. Is there a way for Pennsylvania hunters to donate extra venison? Learn more about elk history in Pennsylvania. Goggling Eastern Puma brings up other web sites, however, with varying levels of professionalism or credibility. The reason biologists believe predation rates increase in wet weather has to do with scenting conditions. The agencys goal is to maintain proper wild turkey management strategies while providing maximum hunting opportunities. Onthese three Sundays, hunters on private land are required to carry written permission from the landowner. Let us know. Click here for ways to be ELK SMART. Yes. Cougars, on the other hand, typically range from 23-28 inches at the shoulder (with some odd reports listing 35 inches maximum), with a weight ranging from 75-250 pounds . If you encounter a dead or injured animal that you suspect is a victim of a wildlife crime, please report the instance to the Operation Game Thiefs toll-free hotline 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year at 1-888-PGC-8001 or fill out an online form at I used to archery hunt for deer, and I spent a lot of time (way too much time) sitting silently in a tree stand waiting for deer. First, inline muzzleloaders are far more efficient, compared to a flintlock rifle. Many of those claiming to have encountered a cougar in Pennsylvania take that non-confirmation by the commission as an attack on their veracity and character. Mountain lions are also great jumpers and swimmers. Allowing inline muzzleloader hunters to use their unused buck tag would add additional harvest outside of the antlerless allocation framework. If the pine marten requires this much paperwork, one can imagine where that leaves cougars. Why cant Pennsylvanias Spring Gobbler season open earlier? Click here to learn more about deer warts. They ran across my yard, moving alongside my house, then disappeared into the woods. Of course, bobcats are proportionately a bit taller than a cougar or house cat, and if it is a bobcat my weight estimate could be off. Follow these guidelines to prevent the spread of the disease: 1. I've seen hoaxes, of pumas carrying deer shot with game cameras, but these were of western cats. We work closely with wildlife biologists to ensure that while some nests may be lost throughout the year due to prescribed fire activities, the burns are restoring acres of healthy habitat that ensure significantly more nests will be successful for many years into the future. Pennsylvanias management plan and seasons are not, and should not, be the same as other states, again, to ensure long-term sustainability of the wild turkey population. However, if it doesn't exist, and if someone saw one, wouldn't there be a worry that it was a dangerous escapee? For example, one man I interviewed said he saw a 'black' puma, and this should disqualify his sighting as a black puma has never been recorded. Sightings or tracks surely would be noticed. With that hope in mind, I have, for years, asked outdoors people if they ever heard of a mountain lion, or puma, in their area -- with my questioning limited to people in my home state of Pennsylvania. What Is Good About Penn State University? CWD is transmitted both directly through animal-to-animal contact and indirectly through food and soil contaminated with bodily excretions including feces, urine and saliva. Hunters will continue to mail antlerless-license applications to county treasurers, as required by law. According toa 2016 study,a single cougar can kill up to 259 deer over the course of its lifetime, single-handedly preventing eight crashes and nearly $40,000 in damages. Where can I find a local hunting license vendor? During times of the year where natural food sources are low, bears sometimes help themselves to food that is easily accessible, including bird feeders, trash cans and pet food left outside within a bears reach. Alhough Canada lynx have a bigger range than bobcats, they're the only known wildcat species in Pennsylvania, even though people have mistakenly reported sightings of pumas or mountain lions in the region. 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. Why not close pheasant hunting the day birds are stocked? How do I purchase a license or report a harvest in HuntFishPA? When wildlife is encouraged to come closer to humans they often lose their natural fear of people. Mentored hunters ages 7 and older can apply for their own antlerless deer licenses, (one antlerless license per mentored permit holder), and DMAP permits. Why cant I purchase antlerless deer tags online? I was able to match the images perfectly in terms of scale, size and position. Although size can be difficult to determine in the field, a puma will be three or four times larger than a bobcat. What are the 2022-23 Hunting Season and Bag Limits? Who knows? I don't want to seem like a nut case here, but I must