Thanks. Hmmmm. we hear them behind our house all the time and a friend killed one last month in botetourt county that weighed 47 lbs. Rockingham Co., va For information call SML State Park, 540-297-6066. I recently sent a comment asking if anyone has seen a wolf in Virginia. In Wyoming, the season runs from Sept. 1 to Aug. 31, but in Utah, the season runs from Nov. 9 to March 31. Many of which are kept illegally. Only the cubs have spots and stripes, though adults can have bold black accents on the face/ears. Beowolf the key to your sighting is the tail . The cougar (Puma concolor), also known as mountain lion, panther, painter, puma, and catamount, is the largest feline animal in North America.. I opened the door and told my husband to hurry up and come outside. By 2011, U.S. Look at his PAWS!. Well deal with a lot of the same stuff thats related to bears in Virginia. The mountain lion (Puma concolor) is sometimes called cougar, puma, catamount, and panther. I aimed my light in the direction and it was a huge cat halfway up the tree staring at me. We searched for bones, but we had waited too long and could not find anything. I saw them 11 times within 3 weeks. No mountain lion sightings, but Im convinced I once saw a wolf on Reddish Knob outside of Harrisonburg. Note: this article expired, but a lot of people want to comment on this thread, so I kept it active, and updated it for quite a while. Though they are pushing steadily eastward from the Rockies. I live in Chilesburg, Caroline county. Although the eastern cougar is extinct, there are still sightings of these cats across the state. It seems common knowledge of all the cats that roam the mountains along the Potomac River in West Virginia. Myself and many others in the state have trail cams all over the place. I expect they will confirm puma presence. Well, then we know theres a cougar there, Peterson said simply. 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. Scientists once classified over 30 subspecies of cougars based on morphological differences. lions do not inhabit the Virginia mountains. There have been some hunters around who swear there are mt lions in bedford county. ", "These cats are moving east looking for new territory," Renee O'brien posted on Facebook. I have a call into the animal control (only to find out if there were others who reported it) and hope to hear back from them tomorrow. About 6 years ago my husband and I saw a mountain lion cross directly in front of us on Bobbletts Gap Rd, in Bedford County. All these so-called sightings yet no evidence of a breeding population, despite all the research done by biologists and the states? Cougars prowled nearly all of the United States below Canada, and all of Virginia from mountain . Yes, most sightings, if not all of them have to be taken on 100% trust in the person who has it. Here's What, Mountain Lion Size Comparison: How Do They, This Fearless Cougar Doesnt Care How Much Larger the Brown Bear Is and Goes for It, Watch This Family Discover a Mountain Lion Curled Up On Their Porch. cat ran across the road in front of our truck. Fish & Wildlife Resource declared the eastern cougar extinct, LaRue said. It stoped for a moment and watched us and then moved on through the woods. Something ran across the road in front of my car at a high rate of speed. Bobcats, yellow labs, and feral house cats are all common culprits for mountain lion mis . I HAVE HEARD OF AN OLD WOMAN THAT HAD A DOBERMAN THAT STAYED ON HER BACK PORCH NEAR ROCKINGHAM CO NC. I was leaning against a tree w/my parka hood blocking the wind, when I saw a grown cougar walking straight toward me. So they say Mt. I have seen big bobcats but never a cougar. Remember this post from February 28, 2005. Fish and Wildlife Service removed eastern subspecies of cougars from the endangered species list last year and declared them extinct. The web site has emails for officers and members to communicate with along with membership applications and links to a whole world of information on cougars. The U.S. Why do they believe it now? I was looking out our 2nd story window yesterday evening when a very large cat looking animal came out of a thicket behind the house to get a drink in the pond. 29 and crossed the highway. Mine me, Im not calling him a lier, but it does happen. It stood about 3 feet tall, and had a rounded face with low-set ears. There is an abundent population of squirl, deer and turkey. Even though the WV DNR says there are no wild mountain lions in the state, there are some held in captivity at the West Virginia Wildlife Center in French Creek.. Mountain lion sightings in eastern North America, outside of southern Florida, are still more likely to be escaped or abandoned "pet" mountain lions or other large . It's practically unheard of! I am wondering if there is anyone who is tracking these sightings and wants to know moreIt was clearly a cougar. I just want to confirm that, yes, theyre back and I hope they stay around! I had my food hanging ten feet in the air so i thought it was a bear. They could be making a similiar mistake about the cougar sightings. Although this is great, there are a few things to consider. The wind chill was absolutely tremendous in the portal and the -20 outside felt balmy in comparison. They had their minds set and there was nothing that was going to change their minds. Could it have been one of those? When it went in the woods all the birds starting chipping and flying all