Certainly it is a romantic notion, but I've always held out the hope that pumas still roamed the east. This group is to focus on organizing the reports of Mountain Lions (cougars, pumas, panthers) in Pennsylvania. Click here for full harvest reporting details. Is Penn State World Campus The Same As Main Campus? Why cant Pennsylvanias Spring Gobbler season open earlier? State law currently mandates that the Pennsylvania Game Commission utilizes county treasurers offices in the antlerless license distribution process. One might argue that the eastern puma is extinct, but that does not mean that there are not pumas (mountain lions, cougars) in the east. Fire improves wildlife habitat and hunting opportunities by increasing soft mast production in shrubs like blueberry, huckleberry and blackberry. Using our cat Mace, again, as reference, lets try and see. It had been captured in Florida, and was to be released. Courses average six hours for a classroom format and eight hours for a skills station format. Unfortunately, at times, our wardens are not able to respond to every incident and they must use their best judgement on which calls to respond to first. With lots of hens breeding in the spring, turkey populations can rise quickly. I've seen scores of leopards in the grasslands and deserts of East Africa and I've never seen, nor spoke with anyone, who has seen a black leopard there. Click here for more information. Some animals lose their fear of humans and predators. It would be difficult for a mountain lion to avoid detection. If I go by the huge tracks I found three years ago, Im convinced that there are. But all white-tailed deer and elk that contract CWD die. I used myself taken by the same camera and in the same exact location for reference, and as you can see from the frame below, my feet and ankles are missing. In Pennsylvania, Sunday hunting has been permitted for a long time for foxes, coyotes and crows during open seasons. The Pennsylvania Game Commissions Operation Game Thief program serves to protect wild birds and wild mammals and encourages those who have information related to wildlife crimes to report details as soon as possible. No big game harvest tags will be issued to mentored hunters who are under 7 years old at the time of application. The last wild cougar in Pennsylvania was killed in 1871 and the last cougar born on the East Coast was killed in 1938 in Maine. I'll be anxious to learn of your report. In 2011, the U.S. Why stock pheasant that cant survive? The Pennsylvania Game Commission has been trying to establish a wild population of pheasants for years through its Wild Pheasant Recovery Areas (WPRAs). Pennsylvania has 308 state games lands, which span more than 1.5 million acres. Bowhunter Education course records dating back to 2000 and Cable Restraint/Furtaker Education records dating back to 2005 are also maintained. It has been illegal to hunt and kill mountain lions in California since 1971, but hunting the cats is permitted in Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, Colorado, Utah and Nevada. He's a hunter, a woodsman, and he's seen a lot of game, so I can believe he saw a back-lighted puma. The most direct way to report an instance of a suspected sick, injured or nuisance wild animal is to call 1-833-PGC-HUNT or 1-833-PGC-WILD to connect to ourcentralized dispatchcenter. Since turkey restoration efforts 5 environmental factors have changed and the interactions of these five factors can negatively affect turkey populations. Cougars, on the other hand, typically range from 23-28 inches at the shoulder (with some odd reports listing 35 inches maximum), with a weight ranging from 75-250 pounds . As wild animals are fed, they become used to the presence of people. Unfortunately, at times, our wardens are not able to respond to every incident and they must use their best judgement on which calls to respond to first. Unless I am only dealing with a lot of delusional people with little judgment, something is out there. Be sure to verify your mailing address when purchasing online licenses. For example, rabies prevention and roadway flooding from beavers. No. Cougars also called mountain lions or pumas are uniquely suited to hunt and kill deer, who not only cause traffic accidents but overgraze to the point of endangering native species and eliminating habitats for smaller animals. Alhough Canada lynx have a bigger range than bobcats, they're the only known wildcat species in Pennsylvania, even though people have mistakenly reported sightings of pumas or mountain lions in the region. The commission's furbearer biologist Thomas Keller said the PGC would "likely not be supportive of mountain lion reintroduction," pointing to the dangers posed to hikers, pets and other wildlife. When he told me this, he commented on how an experience like the one he and his friends had just is not forgotten. Future season-setting will be guided by a consistent and transparent process based on grouse abundance, summer sightings and disease risk. The agency is primarily funded by hunting and furtaker license sales, as well as State Game Lands timber, mineral, oil/gas revenues, a federal excise tax on sporting arms and ammunition, and assets that have been procured with license dollars. I've seen about 20 mountain lions, or pumas, in the field, but all but 2 were in Chile. Why cant waterfowl be hunted on Sundays? Bobcats tend to