mountain lion sightings in maryland

With all the deer, geese, and other prey everywhere, why wouldnt they be here!!!! Males, also called bucks, are about 20 percent larger than females, which are called does. I could not believe my eyes! 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. from afar it looked like silk black fur. Now man is encroaching into more remote parts of the state, forcing the cougars out of their hiding places, Mr. Lutz says. However, one must assume that it actually could happen. 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. Mistaken reports of mountain lions in Massachusetts are most commonly Bobcats. The report stated that a woman spotted a mountain lion in Greenbelt Park, WUSA9 confirmed Tuesday. An adult male bobcat can reach four feet in length and 35-40 pounds. Turned its head and looked right at me for several seconds. 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. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. I mentioned it to several coworkers and nobody believed me! The Missouri Dept of Conservation release information regarding a vehicle striking a mountain lion (cougar) not far from Six Flags. That story prompted others to reach out to me about their sightings. A .mass.gov website belongs to an official government organization in Massachusetts. A recent rumor of a cougar killed by a vehicle on Interstate 80 attracted some attention at Penn State. Again, there was no doubt as to what it was. MONTEREY There are no photos. "It was sitting there looking at the smoke coming out of our chimney.". Mountain lions dont usually travel more than 100 miles from where they are born. I have seen these magnificent creatures in Wyoming and Montana many times on different trips to friends' large and remote ranches. "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. It came out of the woods and stopped in the middle of the road right in front of me in the headlights. One neighbor described the creature as larger and wider than a deer, with the long tail of a cat. He tells the story of a friend who managed to snap a picture of a cougar prowling in his backyard in Phoenix. Hunters must also possess a valid hunting license, which is $37 for residents. A number of years ago, a friend and I were driving around Walpack, which is part of The Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. This map shows the various zones where mountain lions are hunted statewide, as determined by the Arizona Fish and Game Department. Laugh all you want, but Agnes Muhl has no doubts about what she, her husband and her mother saw in the front yard of their Thurmont vacation home eight years ago. If you would like to continue helping us improve Mass.gov, join our user panel to test new features for the site. Click here to login. They used to roam the entire continent, but have become extinct in most US states. a woman who swears she and her dog were approached by a cougar in Galloway Township. In this video we discuss why we have reached our conclusion as well as explaining some natural history about this species. I have seen it more than once. It was killed in management Zone D, area 10, which appears to be mostly in Coconino County. Since May 21, three other lion sightings were reported in the Chubbuck and Pocatello areas and one in Inkom. var today = new Date() Since 1890 in the U.S. and Canada, there have been 100 attacks on humans at all, according to the research organization The Cougar Network. Straw says. 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. Just a matter of time until fish and game acknowledge it. 75-170 pounds. Five other people also allegedly saw what they thought was a mountain lion in the area, Lefleche said. Offer valid thru 3/31/23. The friend showed the photograph to a Baltimore County animal control officer and asked him to identify the animal. There were five yearling animals, four 2-year-old animals, two 3-year-olds and five 4-year-olds. 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. Quite unnerving. 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. Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. It was when the reservoir was really low. 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. In the Washington region, sightings have been reported in rural areas of Maryland and Virginia. 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! Mountain lion prints are . And, if. I heard a lot of animal screaming and it seemed to be getting closer to my property. Genetic analyses confirmed the hair was from a male mountain lion and the propbable population of origin was Colorado. The oldest tooth-aged mountain lion tagged in 2021 was 10. 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. ), I have no agenda in this. MassWildlifecannot investigate or confirm mountain lion reports without any evidence. It turned and saw us. The young adult male was killed by an SUV on the Wilbur Cross Parkway in Milford, Connecticut on June 11, 2011. In 1966, an animal believed to be a cougar clawed a pony, two sheep and a calf to death in western Harford County. The mountain lion walked right across the street in front of his car while he was driving through the park. From HR:I saw a MountainLion in the fall of 2017 in Bedminster/Far Hills NJ while driving south on Rt 206/Lamington Rd. (I've chosen to protect the identities of those who've shared their stories with me. There was a problem saving your notification. Another sighting was on Storms Ave in Haskell NJ. Mistaken reports of Mountain Lions in Massachusetts are most commonly bobcats, the state said. It was at the edge of the woods and it looked like it was just after a kill. Photo courtesy of Mountain Lion Foundation. As it was running I noticed that it was way too large and had a large tail. There is also