Mountain lions, which continue to be reported across Pennsylvania throughout the year, are officially extinct east of the Mississippi River and north of Florida, according to the U.S. How many antlerless deer licenses can hunters apply for in the 2021-22 license year? I'm a photographer, yet I've never had a chance to snap a photograph of one of these bears. Additional Hunters will continue to mail antlerless-license applications to county treasurers, as required by law. He said he'd never forget the sighting, but it was only when he saw another, a few months ago, in daylight, from his cabin, that he decided it was time to tell someone. The Game Commission believes Pennsylvania's last known wild eastern mountain lion died in 1874 in Berks County. CWD has since spread from those initial detection sites over a larger geographic area. We have nearly 200,000 spring turkey hunters and high adult gobbler harvest rates; considerably more than many other states. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. Thousands of deer scamper onto American streets each year, colliding with startled drivers and causing roughly 200 deaths. Mountain lions weigh 90-160 pounds, while bobcats weigh 20-30 pounds. Store clean grills and smokers in a secure area that keeps bears out. Several consecutive years of this add up to severely limit the population. Is there a Puma conspiracy? What does a Mountain Lion look like on a game camera? Onthese three Sundays, hunters on private land are required to carry written permission from the landowner. If you ask me, the answer is yes. By reporting harvests, hunters are helping the Game Commission monitor populations and help set future seasons and bag limits. The gobbler population in a given area is directly related to the reproductive success of hens in the population. redo these pages to match the new web site But that's not Youll also receive an excerpt of Kronos Rising: Kraken (Vol.3) straight to your inbox. Prescribed burns also reduce the severity of unplanned wildfires by removing leaves, thick grasses, and forest debris that accumulate without regular fire. The story behind our new web site. The agencys goal is to maintain proper wild turkey management strategies while providing maximum hunting opportunities. But they'd need the cooperation of the Pennsylvania Game Commission and, for now, that's a non-starter. Mountain Lions do remain in the western states and there is evidence that in 2011, a . However, if it doesn't exist, and if someone saw one, wouldn't there be a worry that it was a dangerous escapee? That does not mean that the agency does not care and that we will not follow up with the information provided. Keystone State. Although size can be difficult to determine in the field, a puma will be three or four times larger than a bobcat. I used to archery hunt for deer, and I spent a lot of time (way too much time) sitting silently in a tree stand waiting for deer. A successful bear hunter must take the bear, along with his or her hunting license and bear license, to a Pennsylvania Game Commission check station within 24 hours of the harvest. A variety of entities handle road-killed deer removal throughout the state and the region office can clarify the proper authorities to notify based on the location of the animal. It is a time to be in the woods with few other people. 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. Yet, again, were assuming that our mystery cat is right up against the steps. So, couldn't that same argument apply to pumas in the Northeast? In some areas, entire populations of a species exhibit this trait, for unlike albinism, which results in a conspicuous white color and light-sensitive pink eyes, there are no ill effects with melanism. How do I report my bear harvest? They're able to hunt deer in suburban areas where it's not safe to hunt. Click here for more information about the agency. The above frame, although admittedly still amorphous, is at least telling. Delivery: Estimated between Sat, Mar 4 and Wed, Mar 8 to 98837. I've seen about 20 mountain lions, or pumas, in the field, but all but 2 were in Chile. After all, skeptics often suggest that puma sightings are just deer sightings, so it would be logical to worry that a hunter might shoot an endangered puma, mistaking it for a brown deer. The Pennsylvania Game Commission has been trying to establish a wild population of pheasants for years through its Wild Pheasant Recovery Areas (WPRAs). This ensures that all hens have had opportunities to breed with gobblers, and lay their full clutch of eggs, uninterrupted by hunters. Adult mentors, (21 years of age or older), may take out more than one junior hunter at a time as long as each junior hunter under the age of 16 is within sight and verbal control of the mentor. 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. 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. Have all of those who have seen a puma really seen a bobcat? Replacement certificates are usually mailed in 10-14 days upon receipt of an application. If mountain lions are here, or are to come here, they'll have to do it on their own. Thats outside the maximum known range for a bobcat, and way beyond the size of any healthy house cat that isnt built like a sausage. Each hunting license comes with one fall turkey tag (and one spring tag), so we regulate fall harvest by season length. Hunters statewide now have the opportunity to apply for and receive additional antlerless deer licenses, as long as 1. The cat mustve been after the deer that regularly invade my yard at night, usually to eat my neighbors arborvitae trees and my holly bushes.