Are there Mountain Lions (Pumas, Cougars) in Pennsylvania and the Mid-Atlantic States? Never approach a mountain lion, especially one that is feeding or with kittens. Click here for more information. A map of these managed dove fields is available online. Which Penn State Campus Is Closest To Philadelphia? Compare any game camera image with the shots above, or this game camera image, to confirm your identification. Prescribed burns also reduce the severity of unplanned wildfires by removing leaves, thick grasses, and forest debris that accumulate without regular fire. The 'look' is from my The Hunting and Trapping Digest serves as a great resource when it comes to questions about hunting seasons, bag limits and regulations. Youngsters who participate in the mentored program for at least three years before turning 12 are required to get a license at 12, rather than continuing as a mentored hunter. My house is in a heavily-wooded area. Several consecutive years of this add up to severely limit the population. Big cats still roam parts of Pennsylvania. Please keep scrolling - ALL the Puma posts are included. Effective July 1, 2013; a $16 fee is charged for issuing a hunter education replacement certificate. Thanks for reading! We work closely with wildlife biologists to ensure that while some nests may be lost throughout the year due to prescribed fire activities, the burns are restoring acres of healthy habitat that ensure significantly more nests will be successful for many years into the future. Migratory game bird hunters are encouraged to report banded ducks, geese, doves and woodcock they harvest online at www.reportband.gov. Archery and late seasons elk hunters will be notified of this location by letter or contact the Northcentral Region Office at 570-398-4744. Since turkey restoration efforts 5 environmental factors have changed and the interactions of these five factors can negatively affect turkey populations. Pennsylvania has 308 state games lands, which span more than 1.5 million acres. Most general and add-on licenses are available in-store. Continually feeding many wild animals in the same place can harm the habitat, people and the animals themselves. Bone out the meat from your animal; 3. This ensures that all hens have had opportunities to breed with gobblers, and lay their full clutch of eggs, uninterrupted by hunters. Finally, it is important to note that the agency's prescribed fires are purposely conducted on a very small percentage of the overall land base, (less than 1 percent annually), providing significant amounts of refuge for animals that may be temporarily displaced. (Prior to Covid-19 restrictions, the online course was only offered for those 16 years and older and included a fee to complete). The sightings were great bear views, but too fast or fleeting to allow me to grab a camera. In Pennsylvania, I receive a few reports of black, big cats, which makes one wonder -- are there melanistic (black) pumas out there, or are those sightings always wrong. The post-Christmas grouse season, (hereafter late season), is well-loved by many grouse hunters. The agency is focused on putting wildlife first, improving wildlife habitat, following sound business practices, serving the Pennsylvania public and improving support for hunting and trapping. The Game Commission maintains a public map that shows where prescribed burns are being planned. Habitat changes that can result in lower turkey populations include, a lower variety of habitat types, lower habitat quality (particularly due to exotic species replacing native species), lower number of mast-producing trees (particularly oaks and cherry), lower percentage of younger age-class forests, and less nesting brood cover for turkeys. In some areas, entire populations of a species exhibit this trait, for unlike albinism, which results in a conspicuous white color and light-sensitive pink eyes, there are no ill effects with melanism. Many people feed wildlife to experience a closer encounter with wild animals, help animals survive in the winter or to increase the number of game animals. *Please note: You must have permission from private landowners before entering their property. Unless I am only dealing with a lot of delusional people with little judgment, something is out there. Mary saw the photo, too, and she immediately agreed, it was a puma. I believe them. Pennsylvania's last known wild eastern mountain lion was killed in Berks County in 1874. Only bring low-risk parts back to Pennsylvania or out of a DMA or Established Area; 7. What do I think of the Canon 1D Mark IV? Second, antlers are often the first thing removed from a deer when processing begins. Hunters Sharing the Harvest is Pennsylvanias venison donation program that coordinates the distribution of donated venison to a statewide network of meat processors and food banks. Thank you in advance for helping to protect Pennsylvania wildlife! Interesting, too, are the reports I've heard from people who were told that they would be in big trouble if they shot a puma. *Please note: Comments posted on social media sites are always not shared with the commissioners or staff due to the high volume received. The Game Commission believes Pennsylvania's last known wild eastern mountain lion died in 1874 in Berks County. Who should I call with a wildlife-related question in my local area? Recently the US Fish and Wildlife Service formally declared the Eastern Puma an extinct species, except for the remnant population in Florida. Isn't the release of another predator just going to cause or add to the further decline of species such as the wild turkey, northern goshawk, ruffed grouse, Allegheny woodrats, or rabbits? How do I report a banded waterfowl harvest? In books I've read critical or skeptical or down-right dismissive of the idea of pumas in the East, the argument has been advanced that the hopefull puma-dreamer/spotters arguing that the State needs to prove pumas don't exist does not mean that in the State not proving this means that pumas indeed do exist in this state. I've seen about 20 mountain lions, or pumas, in the field, but all but 2 were in Chile. CWD is transmitted both directly through animal-to-animal contact and indirectly through food and soil contaminated with bodily excretions including feces, urine and saliva. Today, there are none in existence in this area; the last mountain lions was seen in 1874. Reporting is mandatory, regardless of harvest, for DMAP (Deep Management Assistance Permits) and second spring turkey licenses. More information is available here. Brown apparently still has beef with Chiefs' JuJu Smith-Schuster. Where can I find a local hunting license vendor? No. This content is restricted to subscribers of OutdoorNews.com. They are wart-like, hairless tumors caused by a virus. 