be a bit taller and lankier, with proportionately shorter torsos than those of house cats, panthers, leopards, and pumas. To limit the effect of CWD in deer and elk populations, regulations restricting the movement of high-risk parts, banning feeding within Disease Management Areas (DMAs) and prohibiting the use of urine-based attractants in DMAs are in place. Please keep scrolling - ALL the Puma posts are included. Yes. Junior hunters, ages 14-15, must be accompanied by an adult 18 or older. What is the Game Commission doing to manage CWD? the result of eating undercooked pork, said Dr. How do I report suspected wildlife crimes? Will the Game Commission refund the cost of my hunting and furtaker licenses if I cannot travel due to COVID-19-related restrictions? Where can I find 2020-21 deer harvest data? As many as 1,300 elk freely roam across 3,000 square miles, mostly within Elk, Cameron, Clinton, Clearfield and Centre counties. There is one significant change to Pennsylvania waterfowl seasons for the upcoming season which drops the bag limit during the regular season in the Atlantic Population (AP) goose zone to one Canada goose a day. Suppose, instead of declaring the puma, or Eastern mountain lion, extinct, the USFWS actually recognized the existence of the cat as a wild, breeding species. Click here to learn more about the board. I've spoken to PGC personnel, two being friends, and neither believe there are pumas in Pa. One cited how a bobcat's tail can be much longer than you expect, although I've never seen a bobcat tail longer than, at most, twice the size of the tails illustrated above of the bobcat. He saw his cat at very close range -- 20 yards or less, and when I pointed out to him that pumas are never black he said that perhaps it was the light. How can I tell if an animal has CWD? In a 1996 survey of Pennsylvania hunters, conducted by the Pennsylvania State University, 61 percent of respondents indicated they would like to see an increase in pheasant stocking, and 72 percent were opposed to closing pheasant propagation facilities to generate more operating capital for agency programs. Why is bat photography so difficult? This includes data organized by season, species (white-tailed deer or elk), age, collection method, sex and collection site (down to the township level). The last native mountain lion known to be killed in Pennsylvania is on display in the State Museum of Pennsylvania in Harrisburg. A bobcat gives you a warm, that-kind-of-looks-like-my-cat-but-slightly-bigger feeling. All of the above images are of bobcats. Are the various States guilty of essentially the same thing? It could, of course, also be an exceptionally big house cat, but how to find out? Ive seen pictures of traps with large teeth on them in the past or pictures of large birds of prey with traps on their legs. Its a matter of perspective. The maximum weight for a large male is listed at 40 pounds. Black panthers - cats, not superheroes - have been reported repeatedly for decades in Pennsylvania, although even more rarely than have mountain lions. Each year, over tha past five, I've spoken with at least one person who swears they personally saw a puma in this state. The Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners voted to allow hunting and furtaking eLicenses to be carried afield as an alternative to carrying certain paper licenses. Are the Latest Fast CF Cards worth the Expense? This means the cat in question is at least 7 inches taller than it appears in the film. We encourage everyone to continue to take precautionary measures during this time and to continue to be safe and responsible during these unprecedented times. On a recent stifling morning in Adams County, the 290-pound mountain lion with perfect bone structure is ignoring the raw chicken breast and pork chops a handler tossed into his pen. Since 1895, the Pennsylvania Game Commission has worked to manage and protect wildlife and their habitats while promoting hunting and trapping for current and future generations. And a bit of an unpleasant one at that, as they now faced ridicule or doubt whenever they discussed their sightings. The rounded ears, Volunteers help with brood surveys and flushing surveys. Pennsylvania State law specifies that license fees are non-refundable and therefore the Pennsylvania Game Commission does not have the authority to issue a refund. If the test fire achieves expected results, and weather conditions remain within the prescription, crews will begin burning along the firebreak on the downwind or uphill side of the unit to widen the control line, which helps to ensure that the remainder of the burn will stay contained. Hold your ground and back away slowly. The Cougar Network, working with state agencies, have documented multiple mountain lions as far east as Kentucky, Tennessee and Michigan in recent years, as well as one cat killed on a highway in Milford, Connecticut, in June 2011. If a bear on your property becomes a nuisance by being destructive or dangerous, you can report it to the Game Commission region office that serves the county in which its located. Those wishing to complete the course, who are 11 years and older, have the option to complete it online. Note: The check station for the archery and late seasons is located at a separate location. Click here for more information. Office of Open Records: Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Office