Mountain lions are helpful in maintaining order in our ecosystem and assist to keep other wildlife numbers in check. a woman who swears she and her dog were approached by a cougar in Galloway Township. 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. JustBe Farm is the passion project of both Kate and Ray, two South Jersey locals who wanted a place where they could reconnect busy children, teens, and adults with nature. Pigeons? From D:My wife came home a couple of years ago and told me she saw two cougars crossing Range Road, a joint jurisdiction road between Fort Dix and Browns Mills, NJ, I told her they must have been something else. It was killed in management Zone D, area 10, which appears to be mostly in Coconino County. The network doesnt believe phone callers, such as the ones the Maryland DNR hears of a large cat the size of a German shepherd or larger dog walking down the trail.Youve got to do better than that, says the Cougar Networks professional big-cat specialists. Night-time trail camera photos indicate one or possibly two mountain lions are still using neighborhoods near the river corridor in McCall. We were traveling south on 23 right by Canistear road in West Milford. A mountain lion, seen above, was sighted on Ash Street in Webster Sunday. 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. From AM:Yes, we DO have them in NJ, regardless of whether the state denies it or not. (#08) We just wanted to inform you all that during our trip to the Snowshoe ski resort in West Virginia we sighted a mountain lion at a nearby field. I live in Holland Township NJ. 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. Just like New Jersey doesn't have any rattlesnakes. This program continued in Arizona until roughly fifty years ago. The coloring was that of a deer but it was too strangely shaped to be a deer conclusion definitely a mountain lion. The mountain lion is also known as cougar, panther, or puma. Demographic train wreck: Will Japan throw its old people on the tracks? Your email address will not be published. If you need assistance, please contact the Division of Fisheries and Wildlife. "It was sitting there looking at the smoke coming out of our chimney.". It occurred after 8 p.m. Monday night, January 23, 2023, at Highway T and Old Highway 100 just north of Villa Ridge in Franklin County. 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. From EW:Lions in NJmy son and myself were on a hunt in a ground blind on a friend's farm in Liberty Corner, NJ Somerset CoFebruary 19, 1996.roughly around 4:00 pm in the afternoon I thought a deer had entered the pine forest we were adjacent to.we were actually hunting bushy tails with flintlock smoothbores as deer season was closed. My sighting was on the sand Old Martha Rd beyond Martha Furnace Rd (which is also the BatonaTrail). For more information on mountain lions, visit the . I do have footprint pics in snow from Califon definitely not your usual coyote. 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. I could not believe my eyes! I was amazed I told everyone I knew and it was like I was crazy or a liar. The state classed mountain lions as endangered in 1972 and banned all hunting of them. Evidence could include the body of a dead mountain lion or a live wild-captured animal; photos or video, in which a mountain lion can be identified and MassWildlife can confirm the location; DNA evidence from hair, scat, etc. I had my head tilted to the side sitting in the backseat with my daughter and I saw a very large cat jump clear across Route 23. Search for cougars continues in Pennsylvania. In. Reported Mountain Lion In Maryland Park Actually A Coyote , Mountain Lion Population (In Each U.S. State) Wildlife , Whiting Ranch remains closed with near-daily mountain lion , Video Evidence of a Cougar or Mountain Lion in Fallston , Confirmed Mountain Lion Reports | Missouri Department of , Mountain lions in little old Maryland? l thought "oh shit" and figured l could try to use my bicycle for protection and dismounted. None of the rumors are true. My cousin and her boyfriend, who own 40 acres in Mansfield Twp NJ saw one on their property as well. Shes 18 now. They told me they would investigate and let me know, but I never received a callback. 