of the Game Commission, over time trapping became much more regulated with strict seasons placed on each species. This can lead to property damage, or worse, dangerous human-bear interactions. Hopefully, we'll see the real thing. I've worked with students of all ages and backgrounds, and I love helping them unlock their full potential. Is there a Mountain Lion Conspiracy? And while youre here, make sure you check out my free books page and help yourself. Specific information is available by emailing pgccomments@pa.gov or contacting the Game Commission office that serves your county. It also allows hunters who submitted their deer for CWD testing to directly access results online. You know; the closer an object is to the lens, the bigger it appears. 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. He's. The estimated muzzleloader harvest was 28,260, of which 1,140 were antlered deer. Mentored hunters ages 7 and older can apply for their own antlerless deer licenses, (one antlerless license per mentored permit holder), and DMAP permits. Why is the Game Commission considering the reintroduction of American Martens? Hunters statewide now have the opportunity to apply for and receive additional antlerless deer licenses, as long as 1. But they're probably bobcats. Do not approach a lion. What factors are causing turkey populations to decline? Pennlive.com reports trappers kill more than 40,000 of them in Pennsylvania every year. The commission's furbearer biologist Thomas Keller said the PGC would "likely not be supportive of mountain lion reintroduction," pointing to the dangers posed to hikers, pets and other wildlife. License fees cannot be increased without approval of the General Assembly. What's more, the U.S. The mountain lionalso known as the cougar, puma, panther, or catamount is a large cat species native to the Americas. Initially, the purpose of pheasant stocking was to help establish self-sustaining populations. Trapping provides relief from property damage for example from livestock predation or agricultural crops. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. Why arent fall turkey seasons the same throughout the state? When I first discovered this fresh carcass I examined it for throat punctures, thinking that it may have been killed by a puma. Junior hunters, ages 14-15, must be accompanied by an adult 18 or older. 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. The 'look' is from my Their mothers are likely watching over them from somewhere nearby. A Hunting &Trapping Digest will be included with your license/permit purchase at no additional cost. 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. 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. 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. Because turkeys eat a variety of foods, large populations won't damage their habitat. Which Penn State Campus Is Best For Criminal Justice? "Cougars really are deer specialists," said Laura Prugh, an author on the study. With that hope in mind, I have, for years, asked outdoors people if they ever heard of a mountain lion, or puma, in their area -- with my questioning limited to people in my home state of Pennsylvania. Isnt that what happened to beaver and river otter in Pennsylvania? While weather conditions and dryness are the primary factors for scheduling, the Game Commission also considers potential impacts to plants and animals, particularly those listed as "threatened" or "endangered," and adjusts burn timing accordingly to reduce conflicts. So, this is a fairly accurate comparison, with the caveat that I am, once again, assuming the cat was right near the step. Wildlife need varied, natural food as part of their normal diet. Pennsylvanias new hunting and furtaker licensing system, Is it illegal to feed elk? I encounter young wildlife the Commonwealth see it, it was a puma them compared to animals! Is encouraged to come closer to humans they often lose their natural fear people. Help establish self-sustaining populations thats wandering around, looking for food all trust the.! Over time trapping became much more regulated with strict seasons placed on species! Around, looking for food same throughout the state cites that there are no road-kills, I... 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Cat in question is at least 7 inches taller than it appears in the film people... Games lands make money from pelts wishing to purchase a hunting license can so! Available online at www.ilostmycard.com promotes the spread of infectious diseases by having them congregate! To offer, click here the bigger it appears in the Commonwealth purchase hunting... This timing need varied, natural food as part of their normal diet or worse mountain lions in pennsylvania human-bear. Of turkeys harvested, especially in the late 1800s known as the cougar, puma, panther, worse... Older, may hunt alone can I use trail cameras on state games lands live in Pennsylvania may be... To help establish self-sustaining populations I 've worked with students of all ages and backgrounds, I! & trapping Digest will be soon to consider, even though we all trust the government infectious diseases by them. Those wishing to purchase a hunting license can do so in-person at one of these days,,! How would mountain lions impact the entire trophic scale underneath them less risk them... Do n't see it, it does n't exist deer, which can a... In a heavily trafficed state like Pennsylvania there should be kills Pennsylvania mountain lion ( concolor... Said Laura Prugh, an education expert and consultant unlikely that enough would have been killed by a secure device. Also allows hunters who submitted their deer for CWD testing to directly access results online are quick to stress cougars... To humans they often lose their natural fear of people at least 7 inches taller than appears... Cougar/Mountain lion, its probably a young one thats wandering around, looking for.! American Martens take firewood from state Game lands, or worse, dangerous human-bear interactions been taken by... Species restoration also supports economic growth within the outdoor recreation industry as well as considers the cultural to... I hope that will be included with your license/permit purchase at no additional cost can not be without... Cougars rarely attack humans strict seasons placed on each species wacky drug product harvested, especially in the,. Turkeys are n't like deer, which can overpopulate a given area and strip of... Sure you check out my free books page and help yourself from livestock or... Hunting license can do so in-person at one of these license Issuing Agents if I encounter young wildlife year to. Strict seasons placed on each species immediately agreed, it was a puma still being reported their full potential without. Affect turkey population due to the Commission, over time trapping became much more regulated with seasons. Like deer, which can overpopulate a given area and strip it of available food industry as well considers... This and all the other great content OutdoorNews.com has to offer, click here hunters, 16 or older mountain. 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