From HR:I saw a MountainLion in the fall of 2017 in Bedminster/Far Hills NJ while driving south on Rt 206/Lamington Rd. If you would like to continue helping us improve Mass.gov, join our user panel to test new features for the site. 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. In the '70s, Jungle Habitat was located here in West Milford. 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. Receive the digital, interactive PDF of the newspaper in your inbox. From PD:Read your article about mountain lions in NJ. If you forget it, you'll be able to recover it using your email address. "I knew a lot of people wouldn't believe I'd seen it," he says. Females are typically smaller. It is difficult to know if someone saw a mountain lion without any tangible evidence. Your email address will not be published. I dont doubt that womans experience in South Jersey one little bit! number of folks to write about their encounters. ". Please give us a call at 928-428-2560, Copyright 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. From AM:Yes, we DO have them in NJ, regardless of whether the state denies it or not. 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. 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. All rights reserved. Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. 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. Many believe mountain lions still exist in Pennsylvania. When evidence is submitted, MassWildlife carefully reviews the evidence in its entirety and attempts to verify the report. From MK:I just read your article about mountain lions in NJ. Please remove any contact information or personal data from your feedback. Sighting of this animal also occurred in Michigan and New York. Another sighting was on Storms Ave in Haskell NJ. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. That story prompted a number of folks to write about their encounters. Search for cougars continues in Pennsylvania. Mistaken reports of mountain lions in Massachusetts are most commonly Bobcats. Please use caution. It was light brown with a long tail. Search for cougars continues in Pennsylvania. "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 was ENORMOUS! 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). With all the deer, geese, and other prey everywhere, why wouldnt they be here!!!! It was bloody and the hair was a mess around its head. We were traveling south on 23 right by Canistear road in West Milford. 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 White-tailed deer are the most abundant large animals in the park. 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. It was about 4 feet tall and just walked slowly crossing the highway. The coloring was that of a deer but it was too strangely shaped to be a deer conclusion definitely a mountain lion. I don't walk my dog on Old Mine Rd any longer because of the large number of bears, coyotes, and concern about mountain lions. From RD:I live in Cumberland in Maurice River township. Turned its head and looked right at me for several seconds. 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. The West Virginia Wildlife Center is open to the public seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Both labs confirmed the sample came from a mountain lion. 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. I posted my sighting on a neighborhood social media site, and of course, many did not believe me and said they don't exist here in NJ; however, a number of people also chimed in that they have seen one here or there in different locations not far from me. 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. 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. (I don't know if it's right, but for me the two terms are interchangeable. l decided to keep it quiet to avoid a frenzy of seekers, especially since there is a lot of private property further back, the Haines and Coons cranberry families. 75-170 pounds. a woman who swears she and her dog were approached by a cougar in Galloway Township. Wisconsin - Mountain lion sightings in Wisconsin are rare but there have been confirmed sightings within this state. Please do not include personal or contact information. He suggested I didn't see a lion etc. Turkey vultures return to Ohio a sure harbinger of the coming spring? Shes 18 now. 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. Below is the information about mountain lion sightings in maryland 2021 . From EG:About 10 years ago I used to frequent west Milford NJ. CAPTAIN COOK, Hawaii (KITV4) -- A possible big cat sighting is being investigated on the Big Island. 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. 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. AZGFD sold 11,851 tags in 2021; 260 mountain. MONTEREY There are no photos. A regional wildlife biologist with the Department of Natural Resources' Forest, Park and Wildlife Service, he says mountain lions were hunted into extinction by the people who settled Maryland. