are there mountain lions in the poconoshomes for sale milam county, tx
Recent post: Why Is It Called Beaver Stadium? Consider that the endangered Florida puma has mixed genes. These color morphs are most common in rain forests and jungles. Furthermore, a different set of photos showed a "mountain lion" dragging a deer into the woods in Bradford County. So, couldn't that same argument apply to pumas in the Northeast? The last of three glaciations covered 30% of Pennsylvania, including much of the Poconos, from around 20,000-10,000 B.C. I'd suspect it would still be considered very rare, after all, it was thought to be extinct. After a gestation period of 90 days, female mountain lions will give birth to litters of about one to six cubs. This happens usually around the 18-month mark. Here it is: I still couldn't get the big head/little neck, and the body is a bit stouter/shorter, but a striding cat might be stretched out a bit. I want to believe they're here, but I'm having some trouble. The Cougar Network, working with state agencies, have documented multiple mountain lions as far east as Kentucky, Tennessee and Michigan in recent years, as well as that cat killed on a highway in Milford, Connecticut, in June 2011. I can't dismiss the eye-witnesses I've interviewed. I asked our Game officials about evidence, and they cite no road kills. The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) also reports evidence that humans arrived during the last glaciation or soon after. This is huge news for conservationists around the country and a sign that cougars may be heading east once again. Just take your pick of all these incredible Pocono lake house rentals or just a Pocono cabin for rent, in luxury of course! Among those who have investigated the primeval times of the Pocono Plateau and Delaware River valleys and tributaries was the late Vernon Leslie, Ph.D., a Wayne County historian and archaeologist. . This one streaked across the road in the early evening, and fortunately, it stopped when it climbed a hill on the other side where I had another view from my side of the truck. Discover the Little-Known U.S. River Gorge That's, The 9 Best Books About National Parks for Travelers, mountain lions seem to be making a comeback. Colorado has a large number of mountain lions within its borders, mostly due to the high elk population, dense forests, and isolated mountain ranges. "From three really reliable sources who are always around the woods from Monroe County to Bradford, there is no doubt that there are mountain lions in Pennsylvania," East Stroudsburg University football team offensive coordinator and avid hunter Mike Terwilliger said. 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. It was decided that this shouldn't influence the decision and, in fact, an infusion of new genes produces a hybrid vigor, lessening the chance of in-breeding. Local outlets carried reports of cougar encounters at least into the 1910s. Is it the New Best Pack? a high priority. Here are the 15 US States That Have Mountain Lions. Interestingly, the US Fish and Wildllife Service has declared the Eastern Puma extinct, except for the Florida population known as the Florida panther. They're common in the rural areas of the Lehigh Valley but are moving into more populated areas as evidenced by a 600-pound specimen (pictured) that was tranquilized in March after neighbors in. I think it is possible that recognizing the existence of pumas in the East could jeopardize this industry and an entire economy. Very, very rarely, when I ask someone who would be a likely candidate (a hunter, someone who owns a camp in the deep woods, travels likely routes often, foresters), 'Have you ever seen a mountain lion?' At the end of the last Ice Age, many animals in Pennsylvania died out. The Cascade Mountains are an important habitat for mountain lions in the region, and a stable population lives within the state. Known as the Niagara Falls of Pennsylvania, there are four trails that lead to the cascades from the Bushkill Falls trailhead, each ranging in . Wishful thinking? All rights reserved. Adults are a uniform tan or tawny in color, with a white or cream-colored chin, undersides and inner legs. I am bothered by the constricted neck of the cat on the game camera; 2. the tail is curved down, rather than up, but it may have been in mid-swing; 3. the goldenrod-appearing flower, and the background of cars, gives a sense of scale and location. Consider that the endangered Florida puma has mixed genes. 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. They are generally believed to be young cats roaming in search of new breeding territories to claim as their own. In the map above, I collected data from the state and on the federal level to find state parks . When he told me this, he commented on how an experience like the one he and his friends had just is not forgotten. 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. "The cougars examined in the Northeast in the past 70 years are likely released or escaped captives. "People think they can get them declawed and that they're safe, but they still have teeth.". the more visible white on the chest, the lack of spots, the huge hind quarters. Are the various States guilty of essentially the same thing? 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! The claim of mountain lions on the move was bolstered in 2009 when one was killed by a car in Greenwich, Conn. But no one that I've communicated with had these preconceptions, and seeing what they saw was a complete surprise. But the point of this article isn't whether or not mountain lions exist in Pennsylvania or the Poconos. According to the commission, the last Pennsylvania mountain lion was killed in the late 1800s. 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. The state of Arizona is home to a large, stable population of mountain lions. Do elk live in Pennsylvania? Of interestRamapough Lenape chief: National park in PA and NJ would be among 'most destructive things' since colonization. Mountain Lion in Pocono's Pennsylvania Kacie PA 7.9K views 2 years ago Mountain lion in bucks county pa or not? I haven't seen any reports like that.". However, if you've seen a mountain lion, or other mystery creature, or evidence of either, in Pennsylvania, contact outdoor writer Marcus Schneck at mschneck@pennlive.com.). This is actually a good thing, as genetic isolation generally weakens a species. 