The PGC has no plans to reintroduce mountain lions or any other big predator into the state, Hardisky said. 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. Mentored hunters, ages 12 and older, may participate in the program for a maximum of three license years. In the wild, they live 8-13 years, but in captivity they can live into their 20s. I am bothered by the constricted neck of the cat on the game camera; 2. the tail is curved down, rather than up, but it may have been in mid-swing; 3. the goldenrod-appearing flower, and the background of cars, gives a sense of scale and location. Fearing the worst, I called 911. An animal's coat can stray far from the norm. How do I report my bobcat or fisher harvest(s)? Additional information can be found on the Hunter-Trapper Education page. Feeding also promotes the spread of infectious diseases by having them unnaturally congregate into small areas. Why are prescribed fires good? I receive about one email or phone call a month, on average, from people that I do not know who are contacting me because their sighting compelled them to do a Google search on puma sightings, and they found my site and previously posted questions. Not only do hunting licenses support the various state game commissions, and in some states the acquisition and maintenance of public hunting lands, but hunters are a huge boon to local economies each fall, with purchases of food, lodging, hunting equipment, etc. 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. Where reports dating that far back from escapees? In July and August I received seven different reports, and everyone involved had done a search of some type to compare images of bobcats and pumas. The Game Commission primarily burns to benefit wildlife and maintain the long-term health of their habitats. The wild turkey feeds primarily on acorns, waste grain, insects and grasses, which are unlikely to be depleted at the same time. This information is crucial to the successful management of migratory birds. This would show how tall said cat was, compared to both me and the tape measure I am holding. How do I report a banded waterfowl harvest? Many of the reports I receive are extremely credible. If I go by the huge tracks I found three years ago, Im convinced that there are. Fish and wildlife service declared the eastern cougar, other than the Florida panther, extinct in 2011. What happens on the day of the burn? Follow Kristin & PhillyVoice on Twitter: @kristin_hunt Hunters I've spoken with said they've been told you can't kill a puma, which they felt was ironic since the same official told them pumas don't exist in Pa. A mentored hunter can only hunt deer, turkey, squirrel, rabbit, hare, ruffed grouse, bobwhite quail, pheasant, crow, dove, porcupine, woodchuck and coyote in any of their respective seasons, and must follow daily and season bag limits for each species, (one antlered deer, one fall turkey and one bearded turkey in the spring, per license year). The most common areas to see mountain lions in Arizona are in places of rocky and mountainous terrain. For the latest information about COVID-19 in Pennsylvania, please visit the Pennsylvania Department of Healths website at www.health.pa.gov. If you purchase a snow goose conservation permit, you must submit a snow goose harvest online at HuntFishPA, even if you were not successful. The agency is represented statewide and has field staff managed out of six region offices: Northwest, Southwest, Northcentral, Southcentral, Northeast and Southeast. Thousands of deer. Learn more about Pennsylvania elk. Melanism is the reverse, where there is an abundance of dark or black pigmentation. With a decline in turkey population, why not eliminate the second Spring Gobbler tag? Most of my original Questions of the Month for the last several I don't want to seem like a nut case here, but I must ask this question and you'll soon understand why? 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. On a recent stifling morning in Adams County, the 290-pound mountain lion with perfect bone structure is ignoring the raw chicken breast and pork chops a handler tossed into his pen. It probably wasnt; it was more likely 1-3 feet away, in which case my estimates will need to be scaled up a bit. They were the size of small ponies, I kid you not, and had to be either mule deer or a small group of female elk. Hunters Sharing the Harvest is Pennsylvanias venison donation program that coordinates the distribution of donated venison to a statewide network of meat processors and food banks. 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 image in the Upper Left was from a Game Camera, sent to me by a friend. What is the Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners? I can't dismiss the eye-witnesses I've interviewed. 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. Proudly founded in 1681 as a place of tolerance and freedom. I have three observations here: 1. Migratory game bird hunters are encouraged to report banded ducks, geese, doves and woodcock they harvest online at www.reportband.gov. I'm also a big believer in lifelong learning- there's always something new to learn! What is Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD)? Are Pennsylvanians OK with these changes? Fibromas are restricted to the skin of deer and do not spread to internal organs. All told, they could eliminate 708,600 collisions and $2.13 billion in damages over 30 years. Removal of other items is strictly prohibited. In addition, hens are less prone to abandon their nests if disturbed after incubation is underway. 