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. He said the idea of having mountain lions in Pennsylvania again - they roamed the state as late as the early 1800s - seems nice at first, but would never . HuntFishPA, is equipped to provide hunters and trappers with electronic versions of the licenses they buy. The Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners is comprised of eight board members, each selected by the governor, and confirmed by majority vote of the state Senate. You read it here first: Mountain lions still exist in Pennsylvania: Just prior to the start of Pennsylvania's two-week firearms deer season, the volunteers at the Eastern Puma Research Network put out a call to hunters. Prescribed burns also reduce the severity of unplanned wildfires by removing leaves, thick grasses, and forest debris that accumulate without regular fire. Which Penn State Campus Is Best For Criminal Justice? In January, the U.S. They wanted to hear from anyone who saw a mountain lion or signs of one, like tracks or scats. Mountain lions weigh 90-160 pounds . Except there's one big problem, at least for East Coasters: cougars don't really live here. Remember, this one was photographed in Arizona in good puma country, although this was the first one I've recorded there. What Is Good About Penn State University? Hunters will continue to mail antlerless-license applications to county treasurers, as required by law. The agency is always faced with the challenge of providing as many hunting opportunities as possible, while ensuring the wildlife resource is managed sustainably. . Fire improves wildlife habitat and hunting opportunities by increasing soft mast production in shrubs like blueberry, huckleberry and blackberry. Since 1895, the Pennsylvania Game Commission has worked to manage and protect wildlife and their habitats while promoting hunting and trapping for current and future generations. But no one that I've communicated with had these preconceptions, and seeing what they saw was a complete surprise. When is the peak of the elk rut? My next step was to gauge the shoulder height of the cat. In the wild, they live 8-13 years, but in captivity they can live into their 20s. 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. NEW! They know what they saw, regardless of what the facts say, and they know they saw a puma. Who conducts burns on State Game Lands? Fish and Wildlife Service officially declared the Eastern subspecies of the mountain lion extinct, which would seem to bolster the skeptics. Obviously, other pumas must be about, and the series of ridges extending north and east and west from my location could all be included as critical habitat as well. I have not spoken with a Game Commission officer personally, so I don't know whether anyone killing a puma in Pennsylvania could do so without legal repercussions. Click here to learn more about CWD in Pennsylvania. Are there pumas, or mountain lions, in Pennsylvania and the mid-Atlantic States? No evidence has ever been produced to support those charges. If you encounter a dead or injured animal that you suspect is a victim of a wildlife crime, please report the instance to the Operation Game Thiefs toll-free hotline 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year at 1-888-PGC-8001 or fill out an online form at http://bit.ly/PGCOGT. I've know of reports since 1973, in Cooke Forest, the heart of a lot of Pa. wilderness. But in recent years, the animals have been moving east. Supplemental feeding is not necessary to sustain wildlife populations. So, theyll respond swiftly to a dose of pepper spray, meaning theyll almost always beat a hasty retreat. How do I report suspected sick, injured or nuisance wildlife? Bear harvest data is available on a map on the Game Commissions website. Adult mentors, (21 years of age or older), may take out more than one junior hunter at a time as long as each junior hunter under the age of 16 is within sight and verbal control of the mentor. It appears proportionately longer, and more pantherish. On average, one antlerless deer is harvested for every four antlerless deer licenses allocated. Are there pumas, or mountain lions, in Pennsylvania and the mid-Atlantic States? Mentored hunters are not required to take a Hunter-Trapper Education class before obtaining a permit to hunt through the program. the more visible white on the chest, the lack of spots, the huge hind quarters. A turkey's ability to forage from a variety of sources enables large populations to thrive in small areas, according to Weyerhausers Southern Wildlife Program Manager Dr. Darren Miller. Two different people told me that they, or a close relative, had seen pumas on more than one occasion. 