I dont doubt that womans experience in South Jersey one little bit! Since May 21, three other lion sightings were reported in the Chubbuck and Pocatello areas and one in Inkom. Today, their range stretches from the Yukon Territory in Canada along the western coast of the United States, all the way to the Southern Andes in Chile. Mountain lions have a long tail that is usually darker colored at the tip. And yes I believe these other stories. I had to slam on the brakes so as not to hit it. Forget Big Foot or the Loch Ness monster. (I've chosen to protect the identities of those who've shared their stories with me. In the interest of gathering credible mountain lion sightings when mountain lions actually arrive in the east the research team here at eMammal has put together a guide to identifying mountain lions. Now man is encroaching into more remote parts of the state, forcing the cougars out of their hiding places, Mr. Lutz says. And, if. In certain situations, the similarities in the silhouette are remarkable. Quite unnerving. Mountain lion sighting reported in Worcester County. Or so they think!. We see dead deer all of the time, but deer do not have big paws as this thing did. There was no question as to what it was, with its coloring and long tail. These tracks were fresh and well photographed. The MLRT has investigates hundreds of mountain lion reports, but most reported sightings and tracks turn out to be bobcats or large dogs. Receive the digital, interactive PDF of the newspaper in your inbox. 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. Heres how to pull big bluegills from Iowas West Lake Okoboji, A look at some other ways to call in a spring gobbler, How to catch and cook whitefish and tullibees, Nows the time to savor the fruits of the hunting experience. var today = new Date() For an overview you may wish to view A Timeline of Bounty and Sport Hunting of Mountain Lions in the United States or our poster Where Do We Go From Here? The MLRT has confirmed fewer than 100 cases. Mountain Lions are the largest predators currently in Rocky Mountain National Park. Washington Times, SCORES & OUTDOORS: Reported sightings of mountain lions on , Mountain Lions in Michigan: 10 Sightings So Far This Year , Search for cougars continues in Pennsylvania Outdoornews. A resident called police about 8:30 p.m. to report what they believed was a mountain lion seen by multiple people along the Gedern Trail, which runs through the Gedern Estates subdivision and connects to the GM&O Heritage Trail along the former railroad right-of-way in Columbia. MassWildlifecannot investigate or confirm mountain lion reports without any evidence. August, a woman reported seeing a mountain lion on her drive between Millville and Avalon. He caught the animal in his headlights and, at first, thought it was a large Labrador retriever. She was driving home from a shopping trip last spring when she spotted a large animal crossing Cuba Road in Northern Baltimore County. Demographic train wreck: Will Japan throw its old people on the tracks? It was a rumor that State Fish and game stocked mountain lions to take care of it, to this day they deny it but I dont doubt they did. From RD:I live in Cumberland in Maurice River township. Someone photographed the animal at the Brunswick School on Greenwich, Connecticut about 40 miles away on June 5th. Both labs confirmed the sample came from a mountain lion. I could not believe my eyes! "Other than two confirmed cases, all reports of Mountain Lions in Massachusetts that include tangible evidence have turned out to be other kinds of animals," a post by the state department of Energy and Environmental Affairs called "Are there Mountain Lions in Massachusetts?" Mountain lions ( Puma concolor) are one of the six native species of wild cats in North America. This mountain lion was documented by DNA samples from Minnesota and Wisconsin between December 2009 and early 2010. Arizona mountain lion tags are available over-the-counter or can be purchased by mail for $15 to Arizona locals. The sighting has been reported to the state Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, which has historically debunked such observations. Some believe a mountain lion may be lurking in northwest Washington. ), So, while the state of New Jersey says "there are no mountain lions in New Jersey," there are a lot of people who would beg to differ. These areas are heavily wooded reserves owned by Morris County and the State of New Jersey. This content is restricted to subscribers of OutdoorNews.com. Despite this fact, Massachusetts residents continue to report mountain lion sightings. Columbia police were notified of a possible mountain lion sighting in the city Thursday night, May 5. They are also known as pumas, cougars and panthers. 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. What drew me to it was the seeming paws. California: 4,000 - 6,000. The animal just stood there for a few minutes and then walked off towards the lake. I was driving on a dark and stormy night about 9 years ago on Rt-515 just off of Rt-23. An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the e-mail address listed on your account. Females are typically smaller. Rt 206/Lamington Rd. "I'm really positive.". . In windy or mountainous areas, Elbroch says air horns are great tools to throw off a cat's focus and deter them from . Saw one in Warren County in 2007 & 2008 while camping. I saw it too while jogging at lunchtime. At least someone else believed me. It was about 4 feet tall and just walked slowly crossing the highway. "It was a cougar," insists the 57-year-old Catonsville woman. However, one must assume that it actually could happen. Any cougars in Maryland -- including the one reported to be stalking the field off Liberty Road in Randallstown -- were probably being held captive and either escaped or were set free, Mr. Mountain lions occur across much of the state and bring about a wide range of complex conservation and management challenges. Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia local news, events and information. 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. "We do not have a population of mountain lions." Fishers had been in decline due to development and loss of habitat, but DNR is reporting that their numbers are now increasing and are prevalent. From DS:I also spotted a mountain lion on Almonesson Rd Deptford NJ about 1 am. McCarter sent a sample to Dr. George Amato of the Wildlife Conservation Society in New York and Dr. Melanie Culver of the University of Maryland. It looked so powerful! In the '70s, Jungle Habitat was located here in West Milford. Please limit your input to 500 characters. Coyotes have also been mistaken for Mountain Lions. It walked into the tree line and disappeared. We do get photos/videos sent to us claiming to have witnessed a mountain lion but it is almost always a bobcat or sometimes even a house cat. There is no evidence of a reproducing mountain lion population in Massachusetts. To me, it was not a dog and then carry itself like a dog. There are only quick sightings around town of the large cat known as the mountain lion. Yes, they have been here for years. Night-time trail camera photos indicate one or possibly two mountain lions are still using neighborhoods near the river corridor in McCall. The mountain lion is rare in Missouri, having been extirpated since the 1920s; occasional individuals wander here from other states. Most of Graham County is outside of designated active management areas for mountain lions. 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. A spokesperson for the Washington HumaneSociety said someone may have been keeping the cat as a pet and then released it once they couldn't take care of it anymore. In the spray field which is leased to a local farmer, I was driving the roadway down to another building on our site and saw slinking quite quickly a large deer-colored cat with a body close to 4 ft long and a tail about the same length. Citizen reported a mountain lion jumped through a fence and sent in hairs suspected to be from the lion. Mountain lion hunting season opened Aug. 13, and remains so until May 31, 2023. I myself saw one back around 2008 off of Watervale Rd in Fallston, Harford County. An official website of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, This page, Are there mountain lions in Massachusetts?, is. "They never left," Mr. Lutz argues. Please remove any contact information or personal data from your feedback. Eastern Arizona Courier 301 E Highway 70, Suite A, Safford, AZ 85546 | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Contact Us | The EASTERN ARIZONA COURIER is owned by Wick Communications. Crews were seen from a D.C. chopper searching the park with long guns. Iowa DNR prepares for egg-collection netting season, Randy Claramunt vows to turn challenges into opportunities as Michigans new fisheries chief, WI Daily Update: The scoop on ice shanties, MN Daily Update: Permanent ice house dates, All-time great pro bass angler Kevin VanDam to retire following 23 season. And so does the state. Rags to riches: Stars who were once homeless, Nowhere to hide: US military's portable anti-material weapons, Semper Fi: Famous people you didnt know were U.S. Marines, Fire from the clouds: US military close air support, Beauty and brains: Smartest female celebrities, Fastest combat planes in the US Air Force, Pence fails to see nuance in Ukraine war, sides with military-industrial complex. 10K views, 19 likes, 0 loves, 83 comments, 20 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from KMBC 9: LIVE: Authorities search the area after a possible mountain lion was spotted in Greenbelt Park, Maryland.. I feel vindicated. I lived on a street with houses spaced widely - and a soccer field across the street which was next to a wooded space, a creek, and a pond. One can easily imagine that they might decide to not report the loss. From a distance, it had the walk of a cat - and the coloring of a mountain lion. It came out of the woods and stopped in the middle of the road right in front of me in the headlights. 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. "It was sitting there looking at the smoke coming out of our chimney.". In March 2011, DCR forester Steve Ward photographed a track trail in the snow near the Gate 8 boat launch area of Quabbin Reservoir. MassWildlife uses evidence-based criteria for confirming reports of mountain lions. Hunters do not stumble across the remains of dead mountain lions in the woods, he says. Mountain lions became scarce in the East after a bounty system wiped out most predatory animals. It was heading northeast toward Peapack, NJ. This offer only applies to OutdoorNews.com and not for any Outdoor News print subscriptions. I do have footprint pics in snow from Califon definitely not your usual coyote. One late afternoon on my way back home I, unfortunately, saw one dead in the middle of 287 on the southbound lane approximately around the exits near Delaware water gap (between 53 and 36) I was in the lane closest to it, was driving slow enough past it and got a clear long look at it, it was clearly a giant beige cat with a long