mountain lion sightings in maryland

document.write(year) Then in late August, a woman reported seeing a mountain lion on her drive between Millville and Avalon. No doubt we were lookin' at a Mt. Needless to say, I'm overwhelmed by the number of people in our state who claim that they have seen a cougar or mountain lion. It was tan and the most amazing part of this animal was its tail. By LAURA JEAN SCHNEIDER "As always, if you leave wildlife alone and respect it, the wildlife will reciprocate," she wrote. Admission is $6 for ages 16 and over, $2 for kids 6 to 15 years old, and free for . The Missouri Dept of Conservation release information regarding a vehicle striking a mountain lion (cougar) not far from Six Flags. (Or a lot of people who are very good at creative writing and fooling me.). 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. I was leaving Westville towards the mall. If mountain lions returned to Massachusetts, there is no need to update current forest management practices. The state classed mountain lions as endangered in 1972 and banned all hunting of them. Adults are a uniform tan or tawny in color, with a white or cream-colored chin, undersides and inner legs. Males, also called bucks, are about 20 percent larger than females, which are called does. Straw says. Body coloration can range from tan to gray and cubs are usually covered with blackish brown spots. var today = new Date() 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. There are hundreds more throughout the East Coast, he and other naturalists believe. There was a problem saving your notification. I had seen a police officer in the parking lot at the mall and told him what I saw. The animals, which weight between 90 and 160 pounds and range over a large territory for food, have not left tracks that could be verified by wildlife experts. adroll_currency = "USD"; Residents, especially those in the Rio Vista and Mather Road areas, are reminded to keep pets inside at night, use motion sensor lights to help discourage mountain lions from using their yards, and to let Fish and Game know if they observe a mountain lion. From TP:I was driving on the parkway in Toms River back in the late winter and I swear I saw a dead mountain lion in the median. From RV:In the summer of 2002, I was biking south on the D&R canal path near Millstone NJ. Copyright 1998- MassWildlife receives dozens of reportsa year, most are simplyreportsor sightings with no evidence. Crews were seen from a D.C. chopper searching the park with long guns. Shes 18 now. Some page levels are currently hidden. On we go with just some of the reports I've received in the last few days: From RB:I've been reading your stories about mountain lion sightings, I too have seen a mountain lion; this was during the early spring or late winter of 2021. (#08) We just wanted to inform you all that during our trip to the Snowshoe ski resort in West Virginia we sighted a mountain lion at a nearby field. But that was definitely what it was. The animal just stood there for a few minutes and then walked off towards the lake. I lived on a street with houses spaced widely - and a soccer field across the street which was next to a wooded space, a creek, and a pond. These tracks were fresh and well photographed. I have seen these magnificent creatures in Wyoming and Montana many times on different trips to friends' large and remote ranches. GREENBELT, Md. Home Pennsylvania Opinion Search for cougarscontinues in Pennsylvania, If youre a regular reader of this publication, or one of my neighbors, then you already know my father and, A fish may see a parade of presentations go by, therefore yours should be better than the rest. ", "Oh," said the officer, "then it isn't a mountain lion. Hunters must also possess a valid hunting license, which is $37 for residents. MassWildlifecannot investigate or confirm mountain lion reports without any evidence. Definitely, a mountain lion after I googled the print.Some years ago there was a really bad coyote problem at the Wawayanda State Park. 12 Reply catvideomaniac 4 yr. ago That is just some newly divorced woman in her back yard. 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. lt calmly looked back then almost bent its body in half, using only its front legs to face me. 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. (WJZ) -- A reported mountain lion sighting in a Prince George's County park turned out to be a coyote. 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. One said his father swore he had seen one, and their guess was it was an escapee from Great Adventure. In 1966, an animal believed to be a cougar clawed a pony, two sheep and a calf to death in western Harford County. 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. Therres reminds us all that it is very easy to misidentify a mountain lion by providing an example of people constantly misidentifying bald eagles. Another sighting was on Storms Ave in Haskell NJ. I was on my deck at around 10 in the morning. Invalid password or account does not exist. Mike Jacobsen found a dead mountain lion in his Denton-area field on Dec. 19. Mountain lions also were reportedly sighted in Cape St. Claire in 1969, Kingsville in 1971 and several areas of Prince George's County in 1988. reads. Mountain lions are helpful in maintaining order in our ecosystem and assist to keep other wildlife numbers in check. Both off of Carrs Mill Rd before the cement bridge (for those of you that may be familiar) Below is the information about mountain lion sightings in maryland 2021 . About 4 years ago I saw the whole mountain lion. I only saw the back half of the animal which was muscular, tan colored with a long tail that curled at the end. Are there mountain lions in Massachusetts. A valid hunting license is required except in the case of depredation (killing of livestock). The Fort Worth Star-Telegraph reports on a mountain lion sighting in April 2022. Residents should also report any mountain lion sightings to by calling Fish and Game's Southwest. Search for cougars continues in Pennsylvania. Diana Marchibroda and her miniature schnauzer froze in their tracks when the mountain lion stepped out of the woods last May. . Last year he recorded 11 cougar sightings in Maryland, 38 in Pennsylvania and six in Virginia. 