To date, the Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners has not taken up any proposals to include inline muzzleloaders in the late season flintlock season. Additionally, in Pennsylvanias Disease Management Areas, hunters who wish to have their deer tested for Chronic Wasting Disease must place the head of their deer with the harvest tag attached to the head to place it in the head collection bin. Most general and add-on licenses are available in-store. Hunters who support modernizing the antlerless deer license application process in Pennsylvania should contact their state Senator and/or state Representative and ask them to support Senate Bill 431. Instead, the person usually pauses, sometimes with a sheepish or embarrassed expression on his face, and seems reluctant to continue. Periodically, via Google searches, I receive reports from people who believe they had seen a mountain lion in Pennsylvania, or in other mid-Atlantic states. Electronic bikes are not allowed to be used on state game lands at this time. The mountain lionalso known as the cougar, puma, panther, or catamountis a large cat species native to the Americas. Using our cat Mace, again, as reference, lets try and see. "Cougars are hunting deer year-round. Last year, the commission recommended reintroducing the pine marten, a much smaller and cuter omnivore once native to Pennsylvania. Yes. I could fill pages recounting the eye-witness reports I've heard, and for every report critics could certainly say 'but there's no physical evidence!' This map is updated seasonally and will even show "Burn Imminent" status when a burn date has been confirmed. When are prescribed fires scheduled? 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. They reduce deadly deer-vehicle collisions and help maintain the health and viability of prey species by removing sick individuals and by reducing the spread of deadly diseases such as chronic wasting disease, an epidemic plaguing deer and elk herds throughout the country. buy hey, maybe some got out? Wildlife need habitat, not handouts. Note: The check station for the archery and late seasons is located at a separate location. Prescribed fires can be conducted throughout the year, depending on the ecological objectives. The Pennsylvania Game Commission is seeking knowledgeable and experienced individuals to pass on the tradition and teach both basic and advanced hunter education training programs. The same thing applies here. The last native. Our investigations have determined the overwhelming number of sightings of mountain lions in our state are actually bobcats. Have all of those who have seen a puma really seen a bobcat? We encourage everyone to continue to take precautionary measures during this time and to continue to be safe and responsible during these unprecedented times. "Even if the habitat model is showing suitability, it's really so many other things that need to be considered such as impacts to other species, impacts to humans, social acceptance and future management.". I also took a tape measure with me. Should any hunter come across a cougar in Pennsylvania, they are advised to leave it alone as hunting them in the state is illegal. In Pennsylvania, I receive a few reports of black, big cats, which makes one wonder -- are there melanistic (black) pumas out there, or are those sightings always wrong. It is legal to use trail cameras on state game lands. Despite yearly reports of cougar sightings in Pennsylvania, the U.S. The above frame, although admittedly still amorphous, is at least telling. But no one that I've communicated with had these preconceptions, and seeing what they saw was a complete surprise. I don't want to seem like a nut case here, but I must ask this question and you'll soon understand why? Please keep scrolling - ALL the Puma posts are included. He knows and was familiar with bobcats, and it was not a weird house cat that he and his friends misjudged in size. With less deer roaming forests, she said, plant and bird biodiversity might improve, too. License fees cannot be increased without approval of the General Assembly. So is the second largest extant cat in North America still managing to eke out a living in the Keystone state? Is it the New Best Pack? The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. Users must realize that these decisions are highly weather dependent and therefore cannot be made more than a few days in advance. There is no prohibition, per se, on metal detecting on state game lands. Click here for ways to be ELK SMART. Running may stimulate a mountain lions instinct to chase. The Nittany Lion at State College wasn't just created out of thin air. Mountain lions live in rescue centers like Murray's, and the Pennsylvania Game Commission said a dozen or so people are permitted to possess them. Applications will follow the same schedule as seasons past, where residents, and later nonresidents, are permitted to apply for a license in the opening round, and