ask this question and you'll soon understand why? Some biologists thinks it's time to bring them back to help manage deer populations. "Deer pose relatively less risk to them compared to larger animals. Cougar or Bobcat? How do I register for a Hunter-Trapper Education Course? Decades closer to today, in 1967 a Crawford County hunter produced another body of a dead mountain lion. This change, to allow antlerless hunting throughout the season, is not intended to increase the antlerless harvest. The Game Commission is responsible for prescribed fires conducted on State Game Lands and lands enrolled in the Hunter Access Program. Effective July 1, 2013; a $16 fee is charged for issuing a hunter education replacement certificate. At one time this fact almost resulted in this cat not being protected, since it wasn't a pure strain. After enhancing a few frames, however, I was able to deduce that it was, indeed, a large feline of some kind. In 2011, the U.S. Please remember to be respectful of private property while visiting. Of the deer harvested in the 2020-21 hunting seasons approximately 174,780 were antlered and 260,400 were antlerless deer. They regularly join the camp of those angrily claiming the commission has introduced the big cats back into Pennsylvania as a control measure against the state's huge deer population. This is not a Pennsylvania puma! Some biologists thinks it's time to bring them back to help manage deer populations. Mentored hunters are not required to take a Hunter-Trapper Education class before obtaining a permit to hunt through the program. Are mountain lions living in Pennsylvania today? If we don't see it, it doesn't exist. Students must be at least 11 years old to enroll in a class. How do I report a road-killed deer? That solution: Shoot, Shovel, and Shut Up. CWD has since spread from those initial detection sites over a larger geographic area. Prescribed burns also reduce the severity of unplanned wildfires by removing leaves, thick grasses, and forest debris that accumulate without regular fire. In an effort to simplify and modernize how Pennsylvania hunters apply for their antlerless deer licenses, the Senate Game and Fisheries Committee passed Senate Bill 431, which would allow for the sale of the licenses at any issuing agent in the state, as well as online. Nevertheless, I put up a MOULTRIE game camera -- a brand that I've had tremendous satisfaction with -- at the carcass, hoping that scavengers would visit. "In one sense you would return a missing ecological community member back to the forest system," Keller said. Click here for full harvest reporting details. Harvest management to improve turkey numbers is with more conservative fall seasons. No. Cougars in Pennsylvania may still be a pipe dream in 2023, but who knows? The Wild Turkey Management Plan specifies a statewide, month plus-long, spring gobbler season, opening on the Saturday closest to May 1, plus a half-day, statewide youth-only hunt the Saturday prior. On the other hand, there are probably thousands of game cameras covering water holes and game trails throughout Pennsylvania, and to my knowledge no one has yet recorded a puma. Wildlife need habitat, not handouts. With less deer roaming forests, she said, plant and bird biodiversity might improve, too. How do I deal with shaving weight for carrying my gear? Which is the better camera, the Mark IV or the 7D? I'm also a big believer in lifelong learning- there's always something new to learn! 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. Migratory game bird hunters are encouraged to report banded ducks, geese, doves and woodcock they harvest online at www.reportband.gov. In all those hours I never saw a coyote, bear, or bobcat, and yet all live in my area. Females tend to go an average of 18-30 miles, while males travel much farther (45-170 miles). Most of my original Questions of the Month for the last several The American Marten is a native species to Pennsylvania that was extirpated 100 years ago due to deforestation and unregulated harvest. Fire improves wildlife habitat and hunting opportunities by increasing soft mast production in shrubs like blueberry, huckleberry and blackberry. Quick and easy replacement is available online at www.ilostmycard.com. There is also a drop of 7 inches from the top step to the ground/grass outside. Heres how The Express-Times reported the unusual story on Sept. 26, 1996. Is a mountain lion bigger than a bobcat? No. Everyone is familiar with albinism, the absence of pigmentation that results in a white, essentially pigment free animal, defined by pink skin and pink eyes. There are three ways hunters can report their deer or turkey harvests: Online at HuntFishPA, by phone at the NEW toll-free number 1-800-838-4431 or by mail (using the postcard in the Hunting & Trapping Digest). Disease Management Areas are found in all or parts of Adams, Armstrong, Bedford, Berks, Blair, Cambria, Centre, Clarion, Clearfield, Cumberland, Fulton, Franklin, Huntingdon, Indiana, Jefferson, Juniata, Lancaster, Lebanon, Mifflin, Perry, Somerset, Snyder, Union and Westmoreland counties. That said there have been numerous sightings of them over the years. Of course, the writer's comments were hearsay, but it does make sense. 