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. Mountain Lions in Pennsylvania? Some experts predict that this wide-ranging predator, which can travel 600 miles in search of a territory, will surely reach our eastern states sometime in the next few decades. Unfortunately, their web site no longer seems active, and has been taken over by some wacky drug product. Some may be animals that dispersed into the region from western populations. I am hoping that more and more people will learn of my own interest in this, and will pass on this information and that I'll receive more reports and, hopefully, sometime, a game camera photo that is definitive. At one time this fact almost resulted in this cat not being protected, since it wasn't a pure strain. The mountains and isolated forests of the state allow these large cats to live their lives without encountering humans very often. While it would seem impossible to confuse the two after seeing them in person, Foster said many of the sightings are in the dark, from roadways and trail cams, with bodies half-concealed. Enter your email in the box below to get the most mind-blowing animal stories and videos delivered directly to your inbox every day. Angel, her African lioness who snarls at strangers, is a big girl. Only once has anyone later determined that they had misidentified the cat, seeing a bobcat and not a mountain lion. The cat is known to live in the western U.S. and Florida, South America and Canada. I hope no one ever shoots a puma to prove their existence here, but I hope someone gets a great photo, of the cat, of a road-kill, of tracks, and that I see it. "Given the period of time that has passed without verification of even a single eastern puma, the service concludes that the last remaining members of this subspecies perished decades ago," the Fish and Wildlife Service said in a Federal Register notice. The bounty for adult wolves and cougars was raised on March 16, 1819 to $12. Heres What the Data Says. If youve done any research on your own, you may have noticed that we didnt include a lot of states that have had cougar sightings, especially in the last few years. Is there a Puma conspiracy? The earliest wave arrived at the end of the last Ice Age; the last wave is the Lenape or Delaware Tribe, which made contact with colonial settlers in the 1600s. I Googled "Pocono mountain lion" and there it was the same photo, except the caption claimed that it was taken in Oklahoma, not Pennsylvania, and various posted comments asserted that the photo was manipulated. A Mountain Lion Cover Up See also: Apparently, this picture was really making the rounds. The state of Idaho is large, expansive, and full of rocky wilderness. 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. You know, the Penn State Nittany Lions.". Although unconfirmed, mountain lions continue to be reported in many spots across Pennsylvania, including several reports in the past couple months. Florida is the only state on the east coast with a breeding population of mountain lions. Over the last few months several people have responded to this question with reports of their own. The mountain lion is a large, slender cat, with a long rope-like tail. No evidence has ever been produced to support those charges. After all, how many people have pumas? Where they always here as a relic population? Eyes are normal and are not light sensitive, and the over-all color, generally black, is usually not detrimental and may actually be of benefit. As you can see from the above images it is very difficult to confuse the two if you have a good view. 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. Mountain lions typically eat about one deer per week, along with other smaller prey as the opportunity arises. Fish and Wildlife Service. Goggling Eastern Puma brings up other web sites, however, with varying levels of professionalism or credibility. Martinelli said that if there were mountain lions in Pennsylvania, there would be more sightings of them. Archived Questions of the Month 1.8 miles, 2 hours, moderate. About half of the state of Montana is ideal for mountain lions, primarily in her western and central regions. Well, right behind our property lies a mountain ridge, one of several that makes a continuous forest that extends, with little interruption, for scores of miles in three directions. Check out the tails of the two! As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Two other reports went, in detail, on what they saw, the size, the length of tail, etc. Can so many people be wrong? This will be one of your best identification marks, along with size. If you're interested in this, please pass on this link, and if you see a cat, please let me know! "While confirmed cougar sightings have occurred recently in the wild in the East, there is currently no scientific or physical evidence documenting the continued existence of a population of wild eastern cougars," according to the U.S. A second image of the same cat, in a different light, reveals the trademark spots of a bobcat. Yet, except for Florida, which has about 100 of them "Florida panthers"), no eastern state has a verifiable population of these large 100- to 200-pound cats that were extirpated 100 years ago. Granted, the image is not great, and I used some Photoshop adjustment layers to enhance the image, making it a bit easier to see. Wyoming has a historically stable population of mountain lions, but recent drops in numbers have caused some to worry. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. 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. Remember, this one was photographed in Arizona in good puma country, although this was the first one I've recorded there. One of these days, though, I'll get one that won't be, and I hope that will be soon. Did they migrate south from Canada? The agency has declared extinct the eastern cougar, one of 11 subspecies ofmountain lions native to North America. 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. I've know of reports since 1973, in Cooke Forest, the heart of a lot of Pa. wilderness. Where they always here as a relic population? Mary saw the photo, too, and she immediately agreed, it was a puma. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. Recently the US Fish and Wildlife Service formally declared the Eastern Puma an extinct species, except for the remnant population in Florida. This is only hearsay, however, since I'm only going on their stories. The Pocono Mountains are located in Northeastern Pennsylvania. At one time this fact almost resulted in this cat not being protected, since it wasn't a pure strain. Cougar Network tracks mountain lion expansion from the western U.S. to the east. Mountain lions that are looking for new breeding areas are known as transient and are almost always males. "I thought I had a sighting in the late '90s," Delaware Water Gap National Recreation park ranger Chris Kross said. 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. Packer Hill Ave. Jim Thorpe, PA 18229. I believe them. An animal's coat can stray far from the norm. ? If you see or photograph a puma in the mid-Atlantic states, please email or call me. "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. Noted Wayne County historian Phineas Goodrich recorded in his 1880 book on local history that the common gray wolf was much more common in this area than the cougar. This, after they were told that there were no pumas in Pa. The rounded ears, Let me explain this.