We recently received an email and attached picture of what the author stated was a mountain lion, recently killed near Harrisburg off the AT, by a coyote hunter. The mountain lion was disconcertingly large (a small mountain lion is disconcerting enough)–anyway, i wondered how valid this was, and if anyone had heard or seen anything about this recently. Thanks.
gumball
Hi Gumball
Don’t know about your case in particular, but: There are mountain lions in small numbers in the northeast, from Pennsylvannia to Maine. They’re thought to be strays, escapes, and releases. The two wild captures currently at the Maine Fish and Game rehab center in Gray, Maine (great place, well worth a visit) are believed to “pets” that were released when they outgrew their owners.
TJ
TJ aka Teej
I saw cougar tracks while hiking on the Mau-Har trail near Chimney Rock, near Tyre VA last month
Kyle
Teej is correct in that there are no remaining wild Mt lions in the northeast. Since I was a kid many years ago there have been rumors of large cats in the woods of the northeast but in all that time not one has been caught on film or otherwise. All instances of tracks that I know of have been misidentification of other tracks. Not even any scat has been identified. There is the same chance of aliens in Roswell NM as Mt lions in the northeast.
Big B
I don’t know about mountain lions, but there are definitely bobcats in the northeast. We saw one on the AT in Beartown State Forest.
:cheers
Harry Dolphin
it’s very possible Big B that i misidentifed these tracks, but there were others who identified them as well–they were about fist-size–i suppose they could have been a bobcat–i’m no tracker.
Kyle
Several years back, Florida wildlife released a number of Mountain Lions (Texas Cougars) in North Florida to see if the Florida Panther could be re-introduced in that area. All of theses cats had collars so they could be tracked. Within a week, one of the males was in North GA and had to be re-captured and returned to FL. These animals will travel great distances over a short period of time and it is possible that migrants have been spotted. Many people don’t realize that there are actually panthers/lions in Florida and, although endangered, they are sustaining. I tend to agree with the escaped pet theorist though.
Weed Killer
I stand corrected. I just read an article in Fur, Fish, and Game magazine on this subject. There was one confirmed scat pile identified by DNA as being an eastern cougar which would make the possibility of it being an escapee (which are mostly southwest cougars) highly unlikely. This scat and some fresh kill was found in western Mass a few years ago. After much searching the animal was never seen and no further signs have been discovered. The Florida panther has been reported in the southeast as far as northern Georgia. And the Western Mt Lion has been seen east of the Mississippi in Indiana. I guess I have to go to Roswell to check that out now.
Big B
They haven’t put me under hypnosis yet to verify what I thought I saw, but I would swear that I ran across a small cougar about 4 miles south of Harpers Ferry in October 2001. I was walking NOBO and saw an large-ish animal 30-40 yards ahead next to the trail. Without thinking, I clapped my hands and it turned to me and scampered away with a feline grace that I didn’t expect. After my initial shock, I cursed myself for not stopping to observe first, and then I got to thinking that perhaps I should be moving on to avoid any unpleasantness. All I know is that it wasn’t a dog, bobcat, fox, deer or anything else I can think of except some sort of cat.
Kerosene
I am a member of a SAR (Search and Rescue)group with a few members in VA. We get a lot of calls and reports of mountain lions in the northeast and VA. On identifying a mountain lion track, they are very distingishable from bobcat tracks as they are much larger, about the size of a mans hand. Larger for larger cats. A bobcat track will be smaller than a German shephard track. I had arun in with a mountain lion in Southeast Oklahoma a day after a forest ranger told me there were no mountain lions left there. I had great pictures taken of the cat before he bounded off into the woods. The ranger was shocked with the pictures but it did change his attitude. Need to remember that these animals lived all over the country and there is still a lot of open country out there for them to survive. But these animals will more than likely run from you so I wouldn’t make it a concern. The main concern I have is with the theiving mice in the shelters taking a dump in my shoes while I am a sleep. And by the way there is aliens in Roswell. They are hung on the light poles in Downtown. LOL:nerd
Spacewalker
While leaving town in 2000, I ran across a local who started telling me there were Mountain Lions in the hills. Our paths crossed, and when he saw my pack, his eyes got real wide and he started to tell me (warn me) that there were Mountain Lions in and around Shenandoah National Park. He didn’t seem to think I believed him, but apparently HE felt better for warning me. It was a pretty unusual encounter. Strange enough that I still remember it.
Just north of Shenandoah, at the first shelter north of the park, a bunch of us were sittin around laughin and tellin jokes when a Bobcat screamed a few hundred yards from the shelter. It kind of stopped us all in mi sentance. It was great.
Little Bear
Little Bear, I have learned from my experience that it is good to take the advice of locals but when they become incesstant I usually back away. When I worked at the Dallas Zoo in the Reptile dept. I would go to Arkansas to visit my aunt and to hike the Ozark Highlands trail. They would always be incesstant that the place was crawiling with rattle snakes and that I would get bit. Forgetting that I was experienced with Reptiles I would just tell them, " That is the idea". I will shut up now and try to stay on topic.:boy
Spacewalker
My last encounter with a mountain lion was in the Davis mountains in West Texas in 92. Sleeping out on the screened in porch with the door opened, DUHH, was wakened by a low purr sound. I looked out towards the door and there was a mountain lion laying on the ground with his head over the door entrance. Yes, I was frightened as he was only 8 feet away but he opened his eyes then walked away. I related the incident to my friend who owns the cabin and he told me of a family of lions that lived below the canyon and would often wander up at night but they never bothered anybody. Though a Bobcat screem can be startling at times especially when it is close by I bet, little Bear, It is an experience you will never forget. :eek:
Spacewalker