*. But even that little guy isn't prowling the Poconos yet. Moreover, this approach would be exceedingly difficult to implement logistically because open and closed dates for individual counties and properties would differ across the state and change from week to week throughout the season. 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. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Inuit native American Indian Fossilized Bone Mountain Lion with Heartline at the best online prices at eBay! Does my mentored hunter need to purchase his or her own doe tag? Recently the US Fish and Wildlife Service formally declared the Eastern Puma an extinct species, except for the remnant population in Florida. It is legal to use trail cameras on state game lands. "But there is certainly major costs to that return. And a bit of an unpleasant one at that, as they now faced ridicule or doubt whenever they discussed their sightings. Trichinosis occurs throughout the United States, but it usually is . Bowhunters accounted for over a third of Pennsylvanias 2020-21 overall deer harvest taking 160,480 deer (80,130 antlered and 80,350 antlerless deer) with either bows or crossbows. 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. Unfortunately, just like any tool, they can be used inappropriately and result with negative impact. Albinos are often very light sensitive, and they certainly are conspicuous, and most do not live very long. By allowing wildlife to congregate unnaturally at feeding sites, diseases such as CWD, mange and tuberculosis may be spread not only to wildlife, but also to humans and pets. Little is known of the wolf in Pennsylvania, or if indeed the same animal now called the Eastern coyote in fact might have been similar to the wolf of the past. Habitat changes that can result in lower turkey populations include, a lower variety of habitat types, lower habitat quality (particularly due to exotic species replacing native species), lower number of mast-producing trees (particularly oaks and cherry), lower percentage of younger age-class forests, and less nesting brood cover for turkeys. 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. Why not work to establish a wild population in Pennsylvania? If you purchase a snow goose conservation permit, you must submit a snow goose harvest online at HuntFishPA, even if you were not successful. How many state game lands are in Pennsylvania and how many acres do they span? So how or why could there be a conspiracy? If youd like that process to be changed, contact your state representative and state senator, and let them know your thoughts on the issue. When encountering young wildlife, be it deer, birds, rabbits or other animals, the Game Commission urges Pennsylvanians to resist the urge to interfere with young wildlife or remove any wild animal from its natural setting, for the protection of humans and wildlife. For the latest information about COVID-19 in Pennsylvania, please visit the Pennsylvania Department of Healths website at www.health.pa.gov. What can I do to help? 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. They haven't been . 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. With the Great Lakes in its way, the cat moved either north or south of the water, and the latter route would have seen it pass through at least some of Pennsylvania. In all those hours I never saw a coyote, bear, or bobcat, and yet all live in my area. Mountain lions are large, tan cats. Thank you in advance for helping to protect Pennsylvania wildlife! More about mountain lions in Pennsylvania: If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. It probably wasnt; it was more likely 1-3 feet away, in which case my estimates will need to be scaled up a bit. Bone out the meat from your animal; 3. You know; the closer an object is to the lens, the bigger it appears. And people want to see them. Can the public still access Pennsylvania State Game Lands? The most direct way to report an instance of a suspected sick, injured or nuisance wild animal is to call the Pennsylvania Game Commission Region Office that serves the county in which the animal is located. If we say it ain't so, it ain't so! It was recorded in Minnesota and Wisconsin in late 2009 and early 2010, and then died in Connecticut in 2011. Of course, the writer's comments were hearsay, but it does make sense. Do lots of hens mean fewer gobblers? Yes. Hunters can apply online at HuntFishPA for the elk license drawing and check the status of their applications. If you took a hunter or trapper education course before the above dates, you must complete a Hunter Education Program Replacement Certificate Affidavit (PDF) form, which can be downloaded from this site. Where can I find information about hunting and trapping seasons and bag limits? Mountain lions weigh 90-160 pounds . Yet even with these precautions, there are rare instances when animals and/or their nests may get burned. But in recent years, the animals have been moving east. "Cougars really are deer specialists," said Laura Prugh, an author on the study. A bobcat gives you a warm, that-kind-of-looks-like-my-cat-but-slightly-bigger feeling. 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. But they are less shy of pets and livestock, and they don't necessarily stay in the woods, either. Home Pennsylvania State University Can You Shoot A Mountain Lion In Pennsylvania? 