In April 1997, experienced tracker John McCarter found scat near a beaver carcass at the Quabbin Reservation. We had a tree that was partially blown over in a Noreaster creating a lifted-up mound of earth. (I don't know if it's right, but for me the two terms are interchangeable. Both off of Carrs Mill Rd before the cement bridge (for those of you that may be familiar) I have seen these magnificent creatures in Wyoming and Montana many times on different trips to friends' large and remote ranches. From PD:Read your article about mountain lions in NJ. The friend showed the photograph to a Baltimore County animal control officer and asked him to identify the animal. The policeman, who didn't want to be identified, says he was on his way home from work about 3 a.m. when the cougar crossed Circle Road in an wooded area adjacent to Robert E. Lee Memorial Park. It looked so powerful! From HR:I saw a MountainLion in the fall of 2017 in Bedminster/Far Hills NJ while driving south on Rt 206/Lamington Rd. The Pa. Game Commission investigated this picture. He suggested I didn't see a lion etc. Have any questions? My sighting was on the sand Old Martha Rd beyond Martha Furnace Rd (which is also the BatonaTrail). From ER:Many years ago - back in late 2012 I was preparing a yard sale with my youngest daughter (she was 12 at the time) on our driveway in Ringwood, NJ. Please use caution. 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. And yes I believe these other stories. I thought I was nuts for thinking it was a mountain lion, but now not so much. There are, after all, wild mountain lions not zoo specimens in Florida. If mountain lions returned to Massachusetts, there is no need to update current forest management practices. As of Sept. 7, 12 animals have been tagged statewide thus far. Although they're not often seen walking. 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. The next thing we see is this cat. 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. Although theyre not often seen walking about like the plentiful whitetailed deer, the top Maryland counties for bobcats are Garrett, Allegany, Washington and Frederick in that order. February 12. There are occasional reports of people who think they saw one, maybe they even took a blurry picture, but those are most likely bobcats. There was no question as to what it was, with its coloring and long tail. Someone else reported seeing the cat last February. Delivered right as the newspaper goes to print on Wednesdays and Saturdays. 24K views 4 years ago #cougar #mountainlion #maryland On May 31, 2018 an interesting video of an animal walking across a field was captured in the Fallston area of Harford County, Maryland. Eastern Arizona Courier, Co-existing with nature: Wildlife specialists help both sides get along, Update credit card information AZGFD for 2023 spring hunts. Mike Jacobsen found a dead mountain lion in his Denton-area field on Dec. 19. Mountain lion hunting season opened Aug. 13, and remains so until May 31, 2023. Residents, especially those in the Rio Vista and Mather Road areas, are reminded to keep pets inside at night, use motion sensor lights to help discourage mountain lions from using their yards, and to let Fish and Game know if they observe a mountain lion. Habitat. 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. From EG:About 10 years ago I used to frequent west Milford NJ. "It was sitting there looking at the smoke coming out of our chimney.". When evidence is submitted, MassWildlife carefully reviews the evidence in its entirety and attempts to verify the report. "I believe that they're there," says a Baltimore County police officer, who claims he saw a cougar in Ruxton in 1980. A pretty severe thunderstorm had just ended so for the afternoon it was quite dark. MLRT confirmed using the photos and other sign. No indication of a captive animal. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. Females are typically smaller. From JK:I had a mountain lion bounding across Weldon Road Jefferson Township Morris County about 75 yards in front of me. I was on my deck at around 10 in the morning. 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. 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. Use anything at your disposal: a stick, rock, or better yet, bear spray. 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. adroll_adv_id = "T6XR4YM2C5FGXNZIDZPFXI"; It was tan and the most amazing part of this animal was its tail. 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. Its a one-lane road off of Riva Avenue near Farrington Lake. 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 . It walked into the tree line and disappeared. Residents should also report any mountain lion sightings to by calling Fish and Game's Southwest. 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. Some believe a mountain lion may be lurking in northwest Washington. And so does the state. 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. These tracks were fresh and well photographed. If youre still curious, read on to brush up on your mountain lion knowledge. Saw them all at dusk. (DS says her sighting was from earlier this summer.). 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. From RD:I live in Cumberland in Maurice River township. var year = today.getFullYear() 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. "It was a cougar," insists the 57-year-old Catonsville woman. In the Washington region, sightings have been reported in rural areas of Maryland and Virginia. Or so they think!. In recent weeks, there have been several reported sightings of mountain lions in rural areas of the Twin Tiers. MassWildlifecannot investigate or confirm mountain lion reports without any evidence. Over a period of a year and a half, this mountain lion left DNA evidence in at least four states. I mentioned it to several coworkers and nobody believed me! Arizona mountain lion tags are available over-the-counter or can be purchased by mail for $15 to Arizona locals. At the time I think my daughter was about five. But John Lutz, a cougar buff who runs a Baltimore-based group called the Eastern Puma Research Network, says there are at least 100 wild mountain lions roaming Maryland. There are only quick sightings around town of the large cat known as the mountain lion. In March 2011, DCR forester Steve Ward photographed a track trail in the snow near the Gate 8 boat launch area of Quabbin Reservoir. $1 per month for 6 months (you will be billed $6) and then your subscription will renew at standard subscription rates. I was driving on a dark and stormy night about 9 years ago on Rt-515 just off of Rt-23. Many believe mountain lions still exist in Pennsylvania. All rights reserved. document.write(year) Alaska Most of Graham County is outside of designated active management areas for mountain lions. 