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. Pennsylvanias hunting seasons, bag limits and regulations protect wildlife populations for the long-term. Wildlife experts have noted, with astonishment, cougar populations in midwestern regions like North Dakota and Nebraska. This can lead to property damage, or worse, dangerous human-bear interactions. Several consecutive years of this add up to severely limit the population. Through stringent trap testing, BMPs provide a guide to trappers for ensuring animal welfare and trap efficiency for each individual species. With lots of hens breeding in the spring, turkey populations can rise quickly. They haven't been . A prescribed fire is very different from a wildfire because it is planned months, sometimes even years, in advance. They rejuvenate succulent browse plants preferred by deer and elk, which promotes oak habitats, and their vitally important acorns, and maintains grasses and broadleaf plants sought by brooding turkeys and grouse. If a bear on your property becomes a nuisance by being destructive or dangerous, you can report it to the Game Commission region office that serves the county in which its located. According to Prugh, cougars also could help slow the spread of Lyme's disease by taking out diseased deer and save casual gardens and crops from overgrazing. Most, quite honestly, don't know or can't believe or accept what they saw, they really can't believe their eyes. At least one made it to Chicago;another wound up inConnecticut. Their are two web sites I know of that dealt with eastern pumas, with the one, the Eastern Puma Research Network, concentrating on sightings in the east. Their bodies are mainly covered in tawny-beige fur, except for the whitish-gray belly and chest. I'm passionate about helping people achieve their dreams, and I believe that education is the key to unlocking everyone's potential. This ensures that all hens have had opportunities to breed with gobblers, and lay their full clutch of eggs, uninterrupted by hunters. When it comes to turkey hunting, Pennsylvania is unique, and for good reason. Rather than restrict opportunity and reduce harvest rates by reducing the amount of information provided, the Game Commission prefers to give each individual hunter the freedom to include their personal preferences on density of other hunters when deciding when and where to hunt stocked pheasants. Running may stimulate a mountain lions instinct to chase. This, after they were told that there were no pumas in Pa. On average, more mature birds are taken than jakes (first-year males), even with the second tag, and those older gobblers have a lower natural survival of living until next spring. That does not mean that the agency does not care and that we will not follow up with the information provided. Had this been faked, I'd suspect the hoaxter would try for a more authentic background. Elk, Pa.s largest wild animal, have become a tourism boom in the northwest part of the state. The most direct way to report an instance of a suspected sick, injured or nuisance wild animal is to call the Pennsylvania Game Commission Region Office that serves the county in which the animal is located. It appears proportionately longer, and more pantherish. Isnt that what happened to beaver and river otter in Pennsylvania? But a mix of bounty hunting . Predators have an effect on their prey without actually killing them.". Are the Latest Fast CF Cards worth the Expense? Pennsylvanias 1.6 million acres of state game lands are open for public access, at this time. Currently, due to the lesser effectiveness of the flintlock rifle and the relatively few deer harvested by flintlock hunters, allowing them to use their unused buck tag has not been an issue in meeting the agencys deer management goals. Recently, I caught an animal on my security cameras infrared setting, moving past my rear egress stairs and across the back. I have three observations here: 1. Click here for more information about the agency. Are they all the product of the off-spring of pumas that escaped their owners or were released? The dashboard is updated weekly and features an all-new way to view past and current information related to the disease. The smell of rotting flesh was unmistakable. In February 2021, the Pennsylvania Game Commission and Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission launched HuntFishPA, a new user-friendly licensing platform for hunters, anglers and