a small population in southern Florida. Mike Jacobsen found a dead mountain lion in his Denton-area field on Dec. 19. Night-time trail camera photos indicate one or possibly two mountain lions are still using neighborhoods near the river corridor in McCall. "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?" Jeff Mulhollem. In her post, Lefleche told her friends not to panic. Receive the digital, interactive PDF of the newspaper in your inbox. Definitely, a mountain lion after I googled the print.Some years ago there was a really bad coyote problem at the Wawayanda State Park. Below is the information about mountain lion sightings in maryland 2021 . It is difficult to know if someone saw a mountain lion without any tangible evidence. The latest sighting happened Wednesday afternoon, according to a News4 viewer who says she spotted the animal near the Beltway exit to Connecticut Avenue. What does the perfect setup look like for spring steelhead? 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. Cars do not kill or injure cougars crossing roads. It had a small animal hanging from its mouth. However, deer in the park are normally about 100 lbs. There was no question as to what it was, with its coloring and long tail. Mountain lion hunting season opened Aug. 13, and remains so until May 31, 2023. All rights reserved. "It was a cougar," insists the 57-year-old Catonsville woman. Please give us a call at 928-428-2560, Copyright 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. Shirley Ford took photos of the svelte creature she saw lurking by her home on Ash Street Sunday, The Telegram and Gazette reports. But that was definitely what it was. In windy or mountainous areas, Elbroch says air horns are great tools to throw off a cat's focus and deter them from . 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? Saw one in my backyard in Mercer County in 2018. 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 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. "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. 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 Further, it is already illegal to kill a mountain lion in Massachusetts. Diana Marchibroda and her miniature schnauzer froze in their tracks when the mountain lion stepped out of the woods last May. The last confirmed records of the Eastern Cougar's existence were in 1938 in Maine. Mountain lions occur across much of the state and bring about a wide range of complex conservation and management challenges. A lock icon ( It was crossing Clove Rd. Just like New Jersey doesn't have any rattlesnakes. The Pa. Game Commission investigated this picture. Mountain Lion Sighting. There are only quick sightings around town of the large cat known as the mountain lion. 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. That story prompted a number of folks to write about their encounters. Read more about the status of Mountain Lions in Alabama here. 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. Mountain lions have a long tail that is usually darker colored at the tip. Wick Communications. 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. I had made calls to many different agencies and either I was told I was wrong or no one would return my calls. . On a side note, I've been out near West Virginia and the western parts of both Maryland and Virginia enough to know that it is a commonly held belief that mountain lions still exist 'round those parts. 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. As of Sept. 7, 12 animals have been tagged statewide thus far. The bobcat is the only resident "big cat" with. Officers will patrol the neighborhood Friday. I'm completely convinced fish and game are well aware they are still here and said they are extinct to calm the public outcries. The next thing we see is this cat. I am sincerely amazed at the number of emails I continue to receive about mountain lion or cougar sightings in New Jersey. I was going to attempt to somehow categorize these sightings, but I find that task overwhelming. A couple of sightings involved captive mountain lions that escaped from licensed facilities in New York State. There was a long tall cat with a long tail. . I myself saw one back around 2008 off of Watervale Rd in Fallston, Harford County. I was driving on a dark and stormy night about 9 years ago on Rt-515 just off of Rt-23. A work colleague of mine lives in Layton, a town next to Walpack in Sussex County. Mountain lions were classified as a game species by the Nebraska State Legislature in 1995, mandating the Commission to set hunting seasons only if the lion population was large enough to sustain a harvest. From ED:Im a believer. 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. It was late October and leaves were mostly down on our 500+ acre site. Yet this young male traveled about 1,800 miles. "I'm really positive.". Other people say they have seen these beautiful cats and have also caught them, in the past, on camera in the woods. Your purchase was successful, and you are now logged in. In certain situations, the similarities in the silhouette are remarkable. If you forget it, you'll be able to recover it using your email address. 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. Standing in profile on top of the mound was a mountain lion. / CBS Baltimore. "It was so unusual," she says. A pretty severe thunderstorm had just ended so for the afternoon it was quite dark. Forget Big Foot or the Loch Ness monster. If your state is not . 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. According to Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD), a person may use dogs to pursue, but not kill or capture a mountain lion in a unique pursuit-only season that coincides with the open season. 