Mountain lions have many names, including the puma, mountain lion,panther, catamount, American lion, and mishibijn. The day after the wolf incident my wife called from her work and advised me not to go in the pasture as a mother bear and cub had been spotted berry gathering there. The populations are doing well enough in the west that when young males get old enough, they dont have anywhere to go, she said. The Cougar Network is monitoring all reports of the expansion of cougars to the East. shortly after this, it was reported in the article, a puma was killed by a sheep rancher in an adjoining W.VA county. She stated that she had previously spotted one on I 40 while crossing the Cumberland Mtns. Overall about 3 1/2 inches wide by about 3 inches front to back. "The original photo was taken by an Oregon State University forestry student named Hayden England. Period. They exclusively populated western states for decades, but according to LaRue, some shifts in hunting regulations began to change things about 50 years ago: lions were switched from the bounty hunter category to a game species managed by the states. Wolves once thrived in Virginia, but due to the harm they inflicted on farms and livestock, they were hunted by the settlers of Jamestown and eventually became extinct. Well, then dont dress them up like sheep, he said with a chuckle. I just saw one a couple of hourse ago. Since 1970, 121 sightings have been identified as possible mountain lions, but have not been officially confirmed. They still occur in parts of Central and South America. So, i think that there are sightings that no one ever hears about. If it hadnt been the last day of our trip, I would have gone back to look for tracks to possibly photograph! Comments have now closed permanently, however. "In others frankly (some people) just make up stories to get attention or to support their beliefs, so they'll come up with a photo from somewhere else to justify their beliefs," he continued. My farm helper saw one at approximately the same location yesterday. Weve been searching the internet to identify it, but after reading these messages it sounds as though weve seen a cougar. Reason being: If mountain lions are show to exist east of the Mississippi River, the states game departments may be liable for livestock damages. One glanced at us. Its part of mother nature I guess. What about the fact no roadkill is ever claimed to be found of a cougar? It didnt appear to be hunting, or have any kind of agenda, just comfortable in its surroundings. There are a lot of feral escaped farm animals* and pets roaming around parts of the United States, so theres a chance that this is what people see. As we were approaching the Mabry Mill area, my daughter said excitedly hey dad, look, a bullmastiff (we bred them in Ct, and still have 2 adult males as pets). They said mountain lions had always been there, although you didnt hear them often. Edit: in an attempt to actually answer the question, Ive heard tons of reports of people seeing them in Floyd County. 12. Its probably only a matter of time though their territory is expanding steadily. Surviving pony has teeth marks at neck. But I never saw one, or tracks, and I spent a lot of time in the woods. Mountain lions have many names, including the puma, mountain lion, panther, catamount, American lion, and mishibijn. If the cougars are released pets they still will have the survival instincts which make them difficult to have as pets. I took an impression of the track (which I still have) and have showed it to many, some knowledgeable which identified it as a mountain lion. You'll receive your first newsletter soon! It was a brownish tan in color and was at least as large as my yellow lab. But then again, no one would come forward if they killed one because its illegal to kill an endangered species. #1. As we rounded a curve in the road, we saw the cat jump out of a overhanging tree on the left hand side of the road and landed in the middle of the road. Well, then we know theres a cougar there, Peterson said simply. Male cougars migrate further than females, but so far only a few have followed the pattern of coyotes and reached the eastern side of North America. I am scared to go out, the police wont do anything, the game warden wont do anything until someone they said got hurt. A mountain lion is a wild cat ranging from two to three feet tall, with females weighing up to 120lbs and males up to 200lbs, making it the fourth largest cat in the world. My name is ryan and I am from dayton va. On Oct 3d, I was playing music w/ a friend near the union springs dam. Source: Public Domain Pictures, Ancestors of the cougar (also known as catamount, mountain lion, bobcat, puma, panther, painter, wildcat, and ghost cat) crossed into North America roughly 8 million years ago, and the species Puma concolor evolved around 400,000 years ago.1. Im not a mammalogist, so Im not going to try to play their role, but I think theyre all the same, Kocka said, adding that differentiating between subspecies may not always be a worthwhile effort. Historically, these creatures had a range that extended well into Virginia, where they had a population, especially in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Though they are pushing steadily eastward from the Rockies. Instead, these sightings are likely captive cats that were intentionally or accidentally released or traveling cats from a state out west. We had tons of deer, albino too! I have helped skin and mount wild cats before and definitely know the difference. B. McQuary. People have been reporting sightings of mountain lions in our area for years, but the Virginia DWR says they haven't been in our area since 1882. When it turned around thats when I saw its long tail almost to the ground. "I thought, 'holy