"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 . Truly terrifying encounter even compared to a bear. Idaho Fish and Game officers and personnel responded to . 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 mountain lion walked right across the street in front of his car while he was driving through the park. 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. See Alex Hunter's Sigma Delta Chi award-winning editorial cartoons. A number of years ago, a friend and I were driving around Walpack, which is part of The Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. "It was a cougar," insists the 57-year-old Catonsville woman. Someone else reported seeing the cat last February. 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. The first one in recent history was in 2008 . 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). Genetic analyses confirmed the hair was from a male mountain lion and the propbable population of origin was Colorado. The same spot, just trying to get to my donkeys late at night. What does the perfect setup look like for spring steelhead? The Pa. Game Commission investigated this picture. var year = today.getFullYear() He tells the story of a friend who managed to snap a picture of a cougar prowling in his backyard in Phoenix. 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 knew It wasnt a bear or wolf. Very interesting piece. Mountain lions became scarce in the East after a bounty system wiped out most predatory animals. The Damned Story: Eastern mountain lions, or pumas or cougars, were last officially seen in Connecticut near the end of the 19th century.A threat to livestock, they were hunted out of the state and driven to parts more wild. About 16 years ago I saw one plodding along Canal Road in Vernon, in broad daylight while I was looking out my kitchen sink window. A debate ensued over whether the animal was a rare and incredible sighting of a cougar (either an extinct eastern cougar or western cougar that traveled a great distance outside of their known range) or just a large domestic house cat that appeared larger than it was due to the weather conditions and perspective. . California has one of the largest mountain lion populations in the country. Eastern Arizona Courier, Co-existing with nature: Wildlife specialists help both sides get along, Update credit card information AZGFD for 2023 spring hunts. 10 Reply Gov_Martin_OweMalley 4 yr. ago My sighting was on the sand Old Martha Rd beyond Martha Furnace Rd (which is also the BatonaTrail). PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY, Md. In March 2011, DCR forester Steve Ward photographed a track trail in the snow near the Gate 8 boat launch area of Quabbin Reservoir. My cousin and her boyfriend, who own 40 acres in Mansfield Twp NJ saw one on their property as well. (I've chosen to protect the identities of those who've shared their stories with me. 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. Updated: Jul. from afar it looked like silk black fur. -Only California bans regulated harvest of mountain lions, with all other states maintaining regulated hunting seasons for this species. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. 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. The state classed mountain lions as endangered in 1972 and banned all hunting of them. In Zone J, area 24A, which is close to the border of Graham and Gila counties, a 2-year-old lion, a 3-year-old lion and one of indeterminate age were killed in 2021. The Washington Times - September 25, 2008, 01:00PM, Washington Commanders team name and logo reveal from Fedex Field, Scenes from snow storm that hit Washington, Warriors wanted: Army Green Beret training. From HR:I saw a MountainLion in the fall of 2017 in Bedminster/Far Hills NJ while driving south on Rt 206/Lamington Rd. Mountain lions occur across much of the state and bring about a wide range of complex conservation and management challenges. He suggested I didn't see a lion etc. Create a password that only you will remember. 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. 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. May 2015: Laclede Forget Big Foot or the Loch Ness monster. Please do not include personal or contact information. And, if. I heard a lot of animal screaming and it seemed to be getting closer to my property. Mountain lions dont usually travel more than 100 miles from where they are born. MassWildlife receives dozens of reportsa year, most are simplyreportsor sightings with no evidence. For a solid four seconds, Marchibroda watched as a large, sleek cat standing about three feet tall with a long, curled tail crossed Skyline Drive near Gavel Springs Gap less than 100 feet in front of them. 3600 New York Avenue NE, Washington, DC 20002. Males grow antlers which fall off each winter and grow back in the summer. The same year, The Sun ran a story headlined "A Mysterious Big Cat Roams Maryland," which focused on a flurry of cougar reports in Western Maryland. Saw one in Warren County in 2007 & 2008 while camping. ), 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. adroll_version = "2.0"; "I believe that they're there," says a Baltimore County police officer, who claims he saw a cougar in Ruxton in 1980. Pigeons? As it was running I noticed that it was way too large and had a large tail. 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. Males, also called bucks, are about 20 percent larger than females, which are called does. Hikers saw a mountain lion walking along a hiking trail as it was hunting a deer in Big Bend National Park, Texas. 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. A 140-pound male mountain lion was hit by a car and killed in 2011 in Milford, Connecticut. Many believe mountain lions still exist in Pennsylvania. The buzzards returned in late February, and Steve Pollick says you can mark your calendar by these scavengers exploits. They can weigh between 50-300 lbs. 