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. "I knew a lot of people wouldn't believe I'd seen it," he says. 2018 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. My dad also has a friend that lives in North Jersey I believe in alpha somewhere by the NY border in a more rural area and he has seen them in his yard and captured them on his trail camera. From AM:Yes, we DO have them in NJ, regardless of whether the state denies it or not. 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. .it walked right out downwind of us and broadside to both of us at 25 yards or so. 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.. Many believe mountain lions still exist in Pennsylvania. 13507065_10205364039255335_8657515368052999240_n.jpg. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. The USDA's Forest Service Wildlife Genetics Laboratory found that the animal came from South Dakota. Photo of a mountain lion taken by a game camera and a kill site of an 80 lb. A mountain lion, seen above, was sighted on Ash Street in Webster Sunday. I was on my deck at around 10 in the morning. Sightings are certainly nothing new in Maryland. Body coloration can range from tan to gray and cubs are usually covered with blackish brown spots. Therres says the last of Marylands natural cougar populations disappeared in the late 1800s, probably due to the lack of the cats favorite food: venison. A spokesperson for the Washington HumaneSociety said someone may have been keeping the cat as a pet and then released it once they couldn't take care of it anymore. We won't share it with anyone else. 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). Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia local news, events and information. I had to slam on the brakes so as not to hit it. lt calmly looked back then almost bent its body in half, using only its front legs to face me. My girlfriend remarked, Wow, that was a lion. Mass.gov is a registered service mark of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. It then, whew, calmly walked into the brush towards the Oswego River. -Mountain lions are classified as big game. A resident called police about 8:30 p.m. to report what they believed was a mountain lion seen by multiple people along the Gedern Trail, which runs through the Gedern Estates subdivision and connects to the GM&O Heritage Trail along the former railroad right-of-way in Columbia. Your e-mail address will be used to confirm your account. May 2015: Laclede Use anything at your disposal: a stick, rock, or better yet, bear spray. Also, Bobcats are spreading into areas in which they have not been seen before. 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. Then it continued crossing the road and into the woods. It was light brown with a long tail. Case 1 This still from a local video clip of a mountain lion taken Tuesday morning shows a big cat crossing a ditch before he disappears into the cotton field. Courtesy photo Mike Jacobsen was checking his fences near Denton after last month's windstorm when his kids pulled. Hikers saw a mountain lion walking along a hiking trail as it was hunting a deer in Big Bend National Park, Texas. The animal just stood there for a few minutes and then walked off towards the lake. They are here. All these photos were taken in a state other than Massachusetts. (A valid mountain lion pursuit-only permit or a valid, unused mountain lion non-permit tag is required.). Then he realized from the length of its tail and the shape of its body that it was a mountain lion. #1 The tail. 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. 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. (Or a lot of people who are very good at creative writing and fooling me.). When evidence is submitted, MassWildlife carefully reviews the evidence in its entirety and attempts to verify the report. MassWildlife receives dozens of reportsa year, most are simplyreportsor sightings with no evidence. "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 . Information gathered from AZFGD and the Arizona Mountain Lion Foundation, Hunters who dont want to miss getting their spring 2023 tag should take the time now to update their credit card information with the Arizona. The report stated that a woman spotted a mountain lion in Greenbelt. It scowled and flipped its long just before it leaped down the bank towards the fawns. All other reports of mountain lions in Massachusetts have turned out to be other animals. The coloring was that of a deer but it was too strangely shaped to be a deer conclusion definitely a mountain lion. There are, after all, wild mountain lions not zoo specimens in Florida. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. This offer only applies to OutdoorNews.com and not for any Outdoor News print subscriptions. This is the longest documented travel distance of a mountain lion. reads. Admission is $6 for ages 16 and over, $2 for kids 6 to 15 years old, and free for . Maryland - There have been many sightings of mountain lions and a lot of debate about the existence of mountain lions in Maryland. Mountain lion fur is unspotted and tan-brown . No doubt we were lookin' at a Mt. On we go with just some of the reports I've received in the last few days: From RB:I've been reading your stories about mountain lion sightings, I too have seen a mountain lion; this was during the early spring or late winter of 2021. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. We had a tree that was partially blown over in a Noreaster creating a lifted-up mound of earth. He suggested I didn't see a lion etc. Some believe a mountain lion may be lurking in northwest Washington. 