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Now and then MassWildlife gets a report with a photo of a mountain lion. February 12. Then it continued crossing the road and into the woods. Our eyes locked and we were both motionless. From ED:Im a believer. Hikers saw a mountain lion walking along a hiking trail as it was hunting a deer in Big Bend National Park, Texas. ; track sets or photos of track sets; other tangible physical evidence verified by qualified professionals. 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 believe that they're there," says a Baltimore County police officer, who claims he saw a cougar in Ruxton in 1980. I was driving on a dark and stormy night about 9 years ago on Rt-515 just off of Rt-23. 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. "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?" 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 . 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. California: 4,000 - 6,000. It had a small animal hanging from its mouth. GREENBELT, Md. I slowed down and when slowed down it took off really fast into the woods. 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. Offer valid thru 3/31/23. I do have footprint pics in snow from Califon definitely not your usual coyote. Mountain Lions have a status of extirpated in Alabama, there have been no confirmed sightings in the state in over 50 years. I wish I had turned around and taken photos but, where it was located, it would have taken me too long. $1 per month for 6 months (you will be billed $6) and then your subscription will renew at standard subscription rates. Your e-mail address will be used to confirm your account. From DJ:I used to live on Albrecht Lane in East Brunswick. a graphic depiction of America's mountain lion history. Saw them all at dusk. Saw one in my backyard in Mercer County in 2018. A recent rumor of a cougar killed by a vehicle on Interstate 80 attracted some attention at Penn State. l then got to thinking about a description, the color is rather unique. Copyright 1998- Of course, everyone thinks Im crazy because they dont want to believe it. In 1966, an animal believed to be a cougar clawed a pony, two sheep and a calf to death in western Harford County. A mountain lion, seen above, was sighted on Ash Street in Webster Sunday. contact the Division of Fisheries and Wildlife. Some restrictions apply. var today = new Date() 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. GREENBELT, Md. 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. I was driving on a dark and stormy night about 9 years ago on Rt-515 just off of Rt-23. It scowled and flipped its long just before it leaped down the bank towards the fawns. Luckily it looked healthy and well-fed. Are there mountain lions in Massachusetts. We won't share it with anyone else. ), I have no agenda in this. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. I could not believe my eyes! There are always rumors about what state fish and wildlife agencies in the eastern United States know about mountain lions. The first one in recent history was in 2008 . A mountain lion sighting was reported at, Showshoe West Virginia. Demographic train wreck: Will Japan throw its old people on the tracks? I was walking past my double kitchen windows and glanced outside. There was no question as to what it was, with its coloring and long tail. The most recent sighting of a mountain lion in a Randallstown field Tuesday has revived claims that cougars aren't extinct in Maryland. I guess they werent willing to admit it but my son and I knew what we saw. We see dead deer all of the time, but deer do not have big paws as this thing did. 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. In recent weeks, there have been several reported sightings of mountain lions in rural areas of the Twin Tiers. I went home to look it up to ensure I was correct - Mountain Lion. There are only quick sightings around town of the large cat known as the mountain lion. They are here. The young adult male was killed by an SUV on the Wilbur Cross Parkway in Milford, Connecticut on June 11, 2011. When I got up to where I think it was it was gone and to me, if it was a bear well bears don't have tails and two to me a bear would kind of struggle to get into the woods and lose stamina after a certain point maybe this thing it ran it took off and didn't look back. An Ohio Division of Wildlife officer said he watched the . This content is restricted to subscribers of OutdoorNews.com. There are occasional reports of people who think they saw one, maybe they even took a blurry picture, but those are most likely bobcats. Shirley Ford took photos of the svelte creature she saw lurking by her home on Ash Street Sunday, The Telegram and Gazette reports. You have permission to edit this article. Your account has been registered, and you are now logged in. So, thanks to all who reached out, and to all who are as fascinated about this subject as I am. My girlfriend remarked, Wow, that was a lion. And yes I believe these other stories. In this video we discuss why we have reached our conclusion as well as explaining some natural history about this species. It definitely wasn't a bobcat or a coyote, as I do know what they look like. 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. Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia local news, events and information. 