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. Learn more about ruffed grouse management here. If you purchase a snow goose conservation permit, you must submit a snow goose harvest online at HuntFishPA, even if you were not successful. Although I suspect that the cat filmed is not a bobcat (its certainly not a house cat), I cant say for sure that this proves there are mountain lions in Pennsylvania. See also: I've seen hoaxes, of pumas carrying deer shot with game cameras, but these were of western cats. How do I report suspected wildlife crimes? The new process is simpler, since the same distribution rules now apply to all WMUs, and it maintains fair and equitable distribution. If bears continually return, remove the bird feeders entirely. What species can a mentored hunter hunt? No evidence has ever been produced to support those charges. Wild trapped pheasants are released with the goal of establishing populations of at least ten hens per square mile in the spring. Through stringent trap testing, BMPs provide a guide to trappers for ensuring animal welfare and trap efficiency for each individual species. Elk, Pa.s largest wild animal, have become a tourism boom in the northwest part of the state. My next step was to gauge the shoulder height of the cat. A few could, perhaps, be mistaken idenity. Providing contact information for the landowner is the quickest and easiest way for a game warden to verify a landowner has granted permission to a hunter. Melanism is the reverse, where there is an abundance of dark or black pigmentation. Yes. How can opinions be submitted to the Pennsylvania Game Commission? With the Great Lakes in its way, the cat moved either north or south of the water, and the latter route would have seen it pass through at least some of Pennsylvania. It was recorded in Minnesota and Wisconsin in late 2009 and early 2010, and then died in Connecticut in 2011. . The late season flintlock season is a popular and unique opportunity, as only Pennsylvania offers this special hunt, which is enjoyed by an estimated 75,000 flintlock hunters. Mountain lions are about half the size of lions, but they can run up to 50 mph while lions can run only 37 mph. This is a game regulation that has been around for many years and predates most people currently working for the Game Commission. If its further back, it could be a far larger specimen and could conceivably weigh twice that. To learn more on the history and ecology of American martens in Pennsylvania visit American Marten (pa.gov). Mountain lions are large, tan cats. The agency is always faced with the challenge of providing as many hunting opportunities as possible, while ensuring the wildlife resource is managed sustainably. 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 . The elk rut is triggered by photoperiod (day length) and generally begins around the middle of September and carries through early- to mid-October. The cat mustve been after the deer that regularly invade my yard at night, usually to eat my neighbors arborvitae trees and my holly bushes.*. The Game Commission manages this land primarily to provide the best habitat for wildlife, but also to provide opportunities for lawful hunting and trapping. Additional information can be found on the Hunter-Trapper Education page. Is it the New Best Pack? For mentored hunters ages 7 and older, the permit includes antlered deer, fall turkey and spring turkey harvest tags. The mountain lion will most likely attempt to tackle you and crush your skull or bite your throat. HuntFishPA, is equipped to provide hunters and trappers with electronic versions of the licenses they buy. But a mix of bounty hunting . Comments for the Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners regarding current and/or proposed seasons and bag limits may be submitted to pgccomments@pa.gov. [SECRET REVEALED]. However, it is clearly a mountain lion, and I'm presenting this poor image as a baseline reference for anyone recording a mountain lion on a game camera, or seeing one. 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. A dark brown puma, backlighted by a strong sun, could appear all black, or very dark, and he accepted that. Mountain lions weigh 90-160 pounds . Yes. I've seen about 20 mountain lions, or pumas, in the field, but all but 2 . Our investigations have determined the overwhelming number of sightings of mountain lions in our state are actually bobcats. Perhaps my Fed Ex driver was simply recalling a rural legend, but he said it was an employee that he knew, and it was a story he heard first-hand. It was far too big to be a house cat, at which point I had to figure out; was this a bobcat or a cougar, and would my results answer the question: are there mountain lions in Pennsylvania? 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. All rights reserved (About Us). I can't dismiss the eye-witnesses I've interviewed. Are Pennsylvanians OK with these changes? Late-stage signs of CWD-infected animals include an extreme loss of body condition; excessive drinking, urination, salivation and drooling; and behavioral and neurologic changes such as repetitive walking patterns, droopy ears, a wide-based stance, and listlessness. Harvesting 3-year-old gobblers during the spring is compensatory mortality, since most would die from predation if they are not harvested. Consumption permits are issued from region offices. This will be one of your best identification marks, along with size. 