Sightings are certainly nothing new in Maryland. Below is the information about mountain lion sightings in maryland 2021 . I knew It wasnt a bear or wolf. From JK:I had a mountain lion bounding across Weldon Road Jefferson Township Morris County about 75 yards in front of me. Search for cougars continues in Pennsylvania. 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. Someone photographed the animal at the Brunswick School on Greenwich, Connecticut about 40 miles away on June 5th. About 16 years ago I saw one plodding along Canal Road in Vernon, in broad daylight while I was looking out my kitchen sink window. The last confirmed records of the Eastern Cougar's existence were in 1938 in Maine. Your e-mail address will be used to confirm your account. Possible Mountain Lion Sighting in D.C. Wildlife officers searching for the creature By Michelle Tetu Published October 28, 2011 Updated on October 31, 2011 at 6:09 am California: 4,000 - 6,000. In 1966, an animal believed to be a cougar clawed a pony, two sheep and a calf to death in western Harford County. By LAURA JEAN SCHNEIDER Again, there was no doubt as to what it was. We had a tree that was partially blown over in a Noreaster creating a lifted-up mound of earth. I had people bash us for telling our story - but we've never wavered. 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. It was late October and leaves were mostly down on our 500+ acre site. In 1996 MDC established a Mountain Lion Response Team (MLRT) with specially trained staff to investigate reports and evidence of mountain lions. 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. Click here to login. There was an animal that ran very quickly across the road and we both said that it looked like a mountain lion. Invalid password or account does not exist. Case 1 There are, after all, wild mountain lions not zoo specimens in Florida. I was sitting on my front porch and I saw a very large animal at first I thought big fox. 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. Saw one in Warren County in 2007 & 2008 while camping. While the initial video got all of the attention, Soto posted a second video, too, showing a pack of hounds looking for scent in the area when the lion was sighted. Big Tech minions could compromise Americas Intelligence community. I thought I was nuts for thinking it was a mountain lion, but now not so much. This is especially true of western Maryland. In the '70s, Jungle Habitat was located here in West Milford. Use anything at your disposal: a stick, rock, or better yet, bear spray. Thina Vanosnabrugge, a 41-year-old Hunt Valley woman, thinks they are. It was heading northeast toward Peapack, NJ. I would just like to share the information that people are sharing with me. Please do not include personal or contact information. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. 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. 01, 2016, . It scowled and flipped its long just before it leaped down the bank towards the fawns. I heard a lot of animal screaming and it seemed to be getting closer to my property. I knew it wasn't a dog - and it wasn't a bobcat. If you would like to continue helping us improve Mass.gov, join our user panel to test new features for the site. Despite this fact, Massachusetts residents continue to report mountain lion sightings. From RV:In the summer of 2002, I was biking south on the D&R canal path near Millstone NJ. I lived on a street with houses spaced widely - and a soccer field across the street which was next to a wooded space, a creek, and a pond. State workers have confirmed sightings of about 100 mountain lions also known as pumas, panthers, catamounts and cougars since 1994, when the Department of Conservation started tracking. We see dead deer all of the time, but deer do not have big paws as this thing did. It came out of the woods and stopped in the middle of the road right in front of me in the headlights. 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. "I believe that they're there," says a Baltimore County police officer, who claims he saw a cougar in Ruxton in 1980. A recent rumor of a cougar killed by a vehicle on Interstate 80 attracted some attention at Penn State. In April 1997, experienced tracker John McCarter found scat near a beaver carcass at the Quabbin Reservation. Males grow antlers which fall off each winter and grow back in the summer. For the smooth consistently colored short hair l came up with a greyish tint to a deers summer color. They are also known as pumas, cougars and panthers. I was amazed I told everyone I knew and it was like I was crazy or a liar. 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. Residents should also report any mountain lion sightings to by calling Fish and Game's Southwest. 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. 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. 13507065_10205364039255335_8657515368052999240_n.jpg. The youngest was less than 1-year-old. I do have footprint pics in snow from Califon definitely not your usual coyote. If youre still curious, read on to brush up on your mountain lion knowledge. From PD:Read your article about mountain lions in NJ. Please give us a call at 928-428-2560, Copyright Huge tracks. 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. It was about 4 feet tall and just walked slowly crossing the highway. a graphic depiction of America's mountain lion history. In my moment of "fear" - I called the non-emergent police number They sent an officer out and we told him what we had seen. Updated: Jul. They can weigh between 50-300 lbs. An adult male mountain lion can have a home range greater than 100 square miles. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. It was crossing Clove Rd. Please let us know how we can improve this page. adroll_version = "2.0"; Needless to say, I'm overwhelmed by the number of people in our state who claim that they have seen a cougar or mountain lion. The MLRT has investigates hundreds of mountain lion reports, but most reported sightings and tracks turn out to be bobcats or large dogs. Well, that latest story has exploded, going viral and being shared all across the state. var year = today.getFullYear() MLRT confirmed using the photos and other sign. 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. That story prompted others to reach out to me about their sightings. AZGFD sold 11,851 tags in 2021; 260 mountain lions were killed, 17 of those as the result of livestock depredations. adroll_adv_id = "T6XR4YM2C5FGXNZIDZPFXI"; McCarter sent a sample to Dr. George Amato of the Wildlife Conservation Society in New York and Dr. Melanie Culver of the University of Maryland. It was light brown with a long tail. 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. There was a long tall cat with a long tail. 