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. Click here to learn more about the board. Although size can be difficult to determine in the field, a puma will be three or four times larger than a bobcat. 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. Eyes are normal and are not light sensitive, and the over-all color, generally black, is usually not detrimental and may actually be of benefit. Thank you in advance for helping to protect Pennsylvania wildlife! Granted, the image is not great, and I used some Photoshop adjustment layers to enhance the image, making it a bit easier to see. What factors are causing turkey populations to decline? The elk rut is triggered by photoperiod (day length) and generally begins around the middle of September and carries through early- to mid-October. Fish and wildlife service declared the eastern cougar, other than the Florida panther, extinct in 2011. Who conducts burns on State Game Lands? One man sent me a game camera photo that was blurry but looked like a mountain lion, or puma, as I like to call them. What are the 2022-23 Hunting Season and Bag Limits? Is it illegal to feed elk? Consumption permits are issued from region offices. I was stupid to not take pics of the tracks. By requiring the tag in an ear, the antlers can be removed, but the deer head, at a minimum, and carcass remain identifiable. But all white-tailed deer and elk that contract CWD die. Click here to learn more. Using our cat Mace, again, as reference, lets try and see. As you can see, the cats shoulder measures the same as the indicator, i.e. This one streaked across the road in the early evening, and fortunately, it stopped when it climbed a hill on the other side where I had another view from my side of the truck. And while youre here, make sure you check out my free books page and help yourself. Are there Mountain Lions (Pumas, Cougars) in Pennsylvania and the Mid-Atlantic States? Something to consider, even though we all trust the government. The abundance of wildlife that thrives in Pennsylvania makes sightings of interesting animals fairly commonplacebears, foxes, coywolves and elk are. 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. You know; the closer an object is to the lens, the bigger it appears. Archery and late seasons elk hunters will be notified of this location by letter or contact the Northcentral Region Office at 570-398-4744. Hi there! 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. Compare any game camera image with the shots above, or this game camera image, to confirm your identification. Two different people told me that they, or a close relative, had seen pumas on more than one occasion. It seems unlikely, considering captives have never shown this trait, but people are reporting big black cats. That does not mean that the agency does not care and that we will not follow up with the information provided. 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. The stride was around 21 inches, and they ambled along at a leisurely pace. Goggling Eastern Puma brings up other web sites, however, with varying levels of professionalism or credibility. We have nearly 200,000 spring turkey hunters and high adult gobbler harvest rates; considerably more than many other states. Are Pennsylvanians OK with these changes? 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. We raise pheasants because people like to hunt them. So glad to post. So what? What is the Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners? The primary goal of the Pennsylvania Game Commission's Pheasant Propagation Program is to provide a quality game bird for regulated hunting opportunities. Mountain lions are large, tan cats. When wildlife is encouraged to come closer to humans they often lose their natural fear of people. The Game Commissions CWD Response Plan was adopted by the Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners in July 2020 and was developed in collaboration with Pennsylvania stakeholders, CWD experts from state and federal wildlife agencies and non-government organizations from across the country. Yet, again, were assuming that our mystery cat is right up against the steps. It is illegal to intentionally lay or place food, fruit, hay, grain, chemical, salt or other minerals that may cause bears to congregate or habituate an area. But this one was black, and he knows mountain lions are some variant of brown. When are prescribed fires scheduled? Additional "In one sense you would return a missing ecological community member back to the forest system," Keller said. During the fall season any turkey can be harvested because jakes, young males, are difficult to distinguish from females this time of year. How do I report a banded waterfowl harvest? I think it is possible that recognizing the existence of pumas in the East could jeopardize this industry and an entire economy. I took a few frames and tried enhancing them, lightening them and increasing contrast. Hopefully, we'll see the real thing. http://bit.ly/PGCOGT. 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. The maximum weight for a large male is listed at 40 pounds. 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. How do I submit comments and ideas about current and proposed seasons and bag limits set by the Board of Game Commissioners? Removal of other items is strictly prohibited. What can I do to help? Sign up to be the firstto know the latest news, release dates, signings & more. The footage is dark and amorphous, and very hard to make out. Are there pumas, or mountain lions, in Pennsylvania and the mid-Atlantic States? The Pennsylvania Game Commission periodically receives reports and photos of mountain lions. However, jakes have high probability of natural survival to the next year. Species such as grouse and rabbits are eaten infrequently while species such as turkey and goshawk were not identified within remains found in diet research. Recently, a man I spoke with told me that he was reminded of a sighting he and two friends had 20 years earlier, and after recalling the incident he was motivated to call his college buddies and reflect on their observation. He's. Immediately after the burn, the ground will be black until regrowth occurs, which typically takes place within a few days, in some cases several weeks, depending on the time of year. The mountain lionalso known as the cougar, puma, panther, or catamountis a large cat species native to the Americas. The Hunting and Trapping Digest serves as a great resource when it comes to questions about hunting seasons, bag limits and regulations. Eating African lion meat is unusual around the worldincluding on the predators home continent, where the meat is not considered palatable, Hunter said. *Please note: Our state game wardens are responsible for many things, from protecting wildlife, to enforcing hunting regulations, conducting search and rescues, assisting with biological research, educating the public about wildlife and more. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. To date, the Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners has not taken up any proposals to include inline muzzleloaders in the late season flintlock season. HuntFishPA, is equipped to provide hunters and trappers with electronic versions of the licenses they buy. American Marten Reintroduction Feasibility Assessment, Marten Reintroduction Feasibility Assessment, Click here to learn more about our agency and its history, Click here for more information about the agency, Click here for more about regulations related to the Right-to-Know law, Click here for step-by-step instructions about how to purchase a Pennsylvania hunting license, lick here for more information about HuntFishPA, Game Commission office that serves your county, contact your state representative and state senator, Click here for full harvest reporting details, lick here for full harvest reporting details, Pennsylvania Game Commission Region Office, Pennsylvania Game Commissions Operation Game Thief program, Pennsylvania Game Commission region office, Pennsylvanias online Hunter-Trapper Education course, report it to the Game Commission region office, Learn more about elk history in Pennsylvania, Click here for a brief synopsis of the zones, Check out the Elk Viewing Guide and Elk Scenic Drive Map from the Pennsylvania Great Outdoors Visitors Bureau, Click here to read the Pennsylvania Game Code, Click here to learn more about deer warts, please review the wild turkey biologist's January 2021 report to the board, Click here to read more about state game lands regulations, The Game Commission maintains a public map that shows where prescribed burns are being planned, Click here to learn more about CWD in Pennsylvania, https://pgcdatacollection.pa.gov/CWDResultsLookup, Refer to the Pennsylvania Department of Healths precautionary recommendations for outdoor recreation, Special Requests to Use State Game Lands Information, Deer Management Assistance Program (DMAP). The Pennsylvania Game Commission is headquartered at 2001 Elmerton Avenue in Harrisburg, in Dauphin County. If the tag were there, this critical data would be lost as the heads would be unidentifiable. 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. I have three observations here: 1. The interaction of these factors, such as a high fall harvest rate coupled with poor poult production due to adverse spring weather with poor habitat quality, predation and minor disease, impact populations. I don't believe someone's imagination could stretch a six inch long tail to three feet! During times of the year where natural food sources are low, bears sometimes help themselves to food that is easily accessible, including bird feeders, trash cans and pet food left outside within a bears reach. 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