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. There was no question as to what it was, with its coloring and long tail. There are two records of mountain lions in Massachusetts thatmeet the evidence requirements. We contacted the Somerset County Park department who assured us that there are no mountain lions in their parks. Very interesting piece. 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. 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. This program continued in Arizona until roughly fifty years ago. Well, as luck would have it, my co worker took this very nice pic of a mature female mountain lion last week just south of Uniontown Pa. Other people say they have seen these beautiful cats and have also caught them, in the past, on camera in the woods. It walked into the tree line and disappeared. But I know what I saw. People even report House Cats as mountain lions in a surprising number of cases. These areas are heavily wooded reserves owned by Morris County and the State of New Jersey. How can a diminutive pigeon ever look like a majestic bald eagle? Read more about the status of Mountain Lions in Alabama here. If you need assistance, please contact the Division of Fisheries and Wildlife. 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. The MLRT has confirmed fewer than 100 cases. 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. An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the e-mail address listed on your account. Then he realized from the length of its tail and the shape of its body that it was a mountain lion. l never heard from the State. Most of Graham County is outside of designated active management areas for mountain lions. Please let us know how we can improve this page. Youd think that with the distinctive white head and tail of adult eagles no one could foul up on it, but Therres says, We receive reports of bald eagles that turn out to be ospreys, hawks, black-backed gulls and even pigeons.. After reading your article I'm not so sure, maybe she really did see them. I am sincerely amazed at the number of emails I continue to receive about mountain lion or cougar sightings in New Jersey. In my moment of "fear" - I called the non-emergent police number They sent an officer out and we told him what we had seen. It was bloody and the hair was a mess around its head. -Only California bans regulated harvest of mountain lions, with all other states maintaining regulated hunting seasons for this species. Already a subscriber to OutdoorNews.com? Unconfirmed sightings of mountain lions and panthers do persist in Maryland, according to the state Department of Natural Resources website. This map shows the various zones where mountain lions are hunted statewide, as determined by the Arizona Fish and Game Department. "These animals have usually been misidentified because they were seen under poor conditions or by someone not familiar with the species," the post goes on to say. I live in Holland Township NJ. From JK:I had a mountain lion bounding across Weldon Road Jefferson Township Morris County about 75 yards in front of me. However, deer in the park are normally about 100 lbs. Weight. ), 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. Saw one in Warren County in 2007 & 2008 while camping. It was about 4 feet tall and just walked slowly crossing the highway. McCarter sent a sample to Dr. George Amato of the Wildlife Conservation Society in New York and Dr. Melanie Culver of the University of Maryland. Mountain lions dont usually travel more than 100 miles from where they are born. 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. Please limit your input to 500 characters. My husband also sighted one while driving to go hunting many years ago in Wawayanda State Park. Citizen reported a mountain lion jumped through a fence and sent in hairs suspected to be from the lion. Genetic analyses confirmed the hair was from a male mountain lion and the propbable population of origin was Colorado. A debate ensued over whether the animal was a rare and incredible sighting of a cougar (either an extinct eastern cougar or western cougar that traveled a great distance outside of their known range) or just a large domestic house cat that appeared larger than it was due to the weather conditions and perspective. About 16 years ago I saw one plodding along Canal Road in Vernon, in broad daylight while I was looking out my kitchen sink window. Despite this fact, Massachusetts residents continue to report mountain lion sightings. The report stated that a woman spotted a mountain lion in Greenbelt. Officers will patrol the neighborhood Friday. (WJZ) --A reported mountain lion sightingin a Prince George's County park turned out to be a coyote. I had made calls to many