In October & November of 2007, my dogs got to barking. Well we finally made it out of there. I think the nuts are attracting game, and a lion is preying. It was about 18+ inches tall at shoulder, about 24 inches from hip to neck. From a wildlife biology perspective, though, its going to take more than a storyno matter how convincing it may beto determine whether these cats are there and where theyre coming from. My son and I definitely saw a mountain lion today while I was taking him back to college this morning on I-81 near Buckhannon in Virginia near the Blue Ridge Parkway exit; unfortunately, it had been killed by a car before we saw it. We have a pool int he yard and are outside all the time. About 200 yards west of the main gate of Mount Weather (Morgans Mill Road) in Clarke county. I saw more recently something very large and stocky going into the tall grass, only saw the back end of it and that was at least 3 feet long with a long tail. I felt bad because I told them what had happened before I could see them and didnt knwo they were so young. They came out and investigated. The video appeared only weeks after the first ever sighting confirmed by the TWRA since its founding in 1974, when a trail cam in Obion County snapped a photo of what biologists suspected was a young male cougar. But she knew what one of those looked like, said it wasnt and added that it had a long tail. Cougars used to roam the entirety of North America, making the mountain ranges, woodland forests, and river corridors from coast to coast their homes. they may have migrated there by way of fractured habitat that has forced them into the area due to encroachment. Blue Ridge Outdoors is your guide to fly fishing, the Appalachian Trail, biking, travel, and more in the Blue Ridge and beyond. I've seen them quite often. Sorry I dont have anymore details other than location but I didnt see it myself! It is being held at the Discovery Center at SML State Park from 3:00 - 4:00 p.m. on March 31st. So yes, there are mountain lions in the Blue Ridge. It then stopped in the road and turned to look at me. Rabbits everywhere. I told him I had no doubt that he had seen a mountain lion. Sadly, these animals were killed because they were viewed as a threat to humans and livestock. I was taking my wife to work eraly Thursday about 4 am..We had just passed the airport on 58 east in Danville, Va. To the right side shoulder of the road there stood some type of cat. One of her biggest concerns about the recent declaration of extinction is that any cats in the area (whether western migrants or otherwise) and their habitats wouldnt be protected. In a Facebook post, the Madison County and Warren . Source: US Fish and Wildlife Service, Eastern Cougar Recovery Plan, morphological differences identified from museum specimens was used to classify over 30 subspecies of the Eastern Cougar, before DNA analysis was available It was last June that my husband and brother in law were traveling on rt 66 where it goes into rt 81 (somewhere between Front Royal and Strasburg) and saw a cougar dead on the side of the highway! As my friends wife was leaving, she looked out the window and said that saw what she thought to be dear. The deer seemed to jump into some brush to the side of the path and the paw print seemed to be following. They were last seen in 1882 and have since been killed off. Ive seen a few cougars in the wild, I dont believe the black phase has ever been confirmed in any mountain lion/cougar/catamount/puma. I can definetely say that there are mountain lions in Shenandoah National Park. I was like baby look at that big ole cat! They initially didnt want to admit that I saw one, and they were calling it a UFOan unidentified furry object. Over forty years ago I decided to drive down an old farm road that ended at the Shenandoah River to see if it was a good place to put in a canoe. The range of a Mountain Lion may cover 25 to 785 square miles. (#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. Even with all these numerous sightings they still dug their heels in, and that was pretty frustrating, she said of the officials at agencies like the U.S. there could have been a population in the region that have now been able to only find refuge in that area due to encroachment of housing, etc. But I never CLEARLY & TRULY actually encountered one until a few weeks ago! Everyone in the car was amazed at what we saw, and have since gone back hoping to see it again. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. In the 1940s and 1950s, people were paid bounties for mountain lions, according to Jim Williams, regional director for the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks and author of "Path of the Puma." As the summer progressed she got a couple glances at the animal but still no proof. 421, I watched a black cat come from under a concrete bridge and jump into the woods when it saw me. Kentucky and N. Carolina. Thursday, April 21, 2005. To learn more about "lion country" in Colorado check here. . I quit taking my solo walks in the woods after that!!!!!Leen. Ancestors of the cougar (also known as catamount, mountain lion, bobcat, puma, panther, painter, wildcat, and ghost cat) crossed into North America roughly 8 million years ago, and the species Puma concolor evolved around 400,000 years ago. In recent years, sighting reports are becoming more and more common. We disturbed something that ran off into the woods. However, it is pretty well accepted that there are no cougars living in the east currently.. Most of the time we can find the original photo on the internet where it was taken out west or wherever. I just wonder if I have the same picture, & also if it is true. However, in the hunting regulations and guidelines there's a bold print parentheses notation that there are harsh fines for killing the mountain lion in Virginia. Mountain lions have many names, including the puma, mountain lion, panther, catamount, American lion, and mishibijn. This normal school was founded by veterans of both the Union and the Confederacy, Concord is named for the ideal of "harmony and sweet . Theyre around. While fishing the nearby native trout streams (most notably the Rapidan) in the surrounding mountains, I have not seen another. In fact, there have been 121 reports that are likely to have been true mountain lion sightings. For the first time in years, these cats are on the rebound and extending their range further into their historic regions. I have a 2 year old grandson and a small dog and cat. And shes not alone in that belief. It