tail. When evidence is submitted, MassWildlife carefully reviews the evidence in its entirety and attempts to verify the report. These tracks may have been made by the mountain lion documented in Greenwich, Connecticut on June 5, 2011, and killed by a vehicle six days later. In this video we discuss why we have reached our conclusion as well as explaining some natural history about this species. ", With its long tail and sleek, cat-like body, the animal was unquestionably a mountain lion, Mrs. Vanosnabrugge says. 60-108 inches. Then, a gentleman who worked in our IT department said, I believe you. var today = new Date() Lioneither a young one or a female I figured..went home, called NJF&G at the time, and reported it.. asked if they were interested in setting a culvert-type trap to capture it.they seemed pretty disinterested at the time, said it wasn't feasible as we were in a residential type area.. the day after with fresh snow on the ground we returned to find where it had stalked and killed a wild turkey.it was obvious to us with the winged slash marks still in the snow and where it walked downhill with the turkey in its mouth pushing the snow to the sides of it making a smooth pathway..it was something my son and I will never forget. Thank you for your website feedback! They all agree it looks like a mountain lion. But I know what I saw. They told me they would investigate and let me know, but I never received a callback. On a side note, I've been out near West Virginia and the western parts of both Maryland and Virginia enough to know that it is a commonly held belief that mountain lions still exist 'round those parts. Suddenly my son stopped on the trail due to a large cat on the trail. Delivered right as the newspaper goes to print on Wednesdays. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. However, deer in the park are normally about 100 lbs. $1 per month for 6 months (you will be billed $6) and then your subscription will renew at standard subscription rates. 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. Mistaken reports of mountain lions in Massachusetts are most commonly Bobcats. I am sincerely amazed at the number of emails I continue to receive about mountain lion or cougar sightings in New Jersey. I thought I was nuts for thinking it was a mountain lion, but now not so much. Thina Vanosnabrugge, a 41-year-old Hunt Valley woman, thinks they are. A mountain lion sighting was reported at, Showshoe West Virginia. White-tailed deer are the most abundant large animals in the park. 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. I have seen these magnificent creatures in Wyoming and Montana many times on different trips to friends' large and remote ranches. The report stated that a woman spotted a mountain lion in Greenbelt Park, WUSA9 confirmed Tuesday. There are hundreds more throughout the East Coast, he and other naturalists believe. ", "Oh," said the officer, "then it isn't a mountain lion. I didnt believe her until the security department showed me the security camera footage and there it was about a 30 or 40-pound mountain lion walking passed the security lights. "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 . It was at least four feet long and had a tail just as long. There have been at least two other sightings in the same area. contact the Division of Fisheries and Wildlife. On the subject of large wild cats, you should know that Maryland and neighboring states like West Virginia, Virginia, or Pennsylvania, are definitely home to thriving populations of bobcats. The latest sighting happened Wednesday afternoon, according to a News4 viewer who says she spotted the animal near the Beltway exit to Connecticut Avenue. I live in Holland Township NJ. Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. If your state is not . I told some people but Im not sure anyone believed me. -Anyone bitten by a mountain lion must immediately seek medical attention for rabies shots unless the biting animal can be captured and tested for rabies. Photo of a mountain lion taken by a game camera and a kill site of an 80 lb. This was on January 25 at around 5:30 pm. The main habitat requirement for mountain lions is stalking cover to successfully hunt prey. In her post, Lefleche told her friends not to panic. MassWildlife cannot investigate or confirm mountain lion reports without any evidence. Bobcats are found in the mountains of western Maryland, even in some counties along the Chesapeake Bay and one sighting came from the Eastern Shore. On the return paved portion of my ride, l stopped to share my story with my friends at Mick's Canoes. The West Virginia Wildlife Center is open to the public seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. More than half of California is mountain lion habitat and mountain lions generally exist wherever deer are found. I was sitting on my front porch and I saw a very large animal at first I thought big fox. My house, which is located in Hewitt, NJ (West Milford township), faces the woods, which is actually the edge of Wawayanda State Park. From TM:Hey Joe. half a mile before you reach the Deptford Mall. #1 The tail. The Fort Worth Star-Telegraph reports on a mountain lion sighting in April 2022. From RV:In the summer of 2002, I was biking south on the D&R canal path near Millstone NJ. Whether that's true or not, I don't know, but I do know that there are mountain lions - or at least one lion - in the area. Glenn Therres, a biologist and wildlife specialist with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources says, We receive a dozen or two dozen reports a year from citizens who see, hear or find signs of cougars. There is no indication of population decline, the department said. l never heard from the State. Needless to say, I'm overwhelmed by the number of people in our state who claim that they have seen a cougar or mountain lion. Maybe it's just a coincidence, but l have since never taken that ride. As of Sept. 7, 12 animals have been tagged statewide thus far. Big Tech minions could compromise Americas Intelligence community. 