different agencies and either I was told I was wrong or no one would return my calls. There is also a small population in southern Florida. We both stopped. I then said to my friend, oh wow he said what did you see I said no you tell me, he then described that he saw a big brown animal with a little face and a big tail in a different color brown than the deer, I then told him I saw it as well and it was a cougar he thought I was crazy for saying that and then I showed him an article where someone had just seen it at Burnham Park in Morristown a week or so before that was only a few miles away. In March 2011, DCR forester Steve Ward photographed a track trail in the snow near the Gate 8 boat launch area of Quabbin Reservoir. Not valid with other promotions. None of the rumors are true. Copyright 2014 The Washington Times, LLC. Of course, everyone thinks Im crazy because they dont want to believe it. That story prompted others to reach out to me about their sightings. Receive the digital, interactive PDF of the newspaper in your inbox. Today, mountain lions are found in the mountainous regions of the West. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Although they're not often seen walking. MassWildlife cannot investigate or confirm mountain lion reports without any evidence. Search for cougars continues in Pennsylvania. From TM:Hey Joe. Copyright 2023Outdoor News. Arizona mountain lion tags are available over-the-counter or can be purchased by mail for $15 to Arizona locals. Pitch-black out and all I could hear was a long slow deep growling that sounded like nothing Id ever heard except once before 3 years ago. . Open MF, 8 a.m.4 p.m. (closed noon12:30 for lunch). 23 in West Milford NJ about 50 yards from the highway a huge cat ran across the trail in front of me maybe 25 feet from my front tire. Again, there was no doubt as to what it was. It was heading northeast toward Peapack, NJ. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. And, if. Case 2 From DS:I also spotted a mountain lion on Almonesson Rd Deptford NJ about 1 am. (DS says her sighting was from earlier this summer.). Our eyes locked and we were both motionless. The friend showed the photograph to a Baltimore County animal control officer and asked him to identify the animal. 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. Turkey vultures return to Ohio a sure harbinger of the coming spring? I have seen a lion twice in Sussex County. The bobcat is the only resident "big cat" with. In Zone J, area 24A, which is close to the border of Graham and Gila counties, a 2-year-old lion, a 3-year-old lion and one of indeterminate age were killed in 2021. 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. There are, after all, wild mountain lions not zoo specimens in Florida. Cars do not kill or injure cougars crossing roads. "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 . There is no indication of population decline, the department said. It was about 6 or 7 years ago. It was ENORMOUS! It turned and saw us. I thought I was nuts for thinking it was a mountain lion, but now not so much. The main habitat requirement for mountain lions is stalking cover to successfully hunt prey. There are always rumors about what state fish and wildlife agencies in the eastern United States know about mountain lions. I heard a lot of animal screaming and it seemed to be getting closer to my property. I had to slam on the brakes so as not to hit it. And yes I believe these other stories. The buzzards returned in late February, and Steve Pollick says you can mark your calendar by these scavengers exploits. "It was so unusual," she says. State workers have confirmed sightings of about 100 mountain lions also known as pumas, panthers, catamounts and cougars since 1994, when the Department of Conservation started tracking. "They never left," Mr. Lutz argues. For the smooth consistently colored short hair l came up with a greyish tint to a deers summer color. A lock icon ( He tells the story of a friend who managed to snap a picture of a cougar prowling in his backyard in Phoenix. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. A .mass.gov website belongs to an official government organization in Massachusetts. 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. To me, it was not a dog and then carry itself like a dog. Night-time trail camera photos indicate one or possibly two mountain lions are still using neighborhoods near the river corridor in McCall. It scowled and flipped its long just before it leaped down the bank towards the fawns. Mistaken reports of mountain lions in Massachusetts are most commonly Bobcats. If you are already an OutdoorNews.com subscriber, you can log in here. 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. I guess they werent willing to admit it but my son and I knew what we saw. var today = new Date() Because you will never go out of your house at night. Cougars (Puma concolor) are a large cat that goes by many names: panther, catamount, puma, and mountain lion, just to name a few of their over forty common English names.They were once a common predator in Pennsylvania until a combination of range-wide habitat loss, prey loss (mainly white-tailed deer and elk), and predator eradication programs in the 1800s drove them to extinction in the . I have seen it more than once. In Maryland, what inquiring minds want to know is whether big cats are prowling suburbia. 