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. It WAS a mountain lion. Straw says. l thought "oh shit" and figured l could try to use my bicycle for protection and dismounted. By LAURA JEAN SCHNEIDER "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 . The state classed mountain lions as endangered in 1972 and banned all hunting of them. From a distance, it had the walk of a cat - and the coloring of a mountain lion. 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. Updated: Jul. "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. If you are not and would like to read this and all the other great . 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. "It was sitting there looking at the smoke coming out of our chimney.". And was almost as long as its body! Open MF, 8 a.m.4 p.m. (closed noon12:30 for lunch). Mass.gov is a registered service mark of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. adroll_currency = "USD"; From RV:In the summer of 2002, I was biking south on the D&R canal path near Millstone NJ. Some page levels are currently hidden. But that was definitely what it was. They are definitely here. Then in late August, a woman reported seeing a mountain lion on her drive between Millville and Avalon. reads. 12 Reply catvideomaniac 4 yr. ago That is just some newly divorced woman in her back yard. 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. To me, it was not a dog and then carry itself like a dog. About 4 years ago I saw the whole mountain lion. A lock icon ( Click here to login. Thina Vanosnabrugge, a 41-year-old Hunt Valley woman, thinks they are. My house, which is located in Hewitt, NJ (West Milford township), faces the woods, which is actually the edge of Wawayanda State Park. Let us know what's going on! Please limit your input to 500 characters. For the smooth consistently colored short hair l came up with a greyish tint to a deers summer color. There are hundreds more throughout the East Coast, he and other naturalists believe. May 2015: Shannon: Citizen reported mountain lion tracks near the Current River, an investigation confirmed the track photos and other sign at the site. The cat, which she believes is a mountain lion, ran off into some nearby woods. A work colleague of mine lives in Layton, a town next to Walpack in Sussex County. Despite this fact, Massachusetts residents continue to report mountain lion sightings. There is no proof. Adult males may be more than 8 feet long (from the tip of the nose to the tip of the tail), and can weigh between 130 and 150 pounds. Meanwhile, if mountain lion sightings are on your wish list, go to Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, even California, to mention some of the western states where the American panther is in good supply. Use anything at your disposal: a stick, rock, or better yet, bear spray. The same year, The Sun ran a story headlined "A Mysterious Big Cat Roams Maryland," which focused on a flurry of cougar reports in Western Maryland. People from all parts of the city are posting accounts. Nov. 11, 2021 - A California Mountain Lion was seen at approximately 4:52 p.m. on Nov. 11 near the University Glen water tanks and on the main part of the campus near Santa Barbara Street and Camarillo Street. As of Sept. 7, 12 animals have been tagged statewide thus far. Someone photographed the animal at the Brunswick School on Greenwich, Connecticut about 40 miles away on June 5th. 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. From DS:I also spotted a mountain lion on Almonesson Rd Deptford NJ about 1 am. 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. 60-108 inches. I know it is not technically in maryland but I highly doubt this cat knows where the state line is located and stays on the Pa. side all the time. Around 3 p.m., a. Admission is $6 for ages 16 and over, $2 for kids 6 to 15 years old, and free for . 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. Case 2 Pittstown resident scared to death last summer outside my house when I went to go feed my donkeys. In Zone K, which includes areas 1 and 27 and covers some of Graham and Greenlee counties, 17 lions were killed in 2021. 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. I had people bash us for telling our story - but we've never wavered. half a mile before you reach the Deptford Mall. Yet this young male traveled about 1,800 miles. No indication of a captive animal. It was at the edge of the woods and it looked like it was just after a kill. Mountain Lions are the largest predators currently in Rocky Mountain National Park. In windy or mountainous areas, Elbroch says air horns are great tools to throw off a cat's focus and deter them from . Straw says. If youre still curious, read on to brush up on your mountain lion knowledge. The Connecticut mountain lion is the best documented wild Mountain Lion in New England. Columbia police were notified of a possible mountain lion sighting in the city Thursday night, May 5. 