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. To me, it was not a dog and then carry itself like a dog. Some kitty this is!An outfit known as the Cougar Network (www.easterncougarnet.org) tracks cougar sightings all over the various states where cougar populations are not known to exist. The buzzards returned in late February, and Steve Pollick says you can mark your calendar by these scavengers exploits. 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. If you need assistance, please contact the Division of Fisheries and Wildlife. Delivered right as the newspaper goes to print on Wednesdays. in Montague, Sussex County, east from the swampy area of High Point Golf Club west down behind the Vet's office on Millville Rd. One other gentleman and I almost 10 years ago saw a mountain lion on our worksite in Clinton NJ. Males grow antlers which fall off each winter and grow back in the summer. An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the e-mail address listed on your account. adroll_pix_id = "UONCO23J7FHDDMDTKEX733"; Then in late August, a woman reported seeing a mountain lion on her drive between Millville and Avalon. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. I knew It wasnt a bear or wolf. Residents should also report any mountain lion sightings to by calling Fish and Game's Southwest. Some of these photos have taken on urban legend status. The mountain lion is also known as cougar, panther, or puma. This was on January 25 at around 5:30 pm. Unconfirmed sightings of mountain lions and panthers do persist in Maryland, according to the state Department of Natural Resources website. The mountain lion is rare in Missouri, having been extirpated since the 1920s; occasional individuals wander here from other states. Case 2 More Local News to Love Start today for 50% off Expires 3/6/23, Laura Newberry | laura.newberry@masslive.com, Are there Mountain Lions in Massachusetts? (WJZ) -- A reported mountain lion sighting in a Prince George's County park turned out to be a coyote. We see dead deer all of the time, but deer do not have big paws as this thing did. Very interesting piece. 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? State law protects all species unless otherwise noted. February 12. Sixty-nine percent of mountain lion kills involved the use of dogs, and the majority of animals were killed in the period between January and March. Someone photographed the animal at the Brunswick School on Greenwich, Connecticut about 40 miles away on June 5th. CAPTAIN COOK, Hawaii (KITV4) -- A possible big cat sighting is being investigated on the Big Island. l then got to thinking about a description, the color is rather unique. ". adroll_current_page = "other"; They are definitely here. Then it turned and went back into the woods. From JK:I had a mountain lion bounding across Weldon Road Jefferson Township Morris County about 75 yards in front of me. half a mile before you reach the Deptford Mall. If you are already an OutdoorNews.com subscriber, you can log in here. ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the official website. July 31, 2018 / 4:17 PM Are there mountain lions in Massachusetts. Fish and Game has to acknowledge their existence so the public is aware. Invalid password or account does not exist. Most of Graham County is outside of designated active management areas for mountain lions. Habitat. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. MassWildlife cannot investigate or confirm mountain lion reports without any evidence. Brigantino Park notice. The 2020 wildfires that ravaged California also affected mountain lion populations, killing an estimated 300 to 600 of them. And so does the state. AZGFD sold 11,851 tags in 2021; 260 mountain lions were killed, 17 of those as the result of livestock depredations. Mountain lions became scarce in the East after a bounty system wiped out most predatory animals. Have any questions? Create a password that only you will remember. You have permission to edit this article. Another cougar buff, zoologist Donald Linzey, has collected 250 reports of mountain lions in Virginia over 11 years and believes 85 are credible. The first one in recent history was in 2008 . At the time I think my daughter was about five. "We do not have a population of mountain lions." Fishers had been in decline due to development and loss of habitat, but DNR is reporting that their numbers are now increasing and are prevalent. It was heading northeast toward Peapack, NJ. It was early morning so it was pretty quiet. I wish I had turned around and taken photos but, where it was located, it would have taken me too long. A valid hunting license is required except in the case of depredation (killing of livestock). If you see a mountain lion, report the sighting immediately to Mission Viejo Animal Services at 949-470-3045 or the Orange County Sheriff's Department at 949-770-6011. There is no evidence of a reproducing mountain lion population in Massachusetts. They are also known as pumas, cougars and panthers. 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. I thought I was nuts for thinking it was a mountain lion, but now not so much. The feedback will only be used for improving the website. l never heard from the State. Lioneither a young one or a female I figured..went home, called NJF&G at the time, and reported it.. asked if they were interested in setting a culvert-type trap to capture it.they seemed pretty disinterested at the time, said it wasn't feasible as we were in a residential type area.. the day after with fresh snow on the ground we returned to find where it had stalked and killed a wild turkey.it was obvious to us with the winged slash marks still in the snow and where it walked downhill with the turkey in its mouth pushing the snow to the sides of it making a smooth pathway..it was something my son and I will never forget.

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