Mt. Lion's In WV

boonecountybowhunter · 10-14-2004, 06:40 PM

hey just wondered if anyone has had any sightings or signs of mountain lions being in WV. The DNR claims there are none, but yet it's illegal to shoot one??? If there are none in WV why is there a law protecting them?

One of my friends has pictures of tracks presumably from a big cat and they are huge!
he got them in boonecounty, right outside Madison actually.

but just wonderin if anyone else has any knowledge of them being here

BeltedMag · 10-15-2004, 04:01 AM

They are around just really rare. My dad used to tell me stories about the one that lived on their land when he was a kid. They used to hear it at night, and see the tracks around the house in the morning. One of my cousins dog got in a fight with one a few years ago. She had a big rottwieler and heard it barking and carrying on and came out to see it fighting with medium sized mountain lion. Needless to say the dog was nearly killed, it walked with a severe limp until it finally died.

I saw one about 9 or 10 years ago in Virginia about 4 miles from the state line. I was with my grandma and we stopped in the road and watched it cross the road. I was going to college at the time and majoring in natural resources. I told my one professor and he made me enter a sighting in a book that he kept for the state dnr. He told me that this was the 5th sighting in a year in that area of a mountain lion. So they are around but very reclusive.

thecontractor · 10-17-2004, 02:42 AM

well i will say this about the mountain lion:

very smart, very agile, very silent. they don't like people. the PGC sais the same thing up here in pennsylvania "there aint no (wild) mountain lions in pennsylvania", well i beg to differ. there have been many many sightings and they are here. as far as fighting with dogs, i will put my cane corso mastiff up against any mountain lion any day of the week!!! they were bred to bring down stag and to fight lions (african lions) back in the roman empire

FiremanWV · 10-17-2004, 07:48 AM

Mt Lions in WV, boy that will get an argument out of any DNR official. They say no, any reasonably sane person will say yes. A mt. Lion was spotted in Pocahontas county this summer by a whole train full of people, there was a USFS Wildlife Biologist or some similar title on the train also, she said no it is not a Mt lion it was a weasel, now come on at least she could have said it was a dog or something but a weasel, gimme a break. Too many sightings by too many different people to be nonsense. If someone has a good picture of a track email it to me and I will take it to a DNR Wildlife Manager friend of mine, he is wanting one. Also there is a man that is in this area doing a study to determine the existance of Lions here, he would be interested also.

Christine B · 10-18-2004, 05:52 PM

Yep, They are here alright but the DNR will deny any sightings. Imagine that.....

There is one that crosses my acreage from time to time. However, I have only seen it 3 times in 7 years. Everytime I've gone to get the video....it is out of sight. Plaster casts taken of the prints were verified by an independent wildlife biologist that is a friend of mine. The prints are distinct with 3 lobes on the rear pad, and no nail/claw marks like a dog print has. This cat killed a full grown, very large Bull in an upper field of my next door neighbor....the DNR came out and verified it was a cat kill...but said it was a Bobcat. Yeah right!!! This Bull's neck was broken with a bite to the back of the neck and he was sliced and diced. No Bobcat did that! Go figure......

boonecountybowhunter · 10-19-2004, 12:54 PM

ya i believe full well that there are mt. lions in WV. i don't see why the DNR is trying to cover it up. Any ideas why the DNR would deny their existence????

by the way there firemanWV, if you wouldn't mind, maybe u could post ur friends findings on his study on the lions here. or if u emailed it to me i would be very appreciative

FiremanWV · 10-24-2004, 09:06 AM

If anyone has recent photos of lion tracks found in West Virginia could I get them emailed to me? Just talked to a DNR officer and he is in the process of gathering information on Lions. A lady here is supposed to have photos taken in the last couple weeks and photos of prints would be an added bonus. DNR is trying to determine existance and if they are the eastern or western lions. Thanks in advance.