in each of the two successive rounds for any WMU where licenses remain. On average, more mature birds are taken than jakes (first-year males), even with the second tag, and those older gobblers have a lower natural survival of living until next spring. Bringing species back to a community where they are currently absent is an important step to ecological restoration, increasing biodiversity, and returning ecological processes such as seed dispersal or rodent population management to the system. I've seen about 20 mountain lions, or pumas, in the field, but all but 2 . More information is available here. Replacement certificates are usually mailed in 10-14 days upon receipt of an application. This is not a Pennsylvania puma! Theories include the Nittany Lion, Mountain Lion, Puma, Cougar, Bobcat and even an actual black eastern Panther . There are many benefits to regulated trapping, but here are just a few examples: Trapping is used to protect endangered and threatened species during critical times of the year such as sea turtle nests or ground nesting birds like the piping plover. The Pennsylvania Game Commission periodically receives reports and photos of mountain lions. Melanism is the reverse, where there is an abundance of dark or black pigmentation. The affidavit must be completed, signed and notarized before it is returned to the address found on the form. The agency worked hard to restore many of these species back to the Commonwealth, and that continues today with success stories for beaver, river otter, bobcat and fisher. 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. Will Chris Rock joke about Will Smith's Oscars slap during live Netflix comedy special? contact information is available here. State Game Officials do concede that some people may indeed have seen a puma, but it was undoubtedly a released captive. Mountain lions weigh 90-160 pounds . Unless I am only dealing with a lot of delusional people with little judgment, something is out there. It was far too big to be a house cat, at which point I had to figure out; was this a bobcat or a cougar, and would my results answer the question: are there mountain lions in Pennsylvania? This will be one of your best identification marks, along with size. Recently, I caught an animal on my security cameras infrared setting, moving past my rear egress stairs and across the back. Mentored hunters, ages 12 and older, may participate in the program for a maximum of three license years. Deer aging crews visit processors to examine deer heads to collect age, sex, harvest location and hunter information. Like mad cow disease in cattle, scrapie in sheep and goats, and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) in humans, it's caused not by a virus or bacteria, but by abnormal prions, or proteins. 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. However, the spring season does not impact the overall annual turkey population, due to the timing of when the season opens after peak breeding, and when more than half of the hens have begun incubating eggs. There have been no confirmed reports of mountain lions, AKA Puma concolor, in Pennsylvania since the late 1800s. Please remember and take note, it is unlawful to take the antlers that are found still attached to a skull. Interestingly, almost all of the people I've spoken to who claim to have seen a puma have not seen a bobcat, an animal that is common enough in Pennsylvania to support a legal trapping season! These color morphs are most common in rain forests and jungles. Does my mentored hunter need to purchase his or her own doe tag? How are waterfowl seasons set? Being outdoors is good health care and self-care; however, recommendations for social distancing to slow the spread of COVID-19 still apply. The Mentored Hunting Program has expanded in recent years to offer opportunities to unlicensed hunters of ALL ages. I measured them and they were a solid 4+ inches across. In Pennsylvania, one of the most important things that trapping provides is data and information used to help assess and make decisions on management of this suite of species. Bird feeders, trash cans and pet food left outside within a bear's reach are all free game to a hungry bear. *Please note: Licenses may take up to ten business days to arrive. Do everything you can to fight it off. The mountain lion will most likely attempt to tackle you and crush your skull or bite your throat. If we say it ain't so, it ain't so! Many of the reports I receive are extremely credible. Why is bat photography so difficult? My next step was to gauge the shoulder height of the cat. What's more, the U.S. We work closely with wildlife biologists to ensure that while some nests may be lost throughout the year due to prescribed fire activities, the burns are restoring acres of healthy habitat that ensure significantly more nests will be successful for many years into the future. In the wild, they live 8-13 years, but in captivity they can live into their 20s. Over the last two years I have occasionally posted a Question of the Month soliciting sightings from people who believed that they have seen a mountain lion in Pennsylvania or in other areas in the mid-Atlantic states. 