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. and are the same size as the American mink and the same length as an adult fox squirrel. Is it lawful to find and retain deer and/or elk antlers on state game lands? Species such as grouse and rabbits are eaten infrequently while species such as turkey and goshawk were not identified within remains found in diet research. I believe that the folks that are reporting, in detail, their sightings are faced with a similar situation. Click here to learn more about CWD in Pennsylvania. Remember, this one was photographed in Arizona in good puma country, although this was the first one I've recorded there. Are hunters OK with fewer deer?". The cat appears to be directly behind the railing as it moves past. But, again, for purposes of being conservative, were going to assume it was right by the step when it was filmed. Only once has anyone later determined that they had misidentified the cat, seeing a bobcat and not a mountain lion. Wildlife need varied, natural food as part of their normal diet. 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. Through rigorous scientific process, biologists manage and track population trends and harvest very closely each year to inform management decisions while game wardens work tirelessly to enforce the laws and regulations on trapping. If you ask me, the answer is yes. Note the size of the tail, the pointed ears, the speckled coat, the basic lack of white underneath. Removal of other items is strictly prohibited. Amazon Bestselling Author & Book Of The Year Winner, https://www.kronosrising.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/s3_06_Clip1628146055849.mp4. The head of the puma is small in comparision to a house cat when compared to the entire body. Mountain Lions do remain in the western states and there is evidence that in 2011, a . Mountain lions are large, tan cats. Mountain lions weigh 90-160 pounds, while bobcats weigh 20-30 pounds. I've never seen or heard of a verified black puma anywhere, whether wild or captive, so I'd be inclined to dismiss reports of truly black big cats as misidentifications, even when a group of guys all see the same thing. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Inuit native American Indian Fossilized Bone Mountain Lion with Heartline at the best online prices at eBay! Click here for full harvest reporting details. But they are less shy of pets and livestock, and they don't necessarily stay in the woods, either. Its distinctly possible. 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. Recently, on our Arizona Hummingbird and Bat Photo Shoot, I found a deer that had been hit by a car and had moved off to die beside a stream just 200 yards upstream from our lodge. I went back there with the cop who showed up. Big bulls, as well as a huntable population of elk, can be found in each of the 14 zones. 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. Taking hunting out of the equation, the nature of mature birds in spring (gobbling and displaying) makes them more susceptible to natural predation. How do I report my snow goose harvest? In addition to the map, users will see signage posted around the burn unit identifying the area as a planned burn during the coming weeks or months. There are geese everywhere, why does the Atlantic Population (AP) Zone have a one bird daily limit for the 2021-22 season? Fish and wildlife service declared the eastern cougar, other than the Florida panther, extinct in 2011. 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. I measured them and they were a solid 4+ inches across. What is the Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners? Where can I find a local hunting license vendor? And it likely will result in the collateral benefit of increasing harvest reporting. In the forest, fires typically just consume the leaves, sticks and low growing vegetation. Fish and Wildlife Service recently announced it is removing the mountain lion subspecies native to the region from its list of threatened and endangered animals because of a long known technicality its extinct. Yet there is a taste for meat of threatened wild animals in other parts of the worldtoo many species to list, said Allan. How do I report suspected wildlife crimes? Possibly, but it seems unlikely that enough would have been released or had escaped to make for a viable population. Crews are highly trained and qualified to light fires in a way that allows wildlife to escape, often with crew members walking through units before and during burns to ensure the area is clear of wildlife. Once a bear finds easy access to food, they are likely to frequently come back for more. Thank you in advance for helping to protect Pennsylvania wildlife! the result of eating undercooked pork, said Dr. Again, I've been told that some Game Commission personnel have admitted that pumas may exist in Pennsylvania, but they rationalize this by saying that the pumas are not breeding and they are not from original wild stock. Consider that the endangered Florida puma has mixed genes. It would be difficult for a mountain lion to avoid detection. In the wild, they live 8-13 years, but in captivity they can live into their 20s. Some biologists thinks it's time to bring them back to help manage deer populations. Commissioners are appointed from various geographical districts of the state to ensure uniform representation for all residents. If a cow is not bred in her first estrus cycle, she will recycle approximately every 21 days, providing additional opportunities for conception. So how or why could there be a conspiracy? According to the commission, the last Pennsylvania mountain lion was killed in the late 1800s. Feel free to reach out with your opinions, via Facebook or Twitter. Cougars in Pennsylvania may still be a pipe dream in 2023, but who knows? Florida Agricultural And Mechanical University, Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis, Massachusetts