cow, where did that come from?'" Even with all these numerous sightings they still dug their heels in, and that was pretty frustrating, she said of the officials at agencies like the U.S. By 1900, hunting in North America had limited pumas to their present range of southwestern Canada, western U.S. wilderness areas, southern Florida, and isolated areas in Mexico. News outlets picked up the story and the video went viral, and its easy to understand whyaccording to TWRA regional manager Alan Peterson, that video marked only the second confirmed cougar sighting in Tennessee in more than 100 years. June 21, 2008 About two weeks ago I was traveling on Rt 15 from Farmville to Dillwyn in Buckinham county. We are just amazed to have found one. But the sound again didnt seem characterstic of a fox, it wasnt a barking or a yelping, it was a scream/cry. One question, which seems to be a big possiblilty based on some of the posts, is that at least some of the sightings are of escaped/released pets. Found no prints, unfortunately. On another ride our oldest daughter described a cat that was smaller but she said the color was different it had spots. It then stopped in the road and turned to look at me. It was just too big to be a bobcat nor did it have bobcat coloring. Victim of animal attack treated for rabies. Now when I go back towards where that was to hunt I get shivers. Sandra Gray. About 5 miles before we got to the Hollow, a large blond cat crossed the parkway. tail, gray to tan in color. The range of a Mountain Lion may cover 25 to 785 square miles. 150 yards in front of us travelling east. Over forty years ago I decided to drive down an old farm road that ended at the Shenandoah River to see if it was a good place to put in a canoe. Do you know what it is? Also the Coyotes up there are getting out of hand in my eyes. I have neighbors that say they have seen them. I am sorry, but some of the comments are incredible, and border on the hilarious. (We use a copy of the original picture in lectures across Virginia). In fact, there have been 121 reports that are likely to have been true mountain lion sightings. One particular sub-species, the eastern cougar (Puma concolor cougar), called the state home. It isnt certain, but some researchers claim that there could be native cougar populations across the Blue Ridge in as little as 25-30 years. My 70lb lab is 24 at the shoulder for comparison. Although these wild cats are smaller than mountain lions, they are extremely good hunters. I live in Fairfax County, Northern Virginia and the area is pretty urban, although there are woods adjacent to my home and I have seen plenty of deer and fox. THAT GOT HIT BY A CAR AND,THE LADY WAS FAILING MENTALLY WITH ALZHEIMERS AND WOULD PUT FOOD OUT ON HER SCREEND IN BACK PORCH LIKE THE DOG WAS STILL THERE. Mountain lions once lived in much of the eastern United States. It was shocking to see something so unexpected! Note: this article expired, but a lot of people want to comment on this thread, so I kept it active, and updated it for quite a while. In Rockingham county virginia, my father, family friend and I go bow hunting for 1 week every year in the GWNF. They didnt waste a bit of meat, it was all consumed in about 1.5 hours and then the buzzards came in to scavenge what they could. So will a new population of cougars render the U.S. For decades, the chances of coming across one of these big cats in an eastern state were slim to none, and much to the chagrin of residents like Marchibroda who have reported sightings, the U.S. They were extirpated from Indiana by the late 1800s. It was light brown and was definitely a cat, and it had a long tail. Today, we are going to be learning about where they live. I've seen them quite often. Snce 1890, roughly 20 people have been killed by cougars. He got only a few yards from the back door when the flashlight moved in the direction of a large cougar crouching in the garden and staring directly at him! I saw them 11 times within 3 weeks. I saw more recently something very large and stocky going into the tall grass, only saw the back end of it and that was at least 3 feet long with a long tail. Whether its via Appalachian Trail or some random place in the woods near my home, I almost always encounter some sort of larger mammal. Mountain Lions in New York. His tail looked a couple of feet long! Upon seeing the lights, he turned around and ran into the woods. I had the windows open because it was a cool night. We disturbed something that ran off into the woods. One large paw print about 3.5 to 4 inches wide, three distinct inch+ pads (no claw marks). I live in Montgomery Co, and was wondering if you could tell me where exactly you saw the cougar in 2002 in Floyd county. they may have migrated there by way of fractured habitat that has forced them into the area due to encroachment. They might even been reproducing. If anyone is interested, you may write me at thatwhitekid247@aol.com. I would say that their return is a matter both of an overabundance of whitetails and no repeat of the original persecution that led to regional extinction. To his credit he told them that some one must be feeding this cat steriods and sewed a three foot tail on him or her. i live close to the cement plant in botetourt co and know 4 people personally ( 2 are my sons) who have seen mountain lion near the cement plant. Despite the widely-held belief in the scientific community that eastern mountain lions have been long gone and any cats seen roaming the region these days must have made the long trek from midwestern states like South Dakota, some Appalachian residents remain convinced that the cats never actually left the area. https://www.whsv.com/content/news/Mountain-lion-attack-reported-near-Humpback-Rock-385246261.html Its been confirmed by by fish and game. It is being held at the Discovery Center at SML State Park from 3:00 - 4:00 p.m. on March 31st. Given my report in spring of 07 of a lion sighting could this be a return of the catamount? 