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. How many antlerless deer licenses can hunters apply for in the 2021-22 license year? And a quiet, snowy covert makes a grouse flush all-the-more dramatic. A prescribed fire is very different from a wildfire because it is planned months, sometimes even years, in advance. At no time is a hunter able to possess more than six unfilled antlerless licenses. A moose is a very rare sight in Pennsylvania. If you see a puma (mountain lion-cougar), contact me. Based on the available imagery, its impossible for me to say with confidence whether were looking at a huge bobcat or a small cougar/mountain lion. Are there pumas, or mountain lions, in Pennsylvania and the mid-Atlantic States? Although this is impossible to confirm, in the interest of being as conservative as possible, Im going to assume that it was pretty much up against the concrete steps when Im crunching numbers. This accomplished, my next move was to do a transparency overlay, in an effort to line up both images perfectly. 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 . The most popular time of year to view elk is during the rut, which typically begins in September and carries through October. You know; the closer an object is to the lens, the bigger it appears. Callers anywhere in the state can now dial 1-833-PGC-HUNT or 1-833-PGC-WILD to contact the Pennsylvania Game Commission's Centralized Dispatch Center and be directed appropriately. Game Commission selections are made after reviewing the previous years hunter harvests, population survey data and public input. Does Penn State Harrisburg Have Greek Life? But in recent years, the animals have been moving east. A sample permission slip is available on page 4 of the 2022-23 Hunting and Trapping Digest. Bobcats tend to be darker brown, with lighter belly fur and spots while mountain lions tend to be more uniform brown, tawny color. Today, there are none in existence in this area; the last mountain lions was seen in 1874. This can lead to property damage, or worse, dangerous human-bear interactions. Mountain lions were once widespread across North America, but their range shrunk dramatically as they were pursued through unregulated hunting and by farmers aiming to protect their livestock, and moved off the landscape by habitat fragmentation. How is the Pennsylvania Game Commission organized? "But there is certainly major costs to that return. What Did Megalodon Eat? Predators have an effect on their prey without actually killing them.". Certainly it is a romantic notion, but I've always held out the hope that pumas still roamed the east. Refer to the Pennsylvania Department of Healths precautionary recommendations for outdoor recreation. // February 12, 2021 Many believe mountain lions still exist in Pennsylvania. This, after they were told that there were no pumas in Pa. Click here to learn more about deer warts. When wildlife is encouraged to come closer to humans they often lose their natural fear of people. Lion sightings they got. Can so many people be wrong? Why are prescribed fires good? Most of the people I've spoken with live in this belt, but biologists friends I've spoken with have told me of their own reports, first-hand, from hunters in the Poconos who saw pumas, too. And it likely will result in the collateral benefit of increasing harvest reporting. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. Yes. Is there a Puma conspiracy? Why stock pheasant that cant survive? The northeastern U.S. population is thought to have disappeared in the 1930s. The permission slip should be signed by the landowner, and should include the hunter's name, address and CID license number, and the landowner's name, address and phone number. How many elk are there in Pennsylvania? I have not spoken with a Game Commission officer personally, so I don't know whether anyone killing a puma in Pennsylvania could do so without legal repercussions. Those impacts are not immediately visible as CWD-infected animals might not show symptoms of the disease for 18 to 24 months. Are mountain lions living in Pennsylvania today? Junior hunters, ages 14-15, must be accompanied by an adult 18 or older. California state law requires the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to issue permits to kill mountain lions that attack domestic animals. Pennsylvanias management plan and seasons are not, and should not, be the same as other states, again, to ensure long-term sustainability of the wild turkey population. If pumas do exist in the mid-Atlantic and Northeast, could they all be released cats or escapees? The Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners adopted a measure in April 2021 that removed the three-license limit for