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. I was on my deck at around 10 in the morning. The Missouri Dept of Conservation release information regarding a vehicle striking a mountain lion (cougar) not far from Six Flags. We were traveling south on 23 right by Canistear road in West Milford. There is also a small population in southern Florida. All these photos were taken in a state other than Massachusetts. Over a period of a year and a half, this mountain lion left DNA evidence in at least four states. The next thing we see is this cat. l decided to keep it quiet to avoid a frenzy of seekers, especially since there is a lot of private property further back, the Haines and Coons cranberry families. Copyright 2014 The Washington Times, LLC. - U.S. Park Police responded to Greenbelt Park in Prince George's County, Maryland Tuesday after a woman said she saw a mountain lion in the area. What drew me to it was the seeming paws. Five other people also allegedly saw what they thought was a mountain lion in the area, Lefleche said. "They were nearly exterminated by the early 1900s, but they retreated into the wild.". A .mass.gov website belongs to an official government organization in Massachusetts. People say that when they closed it down some of the animals were released into the woods around here. 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. I could not believe my eyes! 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. This is the longest documented travel distance of a mountain lion. "It was so unusual," she says. I am sincerely amazed at the number of emails I continue to receive about mountain lion or cougar sightings in New Jersey. I had to slam on the brakes so as not to hit it. The West Virginia Wildlife Center is open to the public seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. If you are not and would like to read this and all the other great . Delivered right as the newspaper goes to print on Wednesdays. 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. With land cleared for farms and factories (nearly the entire state was deforested at the turn of the 20th century), there was no place for big cats to hide and nothing for . 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. 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. I do have footprint pics in snow from Califon definitely not your usual coyote. Dozens more come forward with sightings, The latest Bigfoot sighting in New Jersey photo & video, Death count rises: 5th dolphin turns up dead on a New Jersey beach, Horrible smelling chicken guts spill over NJ highway in crash, Beloved NJ diner employee dies after being hit by vehicle on walk to work, What dreams are made of: Look at this $15.7M Avalon, NJ beach house, On-the-job discipline of gunman led to NJ councilmans shooting, prosecutor says, Another Republican politician shot dead in NJ in the past week, Great New Jersey stores that we loved that are closed forever, School bus stolen in Livingston, NJ alarmed cops caution parents, Equal Employment Opportunity Policy and EEO Report. However, because they are capable of traveling great distances, they have turned up in all parts of North Dakota. "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?" "It's a mountain lion," the officer said. Mountain Lions are the largest predators currently in Rocky Mountain National Park. Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. It walked into the tree line and disappeared. About 4 years ago I saw the whole mountain lion. The Fort Worth Star-Telegraph reports on a mountain lion sighting in April 2022. She was driving home from a shopping trip last spring when she spotted a large animal crossing Cuba Road in Northern Baltimore County. "I knew a lot of people wouldn't believe I'd seen it," he says. I have seen it more than once. It looked so powerful! 13507065_10205364039255335_8657515368052999240_n.jpg. Photo courtesy of Mountain Lion Foundation. 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. 23 in West Milford NJ about 50 yards from the highway a huge cat ran across the trail in front of me maybe 25 feet from my front tire. Lefleche told the Telegram and Gazette that Ford's sighting seems credible. The mountain lion is also known as cougar, panther, or puma. When the deer in those days were shot into near oblivion by market hunters, the cougar apparently looked for greener pastures elsewhere. ". From PD:Read your article about mountain lions in NJ. In certain situations, the similarities in the silhouette are remarkable. That story prompted a number of folks to write about their encounters. They are here! In Zone K, which includes areas 1 and 27 and covers some of Graham and Greenlee counties, 17 lions were killed in 2021. half a mile before you reach the Deptford Mall. 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! Mrs. Muhl isn't alone. This offer only applies to OutdoorNews.com and not for any Outdoor News print subscriptions. Saw them all at dusk. It was at the edge of the woods and it looked like it was just after a kill. I went home to look it up to ensure I was correct - Mountain Lion. And was almost as long as its body! In this video we discuss why we have reached our conclusion as well as explaining some natural history about this species.For more information please check out our in depth write up on the subject http://www.susquehannockwildlife.org/2018/06/10/fallstoncougar/#cougar #mountainlion #housecat #harfordcounty #maryland I slowed down and when slowed down it took off really fast into the woods. We had just finished setting up the stuff on the driveway and were just sitting enjoying the silence when we both spotted what looked like a giant cat across the street on the edge of the field near the tree line. Some of these photos have taken on urban legend status. 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 photographed the animal at the Brunswick School on Greenwich, Connecticut about 40 miles away on June 5th. As of Sept. 7, 12 animals have been tagged statewide thus far. In May 2018, a mountain lion attacked two mountain bikers 30 miles east of Seattle, Washington, killing one, but it's only the 15th fatal attack in North America since 1970. Most of Graham County is outside of designated active management areas for mountain lions. Mountain lions are helpful in maintaining order in our ecosystem and assist to keep other wildlife numbers in check. Yes, they have been here for years. For more information see Terms and Conditions. I feel vindicated. Animal control officers say they are taking the reports seriously. And yes I believe these other stories. 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. MassWildlife cannot investigate or confirm mountain lion reports without any evidence. At the time I think my daughter was about five. Today, mountain lions are found in the mountainous regions of the West. The MLRT has investigates hundreds of mountain lion reports, but most reported sightings and tracks turn out to be bobcats or large dogs. No indication of a captive animal. I wish I had turned around and taken photos but, where it was located, it would have taken me too long.