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 knew a lot of people wouldn't believe I'd seen it," he says. Fish and Game has to acknowledge their existence so the public is aware. This page is located more than 3 levels deep within a topic. People even report House Cats as mountain lions in a surprising number of cases. Idaho Fish and Game officers and personnel responded to . More than half of California is mountain lion habitat and mountain lions generally exist wherever deer are found. Mountain lion hunting season opened Aug. 13, and remains so until May 31, 2023. Another cougar buff, zoologist Donald Linzey, has collected 250 reports of mountain lions in Virginia over 11 years and believes 85 are credible. We won't share it with anyone else. 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. PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY, Md. "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. adroll_currency = "USD"; It turned and saw us. To me, it was not a dog and then carry itself like a dog. The mountain lion is rare in Missouri, having been extirpated since the 1920s; occasional individuals wander here from other states. It was about 12:30 at night. Adults are a uniform tan or tawny in color, with a white or cream-colored chin, undersides and inner legs. 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. These areas are heavily wooded reserves owned by Morris County and the State of New Jersey. It was bloody and the hair was a mess around its head. 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. I have seen a lion twice in Sussex County. MassWildlife uses evidence-based criteria for confirming reports of mountain lions. It is difficult to know if someone saw a mountain lion without any tangible evidence. Both labs confirmed the sample came from a mountain lion. The young adult male was killed by an SUV on the Wilbur Cross Parkway in Milford, Connecticut on June 11, 2011. (Facebook / Michelle Lefleche) 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. Heres how to pull big bluegills from Iowas West Lake Okoboji, A look at some other ways to call in a spring gobbler, How to catch and cook whitefish and tullibees, Nows the time to savor the fruits of the hunting experience. The Connecticut mountain lion is the best documented wild Mountain Lion in New England. (#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. Over a period of a year and a half, this mountain lion left DNA evidence in at least four states. ". This offer only applies to OutdoorNews.com and not for any Outdoor News print subscriptions. Some believe a mountain lion may be lurking in northwest Washington. Our eyes locked and we were both motionless. Tracking experts Paul Rezendes, Charles Worsham, George Leoniak, and Dr. Mark Elbroch examined the photos. Of course, everyone thinks Im crazy because they dont want to believe it. Receive the digital, interactive PDF of the newspaper in your inbox. It was about 4 feet tall and just walked slowly crossing the highway. Copyright 2014 The Washington Times, LLC. I was going to attempt to somehow categorize these sightings, but I find that task overwhelming. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. They told me they would investigate and let me know, but I never received a callback. These tracks were fresh and well photographed. Confirmed reports of mountain lions in Massachusetts Among them was a forestry technician who came across a female cougar nursing two cubs in remote part of the Thomas Jefferson National Forest. Columbia police were notified of a possible mountain lion sighting in the city Thursday night, May 5. He tells the story of a friend who managed to snap a picture of a cougar prowling in his backyard in Phoenix. And, if. People say that when they closed it down some of the animals were released into the woods around here. 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. Just a matter of time until fish and game acknowledge it. // February 12, 2021. He caught the animal in his headlights and, at first, thought it was a large Labrador retriever. It looked so powerful! If you're looking for some information that's important to you (such as research for work or learning how to manage your money), then the advice here is to first write down the relevant keywords on a piece of paper to figure out exactly what you want, which will be a lot more efficient. 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. half a mile before you reach the Deptford Mall. A number of years ago, a friend and I were driving around Walpack, which is part of The Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. 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. Shes 18 now. Some page levels are currently hidden. As of Sept. 7, 12 animals have been tagged statewide thus far. And was almost as long as its body! 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. Greenbelt Park is managed by the National Park Service. It was at the edge of the woods and it looked like it was just after a kill. The friend showed the photograph to a Baltimore County animal control officer and asked him to identify the animal. 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 thought "oh shit" and figured l could try to use my bicycle for protection and dismounted. An adult male bobcat can reach four feet in length and 35-40 pounds. One neighbor described the creature as larger and wider than a deer, with the long tail of a cat. Photo courtesy of Mountain Lion Foundation. State law protects all species unless otherwise noted. 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. Both off of Carrs Mill Rd before the cement bridge (for those of you that may be familiar) I have seen a lion twice in Sussex County. Sighting of this animal also occurred in Michigan and New York. "I couldn't believe my eyes. 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. If you are not and would like to read this and all the other great . In windy or mountainous areas, Elbroch says air horns are great tools to throw off a cat's focus and deter them from . There is no evidence of a reproducing mountain lion population in Massachusetts. 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.. The state classed mountain lions as endangered in 1972 and banned all hunting of them. GREENBELT, Md. Please limit your input to 500 characters. from afar it looked like silk black fur. While they haven't confirmed it is a mountain lion, they say it could very well be one. Two years ago I was fishing the Wanaque reservoir and came across tracks I had never seen before. There have been at least two other sightings in the same area. In this video we discuss why we have reached our conclusion as well as explaining some natural history about this species. We will use this information to improve this page. But I know what I saw. Definitely, a mountain lion after I googled the print.Some years ago there was a really bad coyote problem at the Wawayanda State Park. 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 cat, which she believes is a mountain lion, ran off into some nearby woods. I had to slam on the brakes so as not to hit it.