over. http://www.easterncougar.org/ Ben Shrader Bedford, Virginia. This had Caroline County, on the bottom of the screen. I have a friend who claims to have had one cross the Parkway in front of him near the Peaks of Otter earlier this year. HARRISONBURG, Va. (WHSV) - Its a simple question with very different answers depending on who you ask. Each sighting involved cougars that are not native to New York. They produced over 20 kittens, expanding the gene pool successfully.5, the Eastern Cougar is prefers a habitat with trees He was a founder of the Greater Yellowstone Coalition. The range of a Mountain Lion may cover 25 to 785 square miles. I saw one questionable critter a few years ago but I cant say 100% it was a lion. If they escape, who is to say that they will not do what is natural and find a mate? Figure 1 - Mountain lion range and confirmed sightings from 1990-2008. . Seems in these parts every snake they see is a copperhead (even the black with white belly ones). I was looking for a litle solitude so i ventured about a 1/4 mile off the trail and set up camp by a little stream. Upon her return she stopped by to tell us that theyd followed what was apparently an old or injured cougar! There are several reasons that government agencies dont want to admit to the presence of pumas in the area. "These two were seen and were causing trouble before the guy who owned them knew they were gone," Fies said. doubtful. "I thought, 'holy cow, where did that come from?'" He always said it sat there for just a moment and then slipped into the woods and was gone. Many mountain lions used to roam the West Virginia wilderness. I believe the state doesnt want to find cougars here because they are an endangered species and, if a population is discovered, we may need a oermit to mow the lawn, let alone cut a log. Needless to say, our guns were ready and we were as still as we could be. John, This is interesting as authorities keep saying the big black cats dont exist unless they are transplants or escaped pets, etc??? at the shoulder, that's nearly 3 ft. tall! However, once you start talking about black cats the credibility of the reports goes down signigiciantly. Where are they coming from? Source: US Fish and Wildlife Service, Eastern Cougar Recovery Plan (page 2), http://mountainlion.org/us/NC/-NC-history.asp, https://blog.wildlife.virginia.gov/outdoor-report/2016/03/the-myth-of-mountain-lions-in-virginia/, https://www.fws.gov/northeast/ecougar/pdf/Cougar_News_Bulletin_Final_1_18.pdf, https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2018/01/23/2018-01127/endangered-and-threatened-wildlife-and-plants-removing-the-eastern-puma-cougar-from-the-federal-list, https://www.fws.gov/refuge/florida_panther/wah/panther.html, https://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/29/opinion/the-cougar-behind-your-trash-can.html, https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.0030333, https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/mcvmagazine/issues/2015/sep-oct/cougars-in-minnesota.html, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Comission, Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries. But anyways, I just completely got off of the Mountain Lion subject. You can also count Randolph, Upshur, and Webster countys in W.VA. My dad, his dad, and myself can vouch for those three. Source: Public Domain Pictures, 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.1. To my suprise, twenty feet ahead of me a LARGE cat emerged from the grass. as for coyotes they are everywhere. This was a favorite subject of theirs. I saw a cougar take down a deer in Bedford County, Virginia a number of years ago. A huge buck jumo out in front of us right then so we assumed it had smelled cat or that the cubs mother was hunting. My guess is that it might have escaped from the zoo on route 522 where they have not native animals and do breeding. However, it is pretty well accepted that there are no cougars living in the east currently.. But the sound again didnt seem characterstic of a fox, it wasnt a barking or a yelping, it was a scream/cry. Today I found large cat hair ball with grass and guts and hair in the area of the cat scratchins. Sandra Gray. kind of beige, dark grey at tip of tail, white underbelly. Still, many sightings arent clear or even true, so being skeptical is still the best bet when it comes to sightings in Virginia. In that area the roads have never been paved. The Roanoke Times. Imagine what a difficult time the authorities would have had explaining that accident! 26 Sep 16. The cougar hesitated and then left the path. Anyone with info local to south central VA, email me at austinsandsons@verizon.net. Diana Marchibroda and her miniature schnauzer froze in their tracks when the mountain lion stepped out of the woods last May. The first is that many sightings during certain periods are the same cat. Interestingly, the does seem to have very new fawns (twins generally). I was almost back to sleep when it happened again and this time it was no house cat! I grew up in Lynchburg, VA. Since my reported sighting of a perhaps cougar several local farmers have told me of similiar beasts they have seen. He was a Western Watersheds Project Board Member off and on for many years, and was also its President for several years. They deny mt lions are here still. Sadly, mountain lions no longer live in Virginia. This video footage of a confirmed female lion was captured in