24K views 4 years ago #cougar #mountainlion #maryland On May 31, 2018 an interesting video of an animal walking across a field was captured in the Fallston area of Harford County, Maryland. $1 per month for 6 months (you will be billed $6) and then your subscription will renew at standard subscription rates. All rights reserved. In April 1997, experienced tracker John McCarter found scat near a beaver carcass at the Quabbin Reservation. Offer valid thru 3/31/23. 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. ". 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. MONTEREY There are no photos. Over a period of a year and a half, this mountain lion left DNA evidence in at least four states. This is especially true of western Maryland. Trump plans to abolish U.S. Education Department if elected, Trump won't commit to the Republican National Committee's loyalty pledge, New Jersey woman blows up house, killing herself and her cats, rather than comply with eviction, Nancy Pelosi criticizes Joe Biden admin over handling of D.C. crime bill, Trump promises GOP will never again be led by 'freaks, neocons, globalists, open borders zealots', Copyright 2023 The Washington Times, LLC I was told to call animal control. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. Click here to login. Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia local news, events and information. 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. Now man is encroaching into more remote parts of the state, forcing the cougars out of their hiding places, Mr. Lutz says. 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. My cousin and her boyfriend, who own 40 acres in Mansfield Twp NJ saw one on their property as well. contact the Division of Fisheries and Wildlife. One other gentleman and I almost 10 years ago saw a mountain lion on our worksite in Clinton NJ. From PD: Read your article about mountain lions in NJ. "It was sitting there looking at the smoke coming out of our chimney.". Your e-mail address will be used to confirm your account. A mountain lion reportedly showed up last week in a section of the Fernwood State Forest in eastern Ohio not far from Steubenville. There are only quick sightings around town of the large cat known as the mountain lion. The mountain lion was about 50 yards to the left of my house and was walking up the side of the mountain. It was at the edge of the woods and it looked like it was just after a kill. I could not believe my eyes! People say that when they closed it down some of the animals were released into the woods around here. Its a one-lane road off of Riva Avenue near Farrington Lake. It is difficult to know if someone saw a mountain lion without any tangible evidence. We were traveling south on 23 right by Canistear road in West Milford. From D:My wife came home a couple of years ago and told me she saw two cougars crossing Range Road, a joint jurisdiction road between Fort Dix and Browns Mills, NJ, I told her they must have been something else. "I couldn't believe my eyes. California has one of the largest mountain lion populations in the country. Standing in profile on top of the mound was a mountain lion. If you would like to continue helping us improve Mass.gov, join our user panel to test new features for the site. PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY, Md. That story prompted a number of folks to write about their encounters. Your purchase was successful, and you are now logged in. They told me they would investigate and let me know, but I never received a callback. They definitely are here! Mountain lion sighting reported in Worcester County. 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. In windy or mountainous areas, Elbroch says air horns are great tools to throw off a cat's focus and deter them from . Maryland - There have been many sightings of mountain lions and a lot of debate about the existence of mountain lions in Maryland. AZGFD sold 11,851 tags in 2021; 260 mountain lions were killed, 17 of those as the result of livestock depredations. Mountain Lion Sighting. from afar it looked like silk black fur. 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. It was at least four feet long and had a tail just as long. We will use this information to improve this page. I knew it wasn't a dog - and it wasn't a bobcat. Two years ago I was fishing the Wanaque reservoir and came across tracks I had never seen before. -Mountain lions are classified as big game. Reported Mountain Lion In Maryland Park Actually A Coyote , Mountain Lion Population (In Each U.S. State) Wildlife , Whiting Ranch remains closed with near-daily mountain lion , Video Evidence of a Cougar or Mountain Lion in Fallston , Confirmed Mountain Lion Reports | Missouri Department of , Mountain lions in little old Maryland? 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. For more information see Terms and Conditions. Another woman said she was walking her dog in McLean Gardens at the edge of Glover Park when she spotted the large cat last week. 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 Today, their range stretches from the Yukon Territory in Canada along the western coast of the United States, all the way to the Southern Andes in Chile. Please remove any contact information or personal data from your feedback. var year = today.getFullYear() 3600 New York Avenue NE, Washington, DC 20002. The USDA's Forest Service Wildlife Genetics Laboratory found that the animal came from South Dakota. The next thing we see is this cat. May 2015: Laclede All other reports of mountain lions in Massachusetts have turned out to be other animals.