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. A bobcat gives you a warm, that-kind-of-looks-like-my-cat-but-slightly-bigger feeling. Are eLicenses a permitted substitute for hunters to carry in the field? A Rural Legend -- The Search For Pennsylvania Mountain Lions | Penn State University A recent rumor of a cougar killed by a vehicle on Interstate 80 attracted some attention at Penn State. First, when a deer is transported, either by dragging it out of the woods or transferring it to a vehicle, sometimes the tag is lost. Are there Mountain Lions (Pumas, Cougars) in Pennsylvania and the Mid-Atlantic States? WPRAs are selected based on potential pheasant habitat available. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. About six months ago I posted the question, Are there Mountain Lions in Pennsylvania? Obviously, other pumas must be about, and the series of ridges extending north and east and west from my location could all be included as critical habitat as well. Yes. Who knows? A Hunting &Trapping Digest will be included with your license/permit purchase at no additional cost. What's more, the U.S. The lowered bag limit should allow AP Canada goose populations to rebound. 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. However, the loss of nesting brood cover for turkeys and their young may cause turkeys to be more vulnerable to predation during nesting season. Those buying licenses from an issuing agent will be issued harvest tags at the time of purchase and will have the opportunity to have digital licenses provided through email. Click here to learn more about our agency and its history. No wild cougars have been found in Pennsylvania since their extirpation in 1871. WPRAs are established through partnerships between the Game Commission and Pheasants Forever Chapters or other conservation groups. How do I report suspected wildlife crimes? Exact dates for reporting vary annually, but are generally January through May. 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. They cover large areas of the state; in fact, many counties only have one game warden assigned. I've seen about 20 mountain lions, or pumas, in the field, but all but 2 were in Chile. 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? Where are managed dove fields located on state games lands? Pennsylvania is home to the largest wild elk herd in the northeastern United States. Cougar Signs Experts such as Debra Chase, CEO of the Mountain Lion Foundation, say that cougars are mostly afraid of humans and dont see us as potential prey. Possibly, but it seems unlikely that enough would have been released or had escaped to make for a viable population. I measured them and they were a solid 4+ inches across. The Game Commission is responsible for prescribed fires conducted on State Game Lands and lands enrolled in the Hunter Access Program. 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. Large numbers of hens in the woods can mean lots of hung-up gobblers in the spring, but an abundance of female turkeys only helps gobbler populations. Check out the Elk Viewing Guide and Elk Scenic Drive Map from the Pennsylvania Great Outdoors Visitors Bureau. However, bear are present all across the state. Very, very rarely, when I ask someone who would be a likely candidate (a hunter, someone who owns a camp in the deep woods, travels likely routes often, foresters), 'Have you ever seen a mountain lion?' How many state game lands are in Pennsylvania and how many acres do they span? There is plenty that we don't know, though. Animals infected with CWD may not show signs of infection for 12 or more months. A new late season bull hunt was added this license year and 20 additional bull licenses are available. Are the Latest Fast CF Cards worth the Expense? Although mourning doves are considered a migratory game bird species, many of the doves we have in Pennsylvania reside here throughout the winter and provide an excellent opportunity late into the season. Why must I tag my harvested deer in the ear and not on the antlers? How do I purchase a license or report a harvest in HuntFishPA? He's a hunter, a woodsman, and he's seen a lot of game, so I can believe he saw a back-lighted puma. Delivery: Estimated between Sat, Mar 4 and Wed, Mar 8 to 98837. 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. We have a google map of unconfirmed public reports, pictures, videos, and historical. Learn more about elk history in Pennsylvania. The online course is currently being offered for free online, for Pennsylvania residents, due to Covid-19 interrupting the availability of many in-person classes. Consider that the endangered Florida puma has mixed genes. Eating African lion meat is unusual around the worldincluding on the predators home continent, where the meat is not considered palatable, Hunter said. There have been no "confirmed" reports of mountain lions, AKA Puma concolor, in Pennsylvania since the late 1800s. Located in: Fogelsville, Pennsylvania, United States. The State Museum of Pennsylvania, in Harrisburg, displays a taxidermy mount of a mountain lion in glass case, with the notation, "This lion, found near Hawk Mountain in Berks County around 1871, is the last native mountain lion known to have been shot in Pennsylvania.". Where can I see the Game Commissions CWD surveillance results? Had this been faked, I'd suspect the hoaxter would try for a more authentic background. 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