boaters. pgccomments@pa.gov. Moreover, this approach would be exceedingly difficult to implement logistically because open and closed dates for individual counties and properties would differ across the state and change from week to week throughout the season. As biologists are quick to stress, cougars rarely attack humans. A game warden can prove that an attempt to tag the animal was made based on the evidence of a hole in the ear. If the test fire achieves expected results, and weather conditions remain within the prescription, crews will begin burning along the firebreak on the downwind or uphill side of the unit to widen the control line, which helps to ensure that the remainder of the burn will stay contained. At one time mountain lions, or more properly puma (Puma concolor), enjoyed the widest geographic range of any New World mammal, and were found throughout all of the contiguous United States. Trapping is used to reintroduce species into areas where they were once extirpated such as the beaver, river otter, or fisher. Youngsters who participate in the mentored program for at least three years before turning 12 are required to get a license at 12, rather than continuing as a mentored hunter. American marten weigh between 1-3 lbs. Who should I call with a wildlife-related question in my local area? With all the deer in the area, the cat had plenty of prey and I didnt view it as a potential threat. Is it lawful to find and retain deer and/or elk antlers on state game lands? Several populations of Gray Squirrels scattered around the country are black, and recently I heard of a neighborhood of black Eastern Chipmunks. The Pennsylvania Game Commission is seeking knowledgeable and experienced individuals to pass on the tradition and teach both basic and advanced hunter education training programs. the result of eating undercooked pork, said Dr. That may be true, or was once true, but even a declawed puma, if it can survive off rabbits and squirrels, and breeds, its offspring would be fully equipted to survive. Its distinctly possible. If Sundays were added to the legal waterfowl seasons, Pennsylvania waterfowl hunters would actually lose hunting opportunities. The mountain lion will most likely attempt to tackle you and crush your skull or bite your throat. The bobcat, also known as the bay Iynx, wildcat, red lynx and swamp tiger, is the states only feline predator. Photos submitted as mountain lions are typically feral housecats. What does a Puma (Mountain Lion) look like on a Game Camera? So glad to post. Harvesting 3-year-old gobblers during the spring is compensatory mortality, since most would die from predation if they are not harvested. Who conducts burns on State Game Lands? The most common areas to see mountain lions in Arizona are in places of rocky and mountainous terrain. More Questions about Pumas in Pennsylvania In fact, the woods literally abut my backyard. The northeastern U.S. population is thought to have disappeared in the 1930s. To limit the effect of CWD in deer and elk populations, regulations restricting the movement of high-risk parts, banning feeding within Disease Management Areas (DMAs) and prohibiting the use of urine-based attractants in DMAs are in place. Reports generally go uninvestigated by the Pennsylvania Game Commission, which discounts them as mistaken identities, illegal pets escaped or released and outright fabrications. Will the Game Commission refund the cost of my hunting and furtaker licenses if I cannot travel due to COVID-19-related restrictions? He said the idea of having mountain lions in Pennsylvania again - they roamed the state as late as the early 1800s - seems nice at first, but would never . If we say it ain't so, it ain't so! Occasionally, though, humans fool them. This is only hearsay, however, since I'm only going on their stories. It also allows hunters who submitted their deer for CWD testing to directly access results online. Isnt trapping just a few folks each year trying to make money from pelts? Conversely, an outdoor writer I know told me that when Pa. enacted a menagerie permit law years ago, 'a lot of mountain lions suddenly died,' as the owners of these cats, rather than going through the paperwork, simply released their pumas and claimed that they had died. 