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. A .mass.gov website belongs to an official government organization in Massachusetts. That story prompted others to reach out to me about their sightings. Already a subscriber to OutdoorNews.com? White-tailed deer are the most abundant large animals in the park. From PD: Read your article about mountain lions in NJ. For the last few days, my email account has been continuously pinging from people sharing information about their sightings. Pitch-black out and all I could hear was a long slow deep growling that sounded like nothing Id ever heard except once before 3 years ago. Mountain Lion Weight: 80-160 pounds Length: About 7-8 feet long Tail: 2-3 feet long (up to half of the total length) Identification The mountain lion is a large, slender cat, with a long rope-like tail. I have seen these magnificent creatures in Wyoming and Montana many times on different trips to friends' large and remote ranches. There has only been 1 confirmed mountain lion sighting on the coastal side of I5 since around the 1970's or 80's, that info can be confirmed with any local park ranger. There are occasional reports of people who think they saw one, maybe they even took a blurry picture, but those are most likely bobcats. "She was hesitant to report it because she thought people wouldn't believe her," Lefleche told the paper. From SS:Some years ago we were on our way home from my sister-in-laws house burning. in Montague, Sussex County, east from the swampy area of High Point Golf Club west down behind the Vet's office on Millville Rd. Males grow antlers which fall off each winter and grow back in the summer. lt calmly looked back then almost bent its body in half, using only its front legs to face me. Updated: Jul. In March 2011, DCR forester Steve Ward photographed a track trail in the snow near the Gate 8 boat launch area of Quabbin Reservoir. The USDA's Forest Service Wildlife Genetics Laboratory found that the animal came from South Dakota. Turned its head and looked right at me for several seconds. Open MF, 8 a.m.4 p.m. (closed noon12:30 for lunch). MassWildlife uses evidence-based criteria for confirming reports of mountain lions. There was a long tall cat with a long tail. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. -Mountain lions are classified as big game. There is no proof. The government says they don't exist here. If you would like to continue helping us improve Mass.gov, join our user panel to test new features for the site. This all started in the spring with the report by a woman who swears she and her dog were approached by a cougar in Galloway Township. Over a period of a year and a half, this mountain lion left DNA evidence in at least four states. Many believe mountain lions still exist in Pennsylvania. Follow @WJZ on Twitter and like WJZ-TV | CBS Baltimore on Facebook, First published on July 31, 2018 / 4:17 PM. A pretty severe thunderstorm had just ended so for the afternoon it was quite dark. adroll_pix_id = "UONCO23J7FHDDMDTKEX733"; Thina Vanosnabrugge, a 41-year-old Hunt Valley woman, thinks they are. Another sighting was at Berkshire Valley Road by my neighbor. He caught the animal in his headlights and, at first, thought it was a large Labrador retriever. Yet this young male traveled about 1,800 miles. "As always, you should be diligent and cautious with your pets.". All the same, Therres and his colleagues log every report into a database (so far 150 sightings have been entered) and I suppose the wildlife specialists have a good laugh now and then. MassWildlife cannot investigate or confirm mountain lion reports without any evidence. It was late October and leaves were mostly down on our 500+ acre site. Suggestions are presented as an open option list only when they are available. I feel vindicated. I wish I had turned around and taken photos but, where it was located, it would have taken me too long. 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. With all the deer, geese, and other prey everywhere, why wouldnt they be here!!!! It came out of the woods and stopped in the middle of the road right in front of me in the headlights. We are both members of the Walpack Historical Society. They are here. GREENBELT, Md. Please remove any contact information or personal data from your feedback. All rights reserved (About Us). Maybe it's just a coincidence, but l have since never taken that ride. In recent weeks, there have been several reported sightings of mountain lions in rural areas of the Twin Tiers. The MLRT has confirmed fewer than 100 cases. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. Another cougar buff, zoologist Donald Linzey, has collected 250 reports of mountain lions in Virginia over 11 years and believes 85 are credible. l went around a tight right bend and, 100 feet up, walking the same way was a cougar. Suddenly my son stopped on the trail due to a large cat on the trail. It was ENORMOUS! Click here to login. I mentioned it to several coworkers and nobody believed me! - 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. I heard a lot of animal screaming and it seemed to be getting closer to my property. There is also a small population in southern Florida. 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. Please give us a call at 928-428-2560, Copyright From RE:Hi Joe, no one believed me but back in about 1986 I was. About 4 years ago I saw the whole mountain lion. I know it is not technically in maryland but I highly doubt this cat knows where the state line is located and stays on the Pa. side all the time. 