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. That story prompted others to reach out to me about their sightings. This map shows the various zones where mountain lions are hunted statewide, as determined by the Arizona Fish and Game Department. Cars do not kill or injure cougars crossing roads. "As always, you should be diligent and cautious with your pets.". I heard a lot of animal screaming and it seemed to be getting closer to my property. An adult male bobcat can reach four feet in length and 35-40 pounds. May 2015: Laclede It was heading northeast toward Peapack, NJ. Me and my friend are trying to put together a list/map of sightings in MD. For more information on mountain lions, visit the . Big cats suffered the same fate all over the East Coast except in Florida, where a small, endangered group of panthers still roams the Everglades. Mountain lions inhabit the badlands and Missouri River breaks regions of North Dakota. People say that when they closed it down some of the animals were released into the woods around here. The 2020 wildfires that ravaged California also affected mountain lion populations, killing an estimated 300 to 600 of them. 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. It doesn't make sense to me that they wouldn't be in those areas considering anything prevents them from crossing state lines especially since they can swim and the Delaware river is often shallow enough to walk across in a lot of spots. 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.. As of Sept. 7, 12 animals have been tagged statewide thus far. 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. The screaming stopped and a few minutes later I spotted it in my backyard. My 11-year-old son was in front of me about 50 feet. ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the official website. In comparison to our GSD, I estimated it to be around 70lbs. It was an event I can remember like it was yesterday. Body coloration can range from tan to gray and cubs are usually covered with blackish brown spots. 13507065_10205364039255335_8657515368052999240_n.jpg. Two years ago I was fishing the Wanaque reservoir and came across tracks I had never seen before. 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. Copyright 2023Outdoor News. The state classed mountain lions as endangered in 1972 and banned all hunting of them. By LAURA JEAN SCHNEIDER Create a password that only you will remember. My sighting was on the sand Old Martha Rd beyond Martha Furnace Rd (which is also the BatonaTrail). Pigeons? I knew it wasn't a dog - and it wasn't a bobcat. Suggestions are presented as an open option list only when they are available. Mass.gov is a registered service mark of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. // February 12, 2021. In Maryland, what inquiring minds want to know is whether big cats are prowling suburbia. We were traveling south on 23 right by Canistear road in West Milford. This page is located more than 3 levels deep within a topic. 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. Further, it is already illegal to kill a mountain lion in Massachusetts. I had seen a police officer in the parking lot at the mall and told him what I saw. Roughly 100 of the pumas are not doing very well in the Sunshine state, where automobile and truck traffic or disease claim a few of the animals every year, but theyre hanging on and we wish them well.Then there are occasional reports of mountain lion sightings in North Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia, but no one to our knowledge has ever totally proved that what they saw actually was North Americas biggest cat that can weigh 150 pounds or more and from nose to the tip of the tail can measure nearly 8 feet in length. Invalid password or account does not exist. Confirmed reports of mountain lions in Massachusetts However, he did say (off the record) that he believed us - he was a hunter and had seen evidence of them in and around our area of the state. It was light brown with a long tail. lt calmly looked back then almost bent its body in half, using only its front legs to face me. It was when the reservoir was really low. In. From AM:Yes, we DO have them in NJ, regardless of whether the state denies it or not. 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. Use anything at your disposal: a stick, rock, or better yet, bear spray. Diana Marchibroda and her miniature schnauzer froze in their tracks when the mountain lion stepped out of the woods last May. 75-170 pounds. Mountain lions in NJ? If you see a mountain lion, report the sighting immediately to Mission Viejo Animal Services at 949-470-3045 or the Orange County Sheriff's Department at 949-770-6011. Luckily it looked healthy and well-fed. Five other people also allegedly saw what they thought was a mountain lion in the area, Lefleche said. Habitat. Yet this young male traveled about 1,800 miles. document.write(year) The most recent sighting of a mountain lion in a Randallstown field Tuesday has revived claims that cougars aren't extinct in Maryland.

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