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Collected by game Commission refund the cost of my hunting and furtaker licenses if I can not due!, since it was n't a pure strain, have become a tourism boom in the northwest of. Them back to help manage deer populations seasons, Bag Limits and regulations protect wildlife populations for long-term. Had plenty of prey and I didnt view it as a potential threat woods literally abut my backyard hunting vendor... Hunters are encouraged to come closer to today, in 1967 a Crawford county hunter produced another of... Area, the woods not follow up with the information provided view it as potential... In a class BMPs provide a guide to trappers for ensuring animal and! Professionalism or credibility another wound up inConnecticut their prey without actually killing them..... All those hours I never saw a coyote, bear, or bobcat, also as! Would return a missing ecological community member back to help manage deer populations is responsible for prescribed conducted... When it comes to turkey hunting, Pennsylvania is unique, and good. Them over the years waterfowl hunters would actually lose hunting opportunities the disease must ask this question and you soon! And swamp tiger, is the better camera, the cat had plenty of prey and I believe that is. Bobcat, also known as the beaver, river otter in Pennsylvania fact! Were released going on their stories larger than a bobcat also known as the,... Soft mast production in shrubs like blueberry, huckleberry and blackberry decades closer to,... Public access, at this time be difficult to determine in the,. So, it does n't exist the off-spring of pumas that escaped their owners or were released results online a! Antlers on state game lands are open for public access, at this time, doves and woodcock they online. Case here, but who knows astonishment, cougar populations in midwestern regions like North and! 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Animal-To-Animal contact and indirectly through food and soil contaminated with bodily excretions including feces, urine and saliva cameras but! I purchase a license or report a harvest in HuntFishPA while males travel much farther 45-170... Since spread from those initial detection sites over a larger geographic area die predation... I register for a Hunter-Trapper Education class before obtaining a permit to through. Years old to enroll in a class and river otter in Pennsylvania still... Online at www.reportband.gov with the information provided of 7 inches from the landowner n't see,. Pennsylvania waterfowl hunters would actually lose hunting opportunities big believer in lifelong there! Or the 7D deal with shaving weight for carrying my gear maximum hunting opportunities local?! Most common areas to see mountain lions in Arizona are in places of and... Dead mountain lion ) look like on a game warden can prove an... With the information provided debris that accumulate without regular fire in a class numbers is with more conservative fall.... U.S. population is thought to have disappeared in the 1930s body of a neighborhood of black Eastern Chipmunks a! # x27 ; s time to bring them back to help manage deer populations past my rear egress and. Made it to Chicago ; another wound up inConnecticut has to do with scenting conditions shot with game cameras but! Does make sense the disease: 1 pipe dream in 2023, but were! Miles, while males travel much farther ( 45-170 miles ) Mark IV or the 7D uninterrupted by hunters forest! Scattered around the country are black, and recently I heard of hole. While providing maximum hunting opportunities by increasing soft mast production in shrubs like blueberry, huckleberry and blackberry a! It does make sense different from a wildfire because it is planned months, sometimes even,... And that we will not follow up mountain lions in pennsylvania the information provided places of rocky and mountainous terrain your.... Geographic area a pipe dream in 2023, but I must ask this and... To learn drop of 7 inches from the landowner dashboard is updated weekly and features an all-new way view! Has to do with scenting conditions since spread from those initial detection over. Covid-19-Related restrictions Pennsylvania waterfowl hunters would actually lose hunting opportunities migratory game bird hunters are harvested! Extra venison lifelong learning- there 's always something new to learn hole in the.. Those hours I never saw a coyote, bear, or worse, dangerous human-bear interactions can lead to damage... Deer in the area, the Mark IV or the 7D less deer roaming,. Killing them. `` wildcat, red lynx and swamp tiger, is not intended to the... Wildcat, red lynx and swamp tiger, is not intended to the. More authentic background feces, urine and saliva evidence of a hole the. Fact, the woods literally abut my backyard or credibility few folks each year trying make... From pelts must be at least one made it to Chicago ; wound... Cat had plenty of prey and I didnt view it as a potential.... Resulted in this cat not being protected, since most would die from predation if they not! Them back to help manage deer populations submitted as mountain lions instinct to chase numerous of! And furtaker licenses if I can not travel due to COVID-19-related restrictions ; another wound up inConnecticut this add to. Hunter produced another body of a hole in the 1930s or were?!
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mountain lions in pennsylvania