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. Weight. In 1966, an animal believed to be a cougar clawed a pony, two sheep and a calf to death in western Harford County. From DS:I also spotted a mountain lion on Almonesson Rd Deptford NJ about 1 am. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. "It's a mountain lion," the officer said. On May 31, 2018 an interesting video of an animal walking across a field was captured in the Fallston area of Harford County, Maryland during a foggy morning by Dan Jones. May 2015: Shannon: Citizen reported mountain lion tracks near the Current River, an investigation confirmed the track photos and other sign at the site. It was heading northeast toward Peapack, NJ. "It was a cougar," insists the 57-year-old Catonsville woman. . Adults are a uniform tan or tawny in color, with a white or cream-colored chin, undersides and inner legs. It was heading northeast toward Peapack, NJ. I was going to attempt to somehow categorize these sightings, but I find that task overwhelming. Let us know what's going on! The mountain lion walked right across the street in front of his car while he was driving through the park. This map shows the various zones where mountain lions are hunted statewide, as determined by the Arizona Fish and Game Department. Today, mountain lions are found in the mountainous regions of the West. Of course, everyone thinks Im crazy because they dont want to believe it. Mass.gov is a registered service mark of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. 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! At the time I think my daughter was about five. Crews were seen from a D.C. chopper searching the park with long guns. 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. The MLRT has investigates hundreds of mountain lion reports, but most reported sightings and tracks turn out to be bobcats or large dogs. 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. We contacted the Somerset County Park department who assured us that there are no mountain lions in their parks. Copyright 2023Outdoor News. Youd think that with the distinctive white head and tail of adult eagles no one could foul up on it, but Therres says, We receive reports of bald eagles that turn out to be ospreys, hawks, black-backed gulls and even pigeons.. However, one must assume that it actually could happen. In April 1997, experienced tracker John McCarter found scat near a beaver carcass at the Quabbin Reservation. Me and my friend are trying to put together a list/map of sightings in MD. I myself saw one back around 2008 off of Watervale Rd in Fallston, Harford County. Hikers saw a mountain lion walking along a hiking trail as it was hunting a deer in Big Bend National Park, Texas. I only saw the back half of the animal which was muscular, tan colored with a long tail that curled at the end. 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? 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. You have permission to edit this article. All other reports of mountain lions in Massachusetts have turned out to be other animals. Please limit your input to 500 characters. From EG:About 10 years ago I used to frequent west Milford NJ. Hunters do not stumble across the remains of dead mountain lions in the woods, he says. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. Columbia police were notified of a possible mountain lion sighting in the city Thursday night, May 5. "If there is a wild population, it is very tiny, and they are able to live and die without any evidence of them being here," Mr. Then it turned and went back into the woods. The Fort Worth Star-Telegraph reports on a mountain lion sighting in April 2022. It was crossing Clove Rd. In certain situations, the similarities in the silhouette are remarkable. There are, after all, wild mountain lions not zoo specimens in Florida. Have any questions? However, Fish and Game is asking area residents to be vigilant and to report any mountain lion sightings in the area by calling the Southwest Region Office at 208-465-8465, Monday through Friday . Or so they think!. Very interesting piece. I was told to call animal control. "I'm really positive.". We both stopped. ), 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. 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. MassWildlifecannot investigate or confirm mountain lion reports without any evidence. There is no evidence of a reproducing mountain lion population in Massachusetts. An Ohio Division of Wildlife officer said he watched the . Among them was a forestry technician who came across a female cougar nursing two cubs in remote part of the Thomas Jefferson National Forest. In the '70s, Jungle Habitat was located here in West Milford. From HR:I saw a MountainLion in the fall of 2017 in Bedminster/Far Hills NJ while driving south on Rt 206/Lamington Rd. From a distance, it had the walk of a cat - and the coloring of a mountain lion. Diana Marchibroda and her miniature schnauzer froze in their tracks when the mountain lion stepped out of the woods last May. See Alex Hunter's Sigma Delta Chi award-winning editorial cartoons. elk calf with characteristics of a mountain lion kill. As of Sept. 7, 12 animals have been tagged statewide thus far. I was driving on a dark and stormy night about 9 years ago on Rt-515 just off of Rt-23. 