really burns me up to hear so called experts say that there are no mountain lions or even wolves for that matter in VA. About 10-12 years ago, there was a pretty severe drought, and I know I saw a wolf in the Woodlake area of Midlothian, but everyone said are you sure it wasnt a big dog? If you see a wolf, you know its not a dog. I know for a fact that Mountain Lions inhabit my area! Full grown, the bulls can weigh up to 700 pounds, so be sure to keep a respectful distance should you see one of these beautiful creatures! The mountain lion (Puma concolor) is sometimes called cougar, puma, catamount, and panther. Today I found large cat hair ball with grass and guts and hair in the area of the cat scratchins. Oh maybe some of the lazy hacks have finally retired., Another commenter speculated that the agency may have intentionally downplayed past sightings as they result in new study and staffing expenses.. I live in historic Jonesborough, TN. Our last trip we had a mountain lion stalk us outside our tent. SHE THEN TOLD HER SON THAT A BIG KITTY AS SHE CALLED IT WOULD COME AND EAT THE FOOD AND DRINK THE WATER SHE PUT OUT FOR HER DOBERMAN THAT HAD PASSED AWAY. I must have terrified them. After all, a three-year-old male lion was struck and killed by car in Connecticut in 2011. Last year I was outside with my lab and I heard that scream that sent my dog running frantically away and stopped me in my tracks. So this is good newsthe cat is back, surely. Having myself grown up in western North Carolina, in the Blue Ridge Mountains, I heard all the stories about the puma, or catamount, as it was called, hanging on in the most secret hollows of the realm. Scientists once classified over 30 subspecies of cougars based on morphological differences. I have neighbors that say they have seen them. The sad thing is people I know who say theyve seen mtn lions in Botetourt and/or Bedford County, especially raccoon hunters who say their dogs treed a lion, would never come out publicly with such a statement. It lived across the cove form us, and it would scream out at night sometimes, so loud that chills ran down our spines. I do believe that it's just mistaken identity.". Blood samples from the arrow revealed that the cat had originated in South Dakotaand that it was a female. Colby is a freelance writer from Charlotte, North Carolina. Motion-sensitive infrared cameras have been deployed near Appalachian Trail to try to determine whether cougars are back. The Florida panther is a subspecies of the eastern mountain lion that lives in the Everglades and pine forests of central Florida. The print is about 3 1/2 x 4 inches with 4 distinct toes no nails. Since 1970, 121 sightings have been identified as possible mountain lions, but have not been officially confirmed. WATCH: Sharks biting alligators, the most epic lion battles, and MUCH more. Someone is trying to instill fear about mountain lions on the loose in Virginia, though the Department of Game & Inland Fisheries says it's fake news. Mountain lions and yes black cats. Im of the opinion that there really never was a big difference between the eastern cats and whats in existence now, she said. It was standing next to a large hill in the median and looked at my car as I passed. Like I said we never saw the mother just the young cat but I would guess it was somewhere between midway and three quarters fully grown. The U.S. HAS ANYONE ELSE HEARD OF ANYTHING LIKE THIS. Species number one is the bobcat, and species number two is the Mountain lion. I WAS WONDERING IF THERE HAVE BEEN ANY SIGHTINGS OF A COUGAR OR OTHER LARGE FELINE IN THIS AREA. There are still two other sub . I couldnt find any paw prints. If you have any similiar stories let me know please. Its actually kind of scary if you think about it. The DGIF is adamant though that the species is not found in the Commonwealth, although it is possible the western subspecies could be moving east. I think there is a reason for that, and the most likely reason IMO is that the animals people are seeing are not mountain lions. Not many I bet, and there are thousands of those out there. Mountain lions in Nebraska are a division of the larger population spread through all western U.S. states, and predators move unobstructedly among Nebraska and neighboring U.S. states, especially South Dakota and Wyoming. All the territories are basically taken up so they have to go somewhere else, and somewhere else happens to be the Midwest.. Thanks for any help, as plenty claim they are here also. Some states, like Arizona and South Dakota, have an open season all year round. In his more than 30 years working for DGIF, he's only been called out for one mountain lion sighting in the area. Because of how they hunt, they need to basically be able to hide and creep up on their prey. It was such a chilling sound at 1:30 in the morning. I have chickens, belgian mules (not worried about them) and a herd of miniature donkeys but Im far more concerned about marauding bears than a mountain lion. We then came upon a very recent deer kill within 20 yards of the sighting. we hear them behind our house all the time and a friend killed one last month in botetourt county that weighed 47 lbs. The cat was black with a tail nearly as long as its body. I think its all the same.. Myself and many others in the state have trail cams all over the place. Last year I saw a very large cat print left in the snow. It was approx 3 ft high (estimation). "I think some people they start out as a joke between friends, then it gets circulated andit just snowballs from there and can't be stopped," he said. So, i think that there are sightings that no one ever hears about. The 1982 Eastern Cougar Recovery Plan defined the establishment of one population containing at least 50 breeding adults as the threshold for moving the Eastern Cougar from "endangered" to just "threatened." I am concerned since that pond is a source of water for my horse. My husband and I just saw a cougar (mountain lion) while having coffee on our back deck. The Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources claims that they havent been in the region since 1882. Further north, you can find mountain lions in . So many, in fact, that they've been listed by the Guinness Book of World Records as the mammal with the most names. Then came upon a very recent deer kill within 20 yards of path! 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No one ever hears about we can find mountain lions, but have not seen another 785 square..

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