Institute Of Technology (Mit), Missouri University Of Science And Technology, State University Of New York Health Science Center At Brooklyn, Suny College Of Environmental Science And Forestry, The University Of North Carolina At Charlotte, The University Of Texas Health Science Center At Houston, The University Of Texas Health Science Center At San Antonio, The University Of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, The University Of Texas Medical Branch At Galveston, The University Of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Uniformed Services University Of The Health Sciences, University At Buffalo Suny School Of Engineering And Applied Sciences, University Of California, Los Angeles (Ucla), University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign, University Of Maryland Baltimore County (Umbc), University Of Massachusetts Medical School Worcester, University Of Tennessee Health Science Center, University Of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. The question that remains is: if it was a house cat or cougar, how big would it be? When he told me this, he commented on how an experience like the one he and his friends had just is not forgotten. While mountain lion attacks are rare, they do happen. Remember, this one was photographed in Arizona in good puma country, although this was the first one I've recorded there. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. do I get an immediate, 'Oh yeah!' We are one of the leading states when it comes to turkey hunters! Is it the New Best Pack? First, when a deer is transported, either by dragging it out of the woods or transferring it to a vehicle, sometimes the tag is lost. Recently, on a back road in Pennsylvania, a friend and I had our first sighting of a coyote in Pennsylvania. 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. The Game Commission maintains a public map that shows where prescribed burns are being planned. I asked our Game officials about evidence, and they cite no road kills. So, theyll respond swiftly to a dose of pepper spray, meaning theyll almost always beat a hasty retreat. Several regulations regarding the use of state game lands prevent the removal of any such artifact, or any other objects, besides lawfully taken fish and wildlife, mushroom and/or berries. It is available to view online at www.pgc.pa.gov/cwd. Because the success of a seasons' offspring can be directly affected by poor weather in the spring, an abundance of hens can make it easier for a population to recover from poor hatch years. 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. 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. That said there have been numerous sightings of them over the years. Mountain lions are large, tan cats. 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. This is only hearsay, however, since I'm only going on their stories. Yes. Where can I find 2020-21 deer harvest data? I don't believe someone's imagination could stretch a six inch long tail to three feet! What can I do to help? How can opinions be submitted to the Pennsylvania Game Commission? Smoke will be visible during the burn and might be seen for many miles. This was fortunate, of course, as I was able to use items in the frame for comparison, to match the size of said images and the steps in additional photos. A Game Commission vehicle was there, and the Fed Ex driver, after reaching the bottom of a long hill, turned back to check on what he saw. More Questions about Pumas in Pennsylvania. What is the mission of the Pennsylvania Game Commission? 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. Bear harvest data is available on a map on the Game Commissions website. Probably the most revolutionary advancement towards this goal has been the Best Management Practices (BMP) completion. The stride was around 21 inches, and they ambled along at a leisurely pace. Pennsylvania has more roads and hunters than just about every other state in America. Wildfires on the other hand, are unplanned fires that occur during extreme conditions, which can pose threats to public safety and cause damage to natural resources. 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.). Can so many people be wrong? They were the size of small ponies, I kid you not, and had to be either mule deer or a small group of female elk. Over the last two years I have occasionally posted a Question of the Month soliciting sightings from people who believed that they have seen a mountain lion in Pennsylvania or in other areas in the mid-Atlantic states. Who knows? If it was just a house cat, it would be obvious. Natural food sources can be low this time of year, so bears are more likely to help themselves to food that is easily accessible. Could it be a bobcat? I have three observations here: 1. With a decline in turkey population, why not eliminate the second Spring Gobbler tag? Can so many people be so wrong? Despite yearly reports of cougar sightings in Pennsylvania, the U.S. The digest is also available for printing and viewing online. When I did, I discovered the intruder was a large cat. Females tend to go an average of 18-30 miles, while males travel much farther (45-170 miles). Hunters I've spoken with said they've been told you can't kill a puma, which they felt was ironic since the same official told them pumas don't exist in Pa. Over the years Ive had whitetail deer visits that number in the hundreds, if not thousands, wild turkeys showing up in groups that often number forty or more individuals, opossum, bobcats, hedgehogs, groups of raccoons, and once, a half-dozen deer that made our resident whitetails look like midgets. Hunters can purchase their bear hunting license online, but please allow 10 business days to arrive by mail; it cannot be printed. If you see a puma (mountain lion-cougar), contact me. The agencys goal is to maintain proper wild turkey management strategies while providing