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. That said there have been numerous sightings of them over the years. Why is the Game Commission considering the reintroduction of American Martens? Please dont feed wildlife, it may cause more harm than good! Thousands of deer. If you see a puma (mountain lion-cougar), contact me. Is a mountain lion bigger than a bobcat? A dark brown puma, backlighted by a strong sun, could appear all black, or very dark, and he accepted that. Bobcat heights are listed as ranging from 12 to 24 inches. What does a Mountain Lion look like on a game camera? Each year, over tha past five, I've spoken with at least one person who swears they personally saw a puma in this state. The Pennsylvania Game Commission is your state wildlife agency and we want to help clarify and simplify some timely and commonly asked hunting- and wildlife-related questions. According toa 2016 study,a single cougar can kill up to 259 deer over the course of its lifetime, single-handedly preventing eight crashes and nearly $40,000 in damages. Predominantly staying out of sight, when it is seen the bobcat is sometimes mistaken for the common housecat or a mountain lion. Yes. Mentored hunters ages 7 and older can apply for their own antlerless deer licenses, (one antlerless license per mentored permit holder), and DMAP permits. Consumption permits are issued from region offices. I've looked in the PGC game laws booklet and saw nothing on this, which I guess you could conclude means a puma would not be legal to shoot. All told, they could eliminate 708,600 collisions and $2.13 billion in damages over 30 years. (Remember: Prescribed burns are not the same as wildfires.) Why are prescribed fires good? Given the cougar's effectiveness as a deer population control, some biologists think this eastern push is a good thing one that should even be encouraged or helped along. How would mountain lions impact the entire trophic scale underneath them? Deer aging crews visit processors to examine deer heads to collect age, sex, harvest location and hunter information. One man sent me a game camera photo that was blurry but looked like a mountain lion, or puma, as I like to call them. Applications will follow the same schedule as seasons past, where residents, and later nonresidents, are permitted to apply for a license in the opening round, and in each of the two successive rounds for any WMU where licenses remain. Goggling Eastern Puma brings up other web sites, however, with varying levels of professionalism or credibility. However, recently I saw a photo of a melanistic bobcat, as black as could be, with bright yellow eyes. Feel free to reach out with your opinions, via Facebook or Twitter. I'm also a big believer in lifelong learning- there's always something new to learn! Are they all the product of the off-spring of pumas that escaped their owners or were released? Archived Questions of the Month I've worked with students of all ages and backgrounds, and I love helping them unlock their full potential. Yes. Cougars, on the other hand, typically range from 23-28 inches at the shoulder (with some odd reports listing 35 inches maximum), with a weight ranging from 75-250 pounds . But even without that second look there was no question that we'd seen a coyote. Exact dates for reporting vary annually, but are generally January through May. On that, I've had emails sent with game trail photo attachments, or killed pumas, supposedly shot in Pennsylvania, but these were hoaxes. We have nearly 200,000 spring turkey hunters and high adult gobbler harvest rates; considerably more than many other states. So how or why could there be a conspiracy? Minimize the handling of and cutting through brain and spinal tissues; 4. From a deer management perspective, it would be possible to allow the use of inline muzzleloaders during the late season flintlock season if the hunters were required to use their antlerless tag for that specific Wildlife Management Unit (WMU). "Cougars really are deer specialists," said Laura Prugh, an author on the study. By expanding concurrent seasons statewide, hunters are provided with more opportunities to harvest antlerless deer. Are there Mountain Lions (Pumas, Cougars) in Pennsylvania and the Mid-Atlantic States? 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? You be the judge. The elks weight and several biological samples will be collected by Game Commission wildlife biologists. Pennsylvania Game Commission officials say it's very unlikely it was a mountain lion. Fearing the worst, I called 911. But Ill leave it up to you, my readers. Learn more about elk history in Pennsylvania. As the following image shows, it is the same height as the spot on the tape measure, which was 18 inches. Their digestive systems and metabolism are adapted to survive harsh winter weather, including deep snow, cold temperatures and high winds. On the other hand, there are probably thousands of game cameras covering water holes and game trails throughout Pennsylvania, and to my knowledge no one has yet recorded a puma. Is there a correct position for the upright on a Wimberley actionhead. Black bears are omnivores, which means their diet is made up of both meat and plant material. Which College Is Ranked 1 On The 20 Best College Campuses List? Paws 'N' Claws Animal Park in the Poconos. All of these forests are, with few exceptions, open to hunting, and hunting is a very important industry in Pennsylvania, New York, West Virginia, Maryland, and Virginia. The cat was far enough away that I couldn't get a size reference, and I believed the cat was further away than it actually was. 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