of Open Records, Commonwealth Keystone Building, 400 North Street, 4th Floor, Harrisburg, PA 17120-0225. Their bodies are mainly covered in tawny-beige fur, except for the whitish-gray belly and chest. I got my start in education as a teacher, working with students in grades K-12. The increased light provided from knocking back small saplings and brush coupled with reduction in leaf litter or grass thatch will greatly enhance opportunities for new species to grow, particularly native grasses and forbs. Annual migratory game bird seasons are selected by states from frameworks established by the U.S. American martens have large home ranges averaging over 3.2 mi and populations have relatively low density in comparison to most other wildlife species within the state. There are geese everywhere, why does the Atlantic Population (AP) Zone have a one bird daily limit for the 2021-22 season? They were the size of small ponies, I kid you not, and had to be either mule deer or a small group of female elk. Follow Kristin & PhillyVoice on Twitter: @kristin_hunt I don't want to seem like a nut case here, but I must ask this question and you'll soon understand why? Can I use trail cameras on state game lands? Then I saw and was like, 'It could be a bobcat, possibly mountain lion,' " Nick Dodge said. To learn more on the history and ecology of American martens in Pennsylvania visit American Marten (pa.gov). Elk, Pa.s largest wild animal, have become a tourism boom in the northwest part of the state. To learn more about this action, and for an update on the status of turkey management in the Commonwealth, please review the wild turkey biologist's January 2021 report to the board. Hunters can apply online at HuntFishPA for the elk license drawing and check the status of their applications. Wildlife need varied, natural food as part of their normal diet. This was fortunate, of course, as I was able to use items in the frame for comparison, to match the size of said images and the steps in additional photos. Could it be a bobcat? A Mountain Lion Cover Up They are there to help us. It was discovered when it was killed by a vehicle while crossing a highway. I hope no one ever shoots a puma to prove their existence here, but I hope someone gets a great photo, of the cat, of a road-kill, of tracks, and that I see it. Proudly founded in 1681 as a place of tolerance and freedom. Bird feeders, trash cans and pet food left outside within a bear's reach are all free game to a hungry bear. More information about dove hunting in Pennsylvania, as well as managed dove fields on game lands is available here. Trapping protects public health and safety. Where can I learn more about Pennsylvanias state game lands? Isnt trapping inhumane and indiscriminate? Amazon Bestselling Author & Book Of The Year Winner, https://www.kronosrising.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/s3_06_Clip1628146055849.mp4. Fish and Wildlife Service learn more about migratory bird movements, and survival and harvest rates, which are critical to population management and setting of hunting regulations. Public health officials are warning hunters to cook their bear and cougar meat well after 10 Idahoans contracted a rare strain of trichinosis from tainted cougar jerky. In addition, if nuisance bears are being attracted to an area by other wildlife feeding, game wardens can issue written notice to temporarily halt the activity. Check out the tails of the two! Second, antlers are often the first thing removed from a deer when processing begins. Luckily, the camera is static, and there are plenty of objects in the frame that can be used to compare scale and positioning. Those licenses remain available and 2. What are the benefits of having a concurrent antlered and antlerless deer hunting season? On that, I've had emails sent with game trail photo attachments, or killed pumas, supposedly shot in Pennsylvania, but these were hoaxes. Express concerns about CWD to your political representatives. For more information, visitSeasons and Bag Limits. Confirming an animal is infected with CWD requires laboratory testing of the brain or lymph nodes of the head. The agency is always faced with the challenge of providing as many hunting opportunities as possible, while ensuring the wildlife resource is managed sustainably. More information is available here. Why cant I purchase antlerless deer tags online? Furthermore, Game Commission biologists and emerging science indicates that wildlife are often attracted to burned areas immediately after the fire, occasionally entering burned areas before the smoke has even cleared, (to forage on a sudden flush of insect activity), or shortly afterwards, when a fresh flush of vegetation appears. Am I allowed to remove mushrooms and/or berries on state game lands? WPRAs are selected based on potential pheasant habitat available. Over time, cats that had been released in Florida, probably pets that outlived their welcome, bred with the native puma, and their genes mingled, Over the last few years I've done several Questions of the Month regarding Mountain Lions, or Pumas as they should properly be called, in the Mid-Atlantic States and in Pennsylvania. However, the loss of nesting brood cover for turkeys and their young may cause turkeys to be more vulnerable to predation during nesting season. 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