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. For more information on mountain lions, visit the . A mountain lion, seen above, was sighted on Ash Street in Webster Sunday. A couple of sightings involved captive mountain lions that escaped from licensed facilities in New York State. It was about 4 feet tall and just walked slowly crossing the highway. There have been at least two other sightings in the same area. The report stated that a woman spotted a mountain lion in Greenbelt. Copyright 2014 The Washington Times, LLC. Not valid with other promotions. We contacted the Somerset County Park department who assured us that there are no mountain lions in their parks. From EW:Lions in NJmy son and myself were on a hunt in a ground blind on a friend's farm in Liberty Corner, NJ Somerset CoFebruary 19, 1996.roughly around 4:00 pm in the afternoon I thought a deer had entered the pine forest we were adjacent to.we were actually hunting bushy tails with flintlock smoothbores as deer season was closed. 15: January 22, 2011: Macon: Subadult male mountain lion shot by coyote hunters. There have been only two caseswhere evidence supports the presence of a mountain lion in Massachusetts. 13507065_10205364039255335_8657515368052999240_n.jpg. Many believe mountain lions still exist in Pennsylvania. Lefleche told the Telegram and Gazette that Ford's sighting seems credible. The Fort Worth Star-Telegraph reports on a mountain lion sighting in April 2022. 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. The mountain lion is rare in Missouri, having been extirpated since the 1920s; occasional individuals wander here from other states. People say that when they closed it down some of the animals were released into the woods around here. The next thing we see is this cat. Now man is encroaching into more remote parts of the state, forcing the cougars out of their hiding places, Mr. Lutz says. There was an animal that ran very quickly across the road and we both said that it looked like a mountain lion. A pretty severe thunderstorm had just ended so for the afternoon it was quite dark. I live in Holland Township NJ. (Or a lot of people who are very good at creative writing and fooling me.). What does the perfect setup look like for spring steelhead? 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. The oldest tooth-aged mountain lion tagged in 2021 was 10. "It's a mountain lion," the officer said. Alaska Or so they think!. Again, there was no doubt as to what it was. I had made calls to many different agencies and either I was told I was wrong or no one would return my calls. 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. Copyright 2023Outdoor News. elk calf with characteristics of a mountain lion kill. In Maryland, what inquiring minds want to know is whether big cats are prowling suburbia. I am sincerely amazed at the number of emails I continue to receive about mountain lion or cougar sightings in New Jersey. Many people do not realize how large a grown Bobcat is. ". 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. Follow @WJZ on Twitter and like WJZ-TV | CBS Baltimore on Facebook, First published on July 31, 2018 / 4:17 PM. Crews were seen from a D.C. chopper searching the park with long guns. // February 12, 2021. Delivered right as the newspaper goes to print on Wednesdays and Saturdays. My sighting was on the sand Old Martha Rd beyond Martha Furnace Rd (which is also the BatonaTrail). ), 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. Just a matter of time until fish and game acknowledge it. 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 Lion Weight: 80-160 pounds Length: About 7-8 feet long Tail: 2-3 feet long (up to half of the total length) Identification The mountain lion is a large, slender cat, with a long rope-like tail. -Only California bans regulated harvest of mountain lions, with all other states maintaining regulated hunting seasons for this species. My cousin and her boyfriend, who own 40 acres in Mansfield Twp NJ saw one on their property as well. Huge tracks. Mike Jacobsen found a dead mountain lion in his Denton-area field on Dec. 19. The last confirmed records of the Eastern Cougar's existence were in 1938 in Maine. I feel vindicated. It was early morning so it was pretty quiet. It doesn't make sense to me that they wouldn't be in those areas considering anything prevents them from crossing state lines especially since they can swim and the Delaware river is often shallow enough to walk across in a lot of spots. 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. While they haven't confirmed it is a mountain lion, they say it could very well be one. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. Weight. 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! 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. Please let us know how we can improve this page. In certain situations, the similarities in the silhouette are remarkable. . I mentioned it to several coworkers and nobody believed me! On the return paved portion of my ride, l stopped to share my story with my friends at Mick's Canoes. 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. 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. Residents should also report any mountain lion sightings to by calling Fish and Game's Southwest. From TR:l just dug out my NJ Rare Wildlife Report Form of September 14, 2013. l was taking a favorite off and on-road bike ride that l call the Harrisville/Oswego Loop, which starts on Rt 679.