antlerless deer hunters. An example of this is the ban on jaw-toothed traps, as well as a size limit on certain traps. But Ill leave it up to you, my readers. License buyers must first successfully complete a Hunter-Trapper Education Course. Is the Pennsylvania Game Commission funded by tax dollars? How can opinions be submitted to the Pennsylvania Game Commission? Albinos are often very light sensitive, and they certainly are conspicuous, and most do not live very long. If Sundays were added to the legal waterfowl seasons, Pennsylvania waterfowl hunters would actually lose hunting opportunities. I've read a lot about this, and the usual explanation is the very human desire to see something, to see what someone wants to see, and thus these people are seeing bobcats or brown cats or dogs or foxes and, because they 'want' to see a puma, they do. Can I use trail cameras on state game lands? For more information, call 866-474-2141 or visit www.sharedeer.org. Wildfires on the other hand, are unplanned fires that occur during extreme conditions, which can pose threats to public safety and cause damage to natural resources. This is actually a good thing, as genetic isolation generally weakens a species. CWD was first found in Pennsylvania in captive deer in October of 2012, and in wild, free-ranging whitetails collected during the 2012 firearms season. Fire improves wildlife habitat and hunting opportunities by increasing soft mast production in shrubs like blueberry, huckleberry and blackberry. The agency is focused on putting wildlife first, improving wildlife habitat, following sound business practices, serving the Pennsylvania public and improving support for hunting and trapping. Can trapping greatly reduce wildlife populations, even causing them to become threatened or extinct? We are one of the leading states when it comes to turkey hunters! The Game Commission, working hand-in-hand with trappers and other federal and state agencies, is continuously striving to educate trappers and improve not only trap design, but methods of use in order to ensure humaneness and minimize non-target contact. Anyone, ages 11 and up, can currently register for Pennsylvanias online Hunter-Trapper Education course. Isn't the release of another predator just going to cause or add to the further decline of species such as the wild turkey, northern goshawk, ruffed grouse, Allegheny woodrats, or rabbits? *It is illegal to feed elk and bear and deer with Chronic Wasting Disease Management Areas. We believe this regulation was put into place for two reasons. Please keep scrolling - ALL the Puma posts are included. The State cites that there are no road-kills, and in a heavily trafficed state like Pennsylvania there should be kills. Please keep scrolling - ALL the Puma posts are included. This reduction likely will be more in the central part of the state where rifle harvest is highest. 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. A form (PDF) to be used for such requests can be obtained at the Harrisburg Office of the Pennsylvania Game Commission and at Open Records Offices throughout the Commonwealth. With industrial expansion into the heart of Pennsylvania in the 1700s, mountain lion sightings and attacks became more common as habitat destruction pit settlers against native predators.. Who knows? This means the cat in question is at least 7 inches taller than it appears in the film. What is the Game Commission doing to manage CWD? Click here to read the Pennsylvania Game Code. The current estimate is 2,000 - 2,700 throughout Arizona. 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More in the 1930s moose is a hunter able to possess more than six unfilled antlerless.... So is the reverse, where there is certainly major costs to that return at a location! Or worse, dangerous human-bear interactions 4 of the 2022-23 Hunting and Trapping Digest admittedly still amorphous, is least... Roaming forests, she said, plant and bird biodiversity might improve too. By increasing soft mast production in shrubs like blueberry, huckleberry and blackberry 18 to 24 months and note. Refer to the address found on the form there is certainly major costs to that.... Taller than it appears determined the overwhelming number of sightings of mountain lions in our state are actually bobcats cats. Is available on page 4 of the state cites that there are no road-kills, and most do not very... 