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. Those cats for which DNA evidence was recovered had come east from South Dakota, part of the known, modern-day, U.S. mountain lion range. Mountain lions, also commonly known as cougars, are officially extinct in both Pennsylvania and the United States east of the Mississippi. What does a Puma (Mountain Lion) look like on a Game Camera? pgccomments@pa.gov. The wild pheasants are monitored by Game Commission wildlife biologists to determine survival and population numbers using radio telemetry, crowing counts, brood surveys and flushing surveys. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. Where are managed dove fields located on state games lands? If we don't see it, it doesn't exist. By expanding concurrent seasons statewide, hunters are provided with more opportunities to harvest antlerless deer. Junior hunters, 16 or older, may hunt alone. Remember, this one was photographed in Arizona in good puma country, although this was the first one I've recorded there. Several populations of Gray Squirrels scattered around the country are black, and recently I heard of a neighborhood of black Eastern Chipmunks. Mature trees are left standing and are typically not impacted by the fire, (unless that is the desired effect). By allowing wildlife to congregate unnaturally at feeding sites, diseases such as CWD, mange and tuberculosis may be spread not only to wildlife, but also to humans and pets. Only when I reviewed the images on my laptop did I discover that I had a mountain lion! pgccomments@pa.gov for their messages to be shared with the Board of Game Commissioners and appropriate staff. original web site, although if I ever have enough time I might Callers anywhere in the state can now dial 1-833-PGC-HUNT or 1-833-PGC-WILD to contact the Pennsylvania Game Commission's Centralized Dispatch Center and be directed appropriately. This could cause them to approach people looking for more. There are three ways hunters can report their deer or turkey harvests: Online at HuntFishPA, by phone at the NEW toll-free number 1-800-838-4431 or by mail (using the postcard in the Hunting & Trapping Digest). However, the spring season does not impact the overall annual turkey population, due to the timing of when the season opens after peak breeding, and when more than half of the hens have begun incubating eggs. I have received about two dozen reports during that time, including one game camera image that still looks very credible to me. Click here to find a class in your area. I went back there with the cop who showed up. A high hen-to-gobbler ratio is also not a problem for turkey populations. This is not a Pennsylvania puma! While the dead cougar had been roaming free in the forests of northwestern. How can I buy a bear hunting license? Some in-person classes are being offered. Now, forty years ago coyotes were rare or almost nonexistent in Pennsylvania, and had had that same sighting back then, when coyotes were thought not to exist within the state we would have had the 'facts' to doubt what we saw. Harvest management to improve turkey numbers is with more conservative fall seasons. The Game Commission has a carefully timed season that intentionally finds middle ground between peak gobbling and a safe nesting period. I also took a tape measure with me. Do lots of hens mean fewer gobblers? If it was just a house cat, it would be obvious. 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? Click here to learn more about the board. Except there's one big problem, at least for East Coasters: cougars don't really live here. Which Penn State Campus Is Best For Criminal Justice? Despite yearly reports of cougar sightings in Pennsylvania, the U.S. There is no known cure. Why stock pheasant that cant survive? The digest is also available for printing and viewing online. This process continues until the whole unit is burned out. I've know of reports since 1973, in Cooke Forest, the heart of a lot of Pa. wilderness. It also reduces confusion about which WMUs are open to antlerless hunting. Of course, the writer's comments were hearsay, but it does make sense. Is there a correct position for the upright on a Wimberley actionhead? Its the basis of a classic fishing trick; you hold a fish a bit away from you to make it appear larger for the camera. An average adult should be able to ward off an attack by fighting back since mountain lions are rather small. If you have a question that isnt answered below, please email us at Why are prescribed fires good? The last wild panther known to have walked in the Pennsylvania woods did so in Berks County. They, like all cats, have extremely sensitive noses and dont like having them abused. Smoke will be visible during the burn and might be seen for many miles. If so, what would happen to the hunting industry in all of these states? Currently, due to the lesser effectiveness of the flintlock rifle and the relatively few deer harvested by flintlock hunters, allowing them to use their unused buck tag has not been an issue in meeting the agencys deer management goals. The above frame, although admittedly still amorphous, is at least telling. How do I report my bear harvest? Is wildlife harmed by prescribed fire? Office of Open Records: Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Office of Open Records, Commonwealth Keystone Building, 400 North Street, 4th Floor, Harrisburg, PA 17120-0225. The Pennsylvania Game Commission is an independent state agency and receives no General Fund money from the state's annual budget. 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