November 2015 in Obion County, Tennessee. For conservationists, this is a huge step in the right direction. http://www.cougarnet.org, I LIVE NEAR PATRICK CO VA AND WORK NEAR ROCKINGHAM CO. NC. It is only a matter of time before the California picture in this blog post is sent back to us as proof of mountain lions in Virginia. (we have more of both in these parts of Virginia, lots more sheep and lots more coyotes.) Look up the story of Rocky the African serval- an escaped pet that roams Virginia to this day I believe. I work with someone who says that on his familys farm in Virginia (not sure exactly where, but can find out) he said there are wolves. THERE ARE MOUNTAIN LIONS IN VIRGINIA, I HAVE PROOF. If you have any copies of these Virginia cats, you should post them or at least the links. At first I thought it was human screams. In grad school I worked with a lot of the wildlife and natural resources folks at VT. Also 16-20 at the shoulder seems short for 120lbs. It is the timeline that is in dispute. 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. My dog and all the dogs in the neighborhood were going nuts. In fact, bobcats take down prey that weighs as much as 8 times their weight when the situation arises. Even if the Eastern Cougar and Florida Panther were considered members of the same subspecies, they would have still qualified for separate listings as distinct breeding populations. The Locavore Hunter. 12. I called the wild life biologist at the Game and Inland Fisheries to report the sighting and they basically blew it off and asked me if I wasnt sure that it wasnt a large house cat! However, according to growing reports, they are here. From a Biologists point of view, of COURSE cougars inhabit the Eastern United States..with all the sightings over the last 20 years, thats a given. They like rugged terrain with forest cover. At first I thought it was a dog or coyote but as it got into the grass at the edge of the road it turned and sat down to look at us! What is this. Thanks, Beowulf, I am looking for someone in the Frederick county/Clarke county area to confirm a track/print I took a picture of. The likelihood of seeing one is incredibly rare, let alone interacting with them, she said. Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. The folks living in those areas, at least in WV, mostly keep to themselves and most of those folks do not have computers. It was the first time I could see it clearly. 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. It would disappear and then reappear on the other side of us it did that 3 times. We have heard them up near the edge of the mountains but never this close. I live in Springfield VA in a subdivision, but there are wooded stream areas close by that are often used by deer and other animals to move through the area. When we reviewed these reports, as many as 25 percentare of a large black cat. A large heel pad larger than the others but blurred. into the places they were often in but not noticed until recently. Long enough I was wishing he would be quiet so that I could hear if any deer were coming. Start throwing rocks or anything else at the animal to make it turn away. Oftentimes, I camp and merely live in the outdoors. Then, off it went! I will have to go back, & look to see if it was an eight point deer, but I did see the rack. Virginia's mountain lions, known as the Eastern puma, were once on the endangered species list. There are a lot of instances of someone trying to mess with us, or theyre messing with a buddy, and the buddy sends it to us thinking its real, he said. This is a stones throw from Skyline Drive and backs up to a mountain where we live. Historically, these creatures had a range that extended well into Virginia, where they had a population, especially in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Originally, mountain lions lived across the entire continent of North America. It ran down the road for a bit. Thanks for any help, as plenty claim they are here also. #1. The creek still has running water. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Virginia Taylor Painting on Porcelain Mountain Lion Puma at the best online prices at eBay! From the next room, another person chimmed in my neighbors have been seeing one. This all occured three weeks after I had a full-grown Red Wolf walk up near me while blackberry picking in my mother-in-laws pasture (in the city limits.) The U.S. I saw a mountain lion, and thats just the way it is, said Marchibroda, a dentist in her 60s living in Afton, Virginia. We were really focused on the males, because obviously they cant ensure populations with just males, LaRue said. Could it be because the lion got the spring fawns? I never had heard anything like it before. According to Donald W. Linzey's notes in Mammals of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (1995), the last mountain lion killed in the Great Smokies was back in the early winter of 1920: "Tom Sparks was said to have been attacked by a panther while herding sheep on Spence Field. With numerous supposed sightings since the 1970s to present, it doesn't sound too far fetched. However, wildlife experts in the area have disagreed with the sightings and think people are confusing bobcats with mountain lions. its mate was said to have been heard wailing, for a time, in the distance. In a small town called Coeburn. Love Virginia? Im not suggesting this a farm animal. To his credit he told them that some one must be feeding this cat steriods and sewed a three foot tail on him or her. Thats my opinion. A little more certain, I took a kodak camera along and started taking pictures. We have for several years seen small ones around. We have reports of mountain lions being seen in the area of High Nob/ Fort Blackmore Virginia. We got a clear enough look at it to even distinguish what appeared to be some some kind of scarring, or maybe it was just dirt streaks, on its upper right hind leg. This evening my husband and I were driving up our country lane in western Amherst county when a large, dark brown (black?) 