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. For example, rabies prevention and roadway flooding from beavers. Encourage officials at all levels of government to support the steps necessary to slow the spread of CWD across Pennsylvania. How can I become a Hunter-Trapper Education instructor? Through stringent trap testing, BMPs provide a guide to trappers for ensuring animal welfare and trap efficiency for each individual species. Two other reports went, in detail, on what they saw, the size, the length of tail, etc. Luckily, the camera is static, and there are plenty of objects in the frame that can be used to compare scale and positioning. I went back there with the cop who showed up. Although it is beneficial to provide contact information in case game wardens have follow-up questions, callers may remain confidential. Are there Mountain Lions (Pumas, Cougars) in Pennsylvania and the Mid-Atlantic States? The last wild mountain lion (Puma concolor) known to live in Pennsylvania was killed in 1871. This allows many hens to be bred, even when a much lower number of gobblers than hens exists, ensuring an adequate hatch to sustain the population. He knows and was familiar with bobcats, and it was not a weird house cat that he and his friends misjudged in size. 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. There are no exceptions. Bears should be field dressed before being brought to a check station. It is also unlawful to dig on state game lands. Am I allowed to remove mushrooms and/or berries on state game lands? Why are rifles being banned for fall turkey hunting in the 2021 season? Is it lawful to find and retain deer and/or elk antlers on state game lands? 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 new process is simpler, since the same distribution rules now apply to all WMUs, and it maintains fair and equitable distribution. Despite yearly reports of cougar sightings in Pennsylvania, the U.S. Who conducts burns on State Game Lands? Although no tail is visible, in terms of proportions, it appears more like a mountain lion than it does a bobcat, which tend to have shorter, more compact bodies and comparatively longer legs. Michelle LaRue, executive director of the Cougar Network and a research ecologist at the University of Minnesota, will discuss the eastern expansion of cougars from their core range in the western U.S. at 7 p.m. in Moravian College's Haupert Union Building, Bethlehem. Hunting is legal, but closely regulated by the state. 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. Reports generally go uninvestigated by the Pennsylvania Game Commission, which discounts them as mistaken identities, illegal pets escaped or released and outright fabrications. Interestingly, the US Fish and Wildllife Service has declared the Eastern Puma extinct, except for the Florida population known as the Florida panther. But this one was black, and he knows mountain lions are some variant of brown. Where can I see the Game Commissions CWD surveillance results? Wildlife crimes affect everyone. Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) is a neurological disease that affects members of the cervid family (e.g., deer, elk, moose and reindeer/caribou). Closing stocked properties on the day of stocking would reduce overall opportunity and simply shift the initial surge of hunting pressure to first light the following morning. Follow these guidelines to prevent the spread of the disease: 1. There is no limit on the total number of licenses a hunter can obtain in a license year. No. And again, while they may have been mistaken, they certainly were completely convinced that they had seen a puma. At one time mountain lions, or more properly puma (Puma concolor), enjoyed the widest geographic range of any New World mammal, and were found throughout all of the contiguous United States. 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. Unfortunately, their web site no longer seems active, and has been taken over by some wacky drug product. Where reports dating that far back from escapees? Kristin Hunt First, we can discern from the flattish face and forward-facing eyes that we are looking at a cat of some kind. Continually feeding many wild animals in the same place can harm the habitat, people and the animals themselves. (Remember: Prescribed burns are not the same as wildfires.) Where can I find Depth of Field reference charts? The agency is always faced with the challenge of providing as many hunting opportunities as possible, while ensuring the wildlife resource is managed sustainably. 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. Wild pheasants are released in WPRAs for three years, depending on availability of birds and trapping success in western states. . Which Penn State Campus Is Closest To Philadelphia? 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. The license year begins July 1 and ends June 30. 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. More information is available here. This change, to allow antlerless hunting throughout the season, is not intended to increase the antlerless harvest. Wishful thinking? Unnatural congregation can lead to overcrowded wildlife. How do I register for a Hunter-Trapper Education Course? I'd suspect it would still be considered very rare, after all, it was thought to be extinct. It also reduces confusion about which WMUs are open to antlerless hunting. At one time mountain lions, or more properly puma (Puma concolor), enjoyed the widest geographic range of any New World mammal, and were found throughout all of the contiguous United States. Effective July 1, 2013; a $16 fee is charged for issuing a hunter education replacement certificate. We are one of the leading states when it comes to turkey hunters! The reason biologists believe predation rates increase in wet weather has to do with scenting conditions. 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. 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. Thank you for your interest in Pennsylvania wildlife. What are the benefits of having a concurrent antlered and antlerless deer hunting season? 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. 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