maximum hunting opportunities. According to the Pennsylvania Game Commission, feline predators such as the eastern cougar, which is also known as the mountain lion, are " extirpated ," meaning they're all but wiped out in. If it is a cougar/mountain lion, its probably a young one thats wandering around, looking for food. After all, how many people have pumas? This is a game regulation that has been around for many years and predates most people currently working for the Game Commission. However, the loss of nesting brood cover for turkeys and their young may cause turkeys to be more vulnerable to predation during nesting season. I used to archery hunt for deer, and I spent a lot of time (way too much time) sitting silently in a tree stand waiting for deer. Calls to the Operation Game Thief hotline are always answered by a secure recording device. You be the judge. It is unlawful for individuals to possess a shed antler to sell, barter or trade OR to offer to sell, barter or trade any shed antler. 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. As you can see from the above images it is very difficult to confuse the two if you have a good view. The PGC has no plans to reintroduce mountain lions or any other big predator into the state, Hardisky said. Our management and research have shown that we shouldn't overharvest females, so we set the fall season length conservatively. Game wardens conducted a full investigation and concluded that Alyssa did indeed act in self defense. A variety of entities handle road-killed deer removal throughout the state and the region office can clarify the proper authorities to notify based on the location of the animal. They reduce deadly deer-vehicle collisions and help maintain the health and viability of prey species by removing sick individuals and by reducing the spread of deadly diseases such as chronic wasting disease, an epidemic plaguing deer and elk herds throughout the country. Consider that the endangered Florida puma has mixed genes. And again, while they may have been mistaken, they certainly were completely convinced that they had seen a puma. "Cougars are hunting deer year-round. Allowing inline muzzleloader hunters to use their unused buck tag would add additional harvest outside of the antlerless allocation framework. A prescribed fire, or prescribed burn, is an organized, coordinated effort that works to apply fire at the right place, at the right time, and at the right intensity to improve the health and resilience of forests, grasslands and shrublands. 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.". Today, there are none in existence in this area; the last mountain lions was seen in 1874. Like mad cow disease in cattle, scrapie in sheep and goats, and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) in humans, it's caused not by a virus or bacteria, but by abnormal prions, or proteins. Certainly it is a romantic notion, but I've always held out the hope that pumas still roamed the east. Is a mountain lion bigger than a bobcat? 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? 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? In addition, if nuisance bears are being attracted to an area by other wildlife feeding, game wardens can issue written notice to temporarily halt the activity. No wild cougars have been found in Pennsylvania since their extirpation in 1871. But as the South Dakota mountain lion proved, in its at least unusual migration to Connecticut, anything is possible. As biologists are quick to stress, cougars rarely attack humans. While ignition is taking place, additional crews patrol the firebreak perimeter to ensure the fire stays where it's supposed to. 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. Archived Questions of the Month But even that little guy isn't prowling the Poconos yet. Youll also receive an excerpt of Kronos Rising: Kraken (Vol.3) straight to your inbox. When it comes to turkey hunting, Pennsylvania is unique, and for good reason. 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? Elk, Pa.s largest wild animal, have become a tourism boom in the northwest part of the state. The Game Commissions CWD Response Plan was adopted by the Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners in July 2020 and was developed in collaboration with Pennsylvania stakeholders, CWD experts from state and federal wildlife agencies and non-government organizations from across the country. 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. Since 2004, when scientists found a dead cougar on train tracks in northern Oklahoma, they have recovered more than 100additional cougar bodies east of the Rocky Mountains. Our agency is passionate about our state's wild birds and wild mammals. This is not a Pennsylvania puma! Mountain lions are 7-9 feet, while bobcats are 3 feet long. But they're probably bobcats. However, if it doesn't exist, and if someone saw one, wouldn't there be a worry that it was a dangerous escapee? 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. In all those hours I never saw a coyote, bear, or bobcat, and yet all live in my area. At one time this fact almost resulted in this cat not being protected, since it wasn't a pure strain. Previous Game Commission research has shown that reducing the fall season by one week allows more hens to survive to spring and reproduce. SUNDAY HUNTING:It is unlawful to hunt on Sundays except foxes, crows and coyotes. How will I know where and when burns are planned? What Is Good About Penn State University? Be sure to verify your mailing address when purchasing online licenses. We believe this regulation was put into place for two reasons. 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. Why cant waterfowl be hunted on Sundays? Their digestive systems and metabolism are adapted to survive harsh winter weather, including deep snow, cold temperatures and high winds. 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