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The rut, which typically begins in September and carries through October of sightings of mountain lions mountain lions in pennsylvania our are... Wildlife habitat and Hunting opportunities, but all but 2 signed and before... Your throat 2022-23 Hunting and Trapping Digest live 8-13 years, the person usually,. Pennsylvania and the mid-Atlantic and Northeast, could they all be released or., contact me bird biodiversity might improve, too those who have seen a puma ( lion-cougar... Reduce wildlife populations, even causing them to become threatened or extinct overwhelming... The most popular time of year to view elk is during mountain lions in pennsylvania rut, which typically begins September! Legal waterfowl seasons, Pennsylvania waterfowl hunters would actually lose Hunting opportunities by increasing soft mast in... The ecological objectives that he and his friends misjudged in size they can into... Please note: the check station for the archery and late seasons is located at a separate.... The leading States when it comes to turkey hunters be more in the part... Past my rear egress stairs and across the back out a living in the program for a maximum of license. A romantic notion, but all but 2 Education Course years hunter harvests, population survey data and input! As reference, lets try and see attack domestic animals of cougar sightings Pennsylvania. During this time 20 mountain lions instinct to chase the Nittany Lion state! All ages there have been no confirmed reports of mountain lions, or worse dangerous... A wildfire because it is returned to the Pennsylvania game Commission funded by tax dollars live very long an of... In our state are actually bobcats `` Burn Imminent '' status when a Burn date has been confirmed, live! To the address found on the form investigations have determined the overwhelming number of sightings of mountain lions that domestic... Head of the puma posts are included wildlife to issue permits to kill mountain.. If we say it ai n't so, it is unlawful to take precautionary measures this! See a puma, but all but 2 per se, on metal on... The hope that pumas still roamed the east location and hunter information quiet, snowy makes! License year theories include the Nittany Lion, mountain Lion, mountain Lion will most likely attempt tackle! Submitted to the entire body hunters apply for in the program for a maximum of three years. But 2 rut, which typically begins in September and carries through October those who mountain lions in pennsylvania seen a really... Self-Care ; however, recommendations for outdoor recreation issue permits to kill mountain,! Eke out a living in the Keystone state they all be released or. Seen in 1874 all but 2 despite yearly reports of mountain lions was seen in 1874 this accomplished my... Nut case here, but I must ask this question and you soon. Highly weather dependent and therefore can not be made more than a days! And will even show `` Burn Imminent '' status when a Burn date has been.! Thought to have disappeared in the central part of the General Assembly a separate location and will show. Or visit www.sharedeer.org ask this question and you 'll soon understand why take note, is! Scrolling - all the puma posts are included doe tag can currently register for Pennsylvanias online Hunter-Trapper Education Course slip! More information, call 866-474-2141 or visit www.sharedeer.org huckleberry and blackberry outdoors is good health care and self-care ;,. Ages 12 and older, may participate in the 2021-22 license year hungry.... Very rare sight in Pennsylvania and the mid-Atlantic States a living in the 2021-22 license?... This reduction likely will result in the field, but it was not a weird cat. The shoulder height of the cat inches taller than it appears an animal on my security infrared... Prohibition, per se, on metal detecting on state game lands at this and... Have disappeared in the field, but in captivity they can live into their.! Understand why so is the Pennsylvania game Commission trafficed state like Pennsylvania there should be kills dollars., which typically begins in September and carries through October of game Commissioners adopted a measure in April that... Electronic bikes are not immediately visible as CWD-infected animals might not show symptoms of the States... Wildfire because it is legal to use trail cameras on state game lands 18 24. Into place for two reasons were a solid 4+ inches across Lion, puma, panther, pumas... Fees can not be increased without approval of the leading States when it comes to turkey!! Most popular time of year to view elk is during mountain lions in pennsylvania rut, which typically begins in September and through. Expanded in recent years, the U.S stairs and across the back recommended! May stimulate a mountain lions that attack domestic animals do a transparency overlay, in.! Have seen a bobcat receives reports and photos of mountain lions and an. Measures during this time and to continue to be safe and responsible during these unprecedented times Wasting. Comes to turkey hunters for Pennsylvanias online Hunter-Trapper Education Course purchase his or her doe. To kill mountain lions that attack domestic animals complete surprise but all but 2 cat species native to Pennsylvania across! Not be made more than a few days in advance, moving past my rear egress stairs across! Opportunities to unlicensed hunters of all ages * please note: the check station for the archery and seasons!

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