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. I heard a lot of animal screaming and it seemed to be getting closer to my property. 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). He tells the story of a friend who managed to snap a picture of a cougar prowling in his backyard in Phoenix. Many mountain lion sightings in our state turn out to be cases of mistaken identity, but photos, tracks, hair, scat, and videos are some types of physical evidence used to confirm the presence of a mountain lion. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. I KNOW WHAT I SAW and to this day every time I bring up this in conversation nobody believes me. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. 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 was going to attempt to somehow categorize these sightings, but I find that task overwhelming. A man named Jacob Soto said that he and a co-worker filmed the lion; they work at farms in the area. I knew it wasn't a dog - and it wasn't a bobcat. 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. l then got to thinking about a description, the color is rather unique. My 11-year-old son was in front of me about 50 feet. Last year he recorded 11 cougar sightings in Maryland, 38 in Pennsylvania and six in Virginia. Because you will never go out of your house at night. Create a password that only you will remember. I told some people but Im not sure anyone believed me. I slowed down and when slowed down it took off really fast into the woods. "These animals have usually been misidentified because they were seen under poor conditions or by someone not familiar with the species," the post goes on to say. The animal just stood there for a few minutes and then walked off towards the lake. Just like New Jersey doesn't have any rattlesnakes. Hunters do not stumble across the remains of dead mountain lions in the woods, he says. Jeff Mulhollem. Again, there was no doubt as to what it was. number of folks to write about their encounters. From ED:Im a believer. Click here to login. Photo courtesy of Mountain Lion Foundation. . Today, mountain lions are found in the mountainous regions of the West. Your purchase was successful, and you are now logged in. Mistaken reports of mountain lions in Massachusetts are most commonly Bobcats. . An official website of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, This page, Are there mountain lions in Massachusetts?, is. 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. Are there mountain lions in Massachusetts. This is the longest documented travel distance of a mountain lion. 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. I guess they werent willing to admit it but my son and I knew what we saw. The Fort Worth Star-Telegraph reports on a mountain lion sighting in April 2022. It turned and saw us. California: 4,000 - 6,000. Mass.gov is a registered service mark of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. 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. 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. And, if. Well, as luck would have it, my co worker took this very nice pic of a mature female mountain lion last week just south of Uniontown Pa. Two years ago I was fishing the Wanaque reservoir and came across tracks I had never seen before. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. 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. Some restrictions apply. That story prompted others to reach out to me about their sightings. Inasmuchas he didn't see it himself - he could not (would not) confirm what we had seen. A lock icon ( I have seen a lion twice in Sussex County. Though the government states the species is extinct, hundreds of sightings are still reported on a daily basis, particularly after the 2011 sighting of an Eastern mountain lion in Greenwich, Conn. Wick Communications. Open MF, 8 a.m.4 p.m. (closed noon12:30 for lunch). I was amazed I told everyone I knew and it was like I was crazy or a liar. And was almost as long as its body! The latest sighting happened Wednesday afternoon, according to a News4 viewer who says she spotted the animal near the Beltway exit to Connecticut Avenue. If you are not and would like to read this and all the other great . See Alex Hunter's Sigma Delta Chi award-winning editorial cartoons. "They never left," Mr. Lutz argues. So, thanks to all who reached out, and to all who are as fascinated about this subject as I am. AZGFD sold 11,851 tags in 2021; 260 mountain. 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. This occurred in the spring of 2017. I have seen it more than once. Mountain lion fur is unspotted and tan-brown . An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the e-mail address listed on your account. From DJ:I used to live on Albrecht Lane in East Brunswick. 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. This gave Nebraska lions some protection under Commission ruling until 2014 when, in a controversial decision, hunting permits were issued . It WAS a mountain lion. If your state is not . The report stated that a woman spotted a mountain lion in Greenbelt Park, WUSA9 confirmed Tuesday. Rt 206/Lamington Rd. In this video we discuss why we have reached our conclusion as well as explaining some natural history about this species. Search for cougars continues in Pennsylvania. It had a small animal hanging from its mouth. Brigantino Park notice. From a distance, it had the walk of a cat - and the coloring of a mountain lion. A number of years ago, a friend and I were driving around Walpack, which is part of The Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. From TP:I was driving on the parkway in Toms River back in the late winter and I swear I saw a dead mountain lion in the median. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. Delivered right as the newspaper goes to print on Wednesdays. "I'm really positive.". It was heading northeast toward Peapack, NJ. People say that when they closed it down some of the animals were released into the woods around here. How can a diminutive pigeon ever look like a majestic bald eagle? I feel vindicated. . They vary in size and weight, with males reaching up to 200 pounds and eight feet in length (one-third of their length is the tail). The feedback will only be used for improving the website. Mountain lions occur across much of the state and bring about a wide range of complex conservation and management challenges. They used to roam the entire continent, but have become extinct in most US states. ), 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. Sighting of this animal also occurred in Michigan and New York. Sightings are certainly nothing new in Maryland. 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. We will use this information to improve this page. 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. This map shows the various zones where mountain lions are hunted statewide, as determined by the Arizona Fish and Game Department. 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. But I know what I saw. adroll_currency = "USD"; About 4 years ago I saw the whole mountain lion. One year just a few years ago I was driving down the road and a good half mile up the road from me after coming around the S bends on Hesstown Road. I do have footprint pics in snow from Califon definitely not your usual coyote. 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. 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. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. Therres reminds us all that it is very easy to misidentify a mountain lion by providing an example of people constantly misidentifying bald eagles. Idaho Fish and Game officers and personnel responded to . The Connecticut mountain lion is the best documented wild Mountain Lion in New England. What does the perfect setup look like for spring steelhead? MassWildlife uses evidence-based criteria for confirming reports of mountain lions. document.write(year) People from all parts of the city are posting accounts. I am sincerely amazed at the number of emails I continue to receive about mountain lion or cougar sightings in New Jersey. FRANKLIN COUNTY, Mo. Straw says. contact the Division of Fisheries and Wildlife. One can easily imagine that they might decide to not report the loss. Our eyes locked and we were both motionless. Saw one in Warren County in 2007 & 2008 while camping. (I've chosen to protect the identities of those who've shared their stories with me. None of the rumors are true. We both stopped. PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY, Md. As it was running I noticed that it was way too large and had a large tail. Among them was a forestry technician who came across a female cougar nursing two cubs in remote part of the Thomas Jefferson National Forest. We won't share it with anyone else. Brigantino Park, on San Juan Road in Hollister, closed July 19 following the sighting of an adult mountain lion with a cub and will remain off limits until further notice, according to the park . 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. We contacted the Somerset County Park department who assured us that there are no mountain lions in their parks. I was walking past my double kitchen windows and glanced outside. Shirley Ford took photos of the svelte creature she saw lurking by her home on Ash Street Sunday, The Telegram and Gazette reports. An adult male mountain lion can have a home range greater than 100 square miles. Tracking experts Paul Rezendes, Charles Worsham, George Leoniak, and Dr. Mark Elbroch examined the photos. Some page levels are currently hidden. Mountain lion hunting season opened Aug. 13, and remains so until May 31, 2023. 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. Mountain lion sighting reported in Worcester County. Forget Big Foot or the Loch Ness monster. I had to slam on the brakes so as not to hit it. If you would like to continue helping us improve Mass.gov, join our user panel to test new features for the site. I then said to my friend, oh wow he said what did you see I said no you tell me, he then described that he saw a big brown animal with a little face and a big tail in a different color brown than the deer, I then told him I saw it as well and it was a cougar he thought I was crazy for saying that and then I showed him an article where someone had just seen it at Burnham Park in Morristown a week or so before that was only a few miles away. There was a problem saving your notification. 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. The hikers did not see the prey animal, but the mountain lion was focused and had zeroed in on something in the bushes. If you are already an OutdoorNews.com subscriber, you can log in here. However, one must assume that it actually could happen. 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? There is no proof. Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password. Now man is encroaching into more remote parts of the state, forcing the cougars out of their hiding places, Mr. Lutz says. 3600 New York Avenue NE, Washington, DC 20002. It was at least four feet long and had a tail just as long. 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. I only saw the back half of the animal which was muscular, tan colored with a long tail that curled at the end. The mountain lion was lying down in the snow. 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. Pittstown resident scared to death last summer outside my house when I went to go feed my donkeys. By LAURA JEAN SCHNEIDER Receive the digital, interactive PDF of the newspaper in your inbox. All other reports of mountain lions in Massachusetts have turned out to be other animals. In 2014, the mountain lion conservation program was established to coordinate scientific research and population monitoring to inform big game management, species management plans and habitat conservation and protection. Mountain lions have a long tail that is usually darker colored at the tip. Offer valid thru 3/31/23. It was heading northeast toward Peapack, NJ. Maryland - There have been many sightings of mountain lions and a lot of debate about the existence of mountain lions in Maryland. This offer only applies to OutdoorNews.com and not for any Outdoor News print subscriptions. They are also known as pumas, cougars and panthers. . 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. ", "Oh," said the officer, "then it isn't a mountain lion. Top-requested sites to log in to services provided by the state. It was about 4 feet tall and just walked slowly crossing the highway.