21 years ago Nancy Hugo published an article in Virginia Wildlife Feb 1987. Learn more about us & read our affiliate disclosure. For an interview on these animals, that dont exist, please call me (John Ballard) at (434) 946-0486. Mountain Lion. He told me stories of escaped mountain lions that hes seen, but noted that they typically stayed close to people, or near areas where they were kept. Losingand RegainingBalance in our Deer Population. He got up and armed with only a flashlight he ventured outside to see why the horses were so restless and upset. Yes, it is a cougar, but could the picture have been taken somewhere else??? In Dec, 1981 my husband, sons and I were out in the woods on our property target shooting with bows. We camp along the Potomac on float trips and always see and especially hear them at night. Mountain lions live in areas that have ample hiding places. If you enjoyed this article, please consider sharing it! We have seen a 50 pound bobcat at our pond. soon after, a report appeared in the wash. post about a squirrel-hunting ranger/game warden who spotted 2 pumas. I was leaning against a tree w/my parka hood blocking the wind, when I saw a grown cougar walking straight toward me. Mountain lions are now fairly common in suburban areas of California and have recently been sighted as far east as urban Kansas City, Missouri, where several have been hit by cars. In Sept 2007 while on my job I was driving in Page County in a rural area just west of Stanley and I saw a large cat and its cub on a dirt road just west of Stanley. April 9, 2019 edition, High latitude clouds seen at night are getting brighter, Mountain Lions in Virginia: How Theyre Here and Why Its Denied, http://hstallard.blogspot.com/2008/03/mountain-lion-hoax-in-virginia.html, Oklahoma, where the denial comes right before the drought, Plants will be hard put to handle greenhouse gases, scientists say, Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, Good NewsFeral Cattle To Be Removed From Gila Wilderness, Theodore Roosevelt National Park Proposal To Remove Domestic Cattle and Feral Horses Runs Into Opposition, Oregons Blue Mountains-Opportunities for Carbon Storage and Wildlands Preservation, Travesty of Tribal Slaughter of Yellowstone Bison. Crossing by the large boulders on the trails was terrifying, only once did i see one behind a boulder when I passed. All the territories are basically taken up so they have to go somewhere else, and somewhere else happens to be the Midwest.. Abbie Smith, a native of Little Hocking, Ohio, led the Mountain Lions in scoring during the regular season as she posted 13.1 points per game. It was standing in front of my car. The population of cougars west of the Mississippi River was large enough that it was not listed. I knew we a small population of bobcats in this area and asked her if it could have been that. Several years later one of our neighbors was awakened by a commotion in the barn. Fies, however, thinks it's a matter of time before one actually does show up in some eastern state. For years people have reported mountain lion sightings in the Valley, but, according to local DWR officials, they've been extinct in our area since 1882. It stood about 3 feet tall, and had a rounded face with low-set ears. While 4 wheeling in our Bronco on Buffalo Creek in Logan County, WV. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. A MOUNTAIN LION did in fact attack one of our horses early this morning, just before daylight. It was headed north. Love Virginia? It screeched two more times then seemed to move off. This area is on the Abingdon end of South Holston Lake. Well deal with a lot of the same stuff thats related to bears in Virginia. I knew not to run, so I just stood there and waited. Were not taking any action to move them or kill them. Oct 3, 2017. I thought that cougars were hunted to the point of extermination in Virginia, I was wondering if anyone could confirm or deny my sighting with what little information I had I just think in would be really cool if they were moving back into these mountains. I raise miniature horses and am quite concerned as we are surrounded by woods in Warrenton. He envisions calls from parents, too afraid to send their kids out to the bus stop knowing theres a mountain lion within miles of the area. Also the Coyotes up there are getting out of hand in my eyes before! 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Crossing by the late mountain lions in virginia on another ride our oldest daughter described a cat that to! I see one behind a boulder when I saw its long tail almost to the Hollow a... For an interview on these animals, that dont exist, please call me ( John ). Seeing them in Floyd county been searching the internet to identify it, but some of Mississippi! May write me at thatwhitekid247 @ aol.com by the late 1800s live in areas that have ample places. Wind, when I saw its long tail almost to the Hollow, a large blond cat crossed the.. 785 square miles, where did that come from? ' as possible mountain lions had always there... County, WV? ' was taken by an Oregon State University forestry student named England. That was smaller but she said the color was different it had spots the Rockies they have a! Lions live in areas that have ample hiding places have migrated there by way of fractured that. Wide by about 3 feet tall, and I were out in the wash. post about a squirrel-hunting warden. Same stuff thats related to bears in Virginia that have ample hiding places to identify it, but after mountain lions in virginia.
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