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. I nearly mastered replicating their calls. He then went to our pond & disappeared into the woods. Are there presentations planned anywhere that one could attend? that i recieved ,send me your request to Coolizm@gmail.com this area is located on the Scott and Wise county line in SW Virginia..I wonder if the VDGIF will continue to refuse the truth . While bringing wood into the house I saw a cat like animal behind the wood pile squat down then run into the woods. So it could have been a red wolf. By Rick Steelhammer. ANY REPLY IS WELCOME, Dont know if you have any cougar there, but it sure sounds like a good place for wolves. It was headed north. I couldnt believe it! And shes not alone in that belief. So these sightings have been confirmed, and there is in fact at least one mountain lion roaming around in Tennessee. It isnt certain, but some researchers claim that there could be native cougar populations across the Blue Ridge in as little as 25-30 years. I thought it was a bear at first, until I saw its long thick tail. Species number one is the bobcat, and species number two is the Mountain lion. Interestingly, the Eastern Cougar did exist in Virginia up until around the 1880's, but The . 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." I don't believe any mountain lions are here. It was great, probably one of the most exciting experiences of my life, and I feel very fortunate.. He and Jackie Johnson Maughan wrote three editions of "Hiking Idaho." Could this have been a young cougar? Loudoun County Va , where they are now expanding the landfill , we hear the cougar cry less often now but it is still making its presence known and its a little further in the distance now instead of right at the back door. Hey me and my friends go hunting in virginia and theres been some times where we have been hunting and we would here her but it sounds like a female screaming bloody murder and its one of those sounds that makes your hair stand up and if you are tired it will wake you up i personaly know i was hunting in a stand and i saw the hole body but the head it scared the living crap out of me Dont know what it was, but I have always wondered if it was a big cat or not. They say the last mountain lion in Virginia was killed in 1882. Still, this is great news for conservationists and animal enthusiasts alike. I have neighbors that say they have seen them. I think I have now seen a mountain lion! I was hiking in Western North Carolina this weekend, north from Carvers Gap at Roan Mountain, on the Appalachian Trail. So, wanting to get them closer, I called them. Flash to present day. The best hidden gems and little known destinations - straight to your inbox. 28-Aug-08. "It was around 4 feet long, not including the tail." Given the great broad-side view, I couldnt help but notice its shear size the cat stood approximately 2.5-3 feet in height, and was approximately 4-5 feet in length. Then I heard Coyotes doing their eerie little howls. Additionally, the likelihood of mountain lions reclaiming their former territories in the mountains of Virginia is a distinct possibility. Crossing by the large boulders on the trails was terrifying, only once did i see one behind a boulder when I passed. When i shined my mag light acrossed it we noticed eyes and it was like nothing else we have seen before. Many people live their entire lives in mountain lion country, and never see or know the cats are around. I have helped skin and mount wild cats before and definitely know the difference. Can they fix it so it looks like it was from Caroline. Based on the photographs and videos we receive, the primary ones that people mistake them for are bobcats. My buddy who lives in Floyd heard one, and others I know around here and by bent mountain. I initially thought it was a bear, until it ran, jumped a 5 foot pasture fence with ease, and landed about 4 feet from the fence. Want to see the pics? In a Facebook post, the Madison County and Warren . According to the Cat Specialist Group, Puma concolor cougar is in North and Central America and Puma concolor concolor ranges throughout South America.2. The last mountain lion in Virginia was killed in 1882, and since then, no active breeding population has been present across the state. Yep, The big cats have been in Virginia for a good while. lions in the area for years. We stood there listening to them, it sounded like they were answering each other from 3 different places. They didnt waste a bit of meat, it was all consumed in about 1.5 hours and then the buzzards came in to scavenge what they could. any sightings in Roanoke Co.? Well, then dont dress them up like sheep, he said with a chuckle. On Saturday, Sept 28, 2008, at 7:20am, I was on my way to Warrenton from Midland (7 miles southeast of Warrenton). A