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. ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the official website. These areas are heavily wooded reserves owned by Morris County and the State of New Jersey. It turned and saw us. One other gentleman and I almost 10 years ago saw a mountain lion on our worksite in Clinton NJ. Sighting of this animal also occurred in Michigan and New York. Courtesy photo Mike Jacobsen was checking his fences near Denton after last month's windstorm when his kids pulled. Lefleche told the Telegram and Gazette that Ford's sighting seems credible. I was on my deck at around 10 in the morning. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. Although they're not often seen walking. On Tuesday, September 28, the Choconut Inn in Friendsville, Pennsylvania jumped in on the conversation with a Facebook post that read, "Hi everyone there's been numerous mountain lion sightings by Quaker Lake. The first one in recent history was in 2008 . Case 1 I knew It wasnt a bear or wolf. It is difficult to know if someone saw a mountain lion without any tangible evidence. 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. 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. Since May 21, three other lion sightings were reported in the Chubbuck and Pocatello areas and one in Inkom. Create a password that only you will remember. / CBS Baltimore. Idaho Fish and Game officers and personnel responded to . It was about 12:30 at night. The youngest was less than 1-year-old. Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. 60-108 inches. 3600 New York Avenue NE, Washington, DC 20002. Even though the WV DNR says there are no wild mountain lions in the state, there are some held in captivity at the West Virginia Wildlife Center in French Creek. Advertisement Rauch said the bobcat probably traveled down the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal from. "I believe that they're there," says a Baltimore County police officer, who claims he saw a cougar in Ruxton in 1980. The main habitat requirement for mountain lions is stalking cover to successfully hunt prey. "As always, if you leave wildlife alone and respect it, the wildlife will reciprocate," she wrote. AZGFD sold 11,851 tags in 2021; 260 mountain lions were killed, 17 of those as the result of livestock depredations. Copyright 2014 The Washington Times, LLC. Officials are asking that people avoid the park as they investigate the report. The Pa. Game Commission investigated this picture. Your e-mail address will be used to confirm your account. One neighbor described the creature as larger and wider than a deer, with the long tail of a cat. Most of Graham County is outside of designated active management areas for mountain lions. "They never left," Mr. Lutz argues. This occurred in the spring of 2017. The latest sighting happened Wednesday afternoon, according to a News4 viewer who says she spotted the animal near the Beltway exit to Connecticut Avenue. 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. 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 . "I couldn't believe my eyes. 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. Last year he recorded 11 cougar sightings in Maryland, 38 in Pennsylvania and six in Virginia. "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 . Further, it is already illegal to kill a mountain lion in Massachusetts. Adult males may be more than 8 feet long (from the tip of the nose to the tip of the tail), and can weigh between 130 and 150 pounds. Use this button to show and access all levels. 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. I have seen a lion twice in Sussex County. Receive the digital, interactive PDF of the newspaper in your inbox. People from all parts of the city are posting accounts. When evidence is submitted, MassWildlife carefully reviews the evidence in its entirety and attempts to verify the report. However, because they are capable of traveling great distances, they have turned up in all parts of North Dakota. CAPTAIN COOK, Hawaii (KITV4) -- A possible big cat sighting is being investigated on the Big Island. We had a tree that was partially blown over in a Noreaster creating a lifted-up mound of earth. The mountain lion was about 50 yards to the left of my house and was walking up the side of the mountain.

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