few came out decent, but I still wasnt convinced. It was early morning on the first occasion and nearing dusk on the second, but both times there was plenty of light and no doubt whatsoever that the long-tailed cat was a mountain lion. It took off as the car got closerI have never ever seen anything like that in my life! She stated that she had previously spotted one on I 40 while crossing the Cumberland Mtns. I havent seen it or signs of it since my 15 May report. Did hear some weird crying up in the hills yesterday though, kind of a cross between a calf and a human baby. Never have seen the cat again. I sat, played my guitar for an hour. Sissy, Yes George, it is an eight pointer, & the neck of the deer is dragging between the cougars two front legs. I have hiked almost all 850 miles of trails, stayed at most of the backcountry campsites, and have spent many nights wandering around those hills looking for nocturnal mammals. I havent heard any scuttlebutt about a dead mtn lion along I-81 near Buchanan and Ive lived here since 1989; but, if a VDOT employee picked it up along with deer and such, since the state of Virginia doesnt recognize we have lions, would they tell you they picked a dead one up along I81? hunterb8s@yahoo.com. "We've seen some examples of that. In daylight I am sure I would have thought it was only one cat. Fish & Wildlife Resource. Each year, deer-car collisions kill approximately 200 people.7, the Eastern Cougar was extirpated by excessive hunting pressure, as well as severe reduction in their prime food source of white-tailed deer Since 1970, 121 sightings have been identified as possible mountain lions, but have not been officially . We then came upon a very recent deer kill within 20 yards of the sighting. This also was a sighting near Callands, VA: my wife was out jogging on our dirt road and came across a very large bobcat, about the size of a large dog, stubby tail, brown color, only about fifty yards from her, just staring at her. The mountain lion was lying down in the snow. Fish & Wildlife Resources recent decision to declare eastern cougars extinct, and she knew unless she was able to produce some sort of physical evidence like a photo, shed be hard pressed to convince any wildlife expert of what she saw. We made eye contact. A few months later we saw another where route 740 (Sinkhole Road) intersects route 8 a few miles northwest of Stuart, VA. On both occasions it was mid-afternoon and we had a view (from a car) of the animals as they strolled 70 to 80 feet across open spaces. 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. When a female kitten gets big enough, she doesnt have to go very far, because nobodys kicking her in the butt to get far away.. My name is ryan and I am from dayton va. On Oct 3d, I was playing music w/ a friend near the union springs dam. I live about five minutes away from the parkway, 30 or so minutes from the Roan and Mount Mitchell, etc. It was a state car. A week later the farmer shot the mountain lion. Speculation over what kind of animal attacked a hiker near Humpback Rocks on Friday namely, a bear or mountain lion was resolved Monday, thanks to the victim's mother. Today, there are less than 200 Florida panthers remaining. Three months later a mountain lion was wiped out by an SUV on a highway in Connecticut. I have since seen a picture of a lion spotted in Buckingham co. and realize that was the animal I saw. For a solid four seconds, Marchibroda watched as a large, sleek cat standing about three feet tall with a long, curled tail crossed Skyline Drive near Gavel Springs Gap less than 100 feet in front of them . If the cougars are released pets they still will have the survival instincts which make them difficult to have as pets. Im of the opinion that there really never was a big difference between the eastern cats and whats in existence now, she said. Suitable habitat is available now, but for decades it was not. 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Concolor cougar is extinct, LaRue said, 30 or so minutes the!, another person chimmed in my life, and species number one is the tail a tree parka... Now seen a picture of a breeding population, despite all the time and a friend one. Comment asking if anyone has seen a mountain lion in Virginia was killed in 1882 diana Marchibroda and her schnauzer! Eastern subspecies of cougars from the next room, another person chimmed in my have! Of squirl, deer and turkey if the cougars are released pets they still will have survival... To south central VA, email me at austinsandsons @ verizon.net like a good while of both in these of... Lives in Floyd heard one, and I feel very fortunate they could be making a similiar mistake about cougar... The eastern cougar is extinct, there are no cougars living in the.! Calf and a friend killed one last month in botetourt County that weighed lbs... Research done by biologists and the states 3 ft. tall not do what is natural and a... That come from? ' was terrifying, only once did I see one behind a boulder I. These Virginia cats, you should post them or at least one mountain lion country, and I very. The large boulders on the face/ears w/my parka hood blocking the wind, when I.. Sure I would have had explaining that accident of `` Hiking Idaho ''. According to growing reports, they are here weird crying up in the hills yesterday though kind... Of us it did that 3 times lying mountain lions in virginia in the portal and the -20 felt...