Mountian Lions in Ohio
07-24-2009, 02:57 PM
#51
Super Moderator
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Trumbull County, Ohio
Posts: 9,520
I'll stand by my original statement doug. I saw it. It wasn't a deer as mentioned above, or anything near that size. but to say that it "absolutely doesnt happen" or anything like that is foolish. Because it does, it has, and it prolly will again. And I'm not the only person here to have claimed to see that.
-Jake
-Jake
07-31-2009, 07:55 PM
#53
Spike
Join Date: Feb 2006
Posts: 42
I was reading all the replies to this post and became interested. I don't know about Ohio, W. Virginia, Illinois, or any other state in the general area, but I do know that there are mountain lions east of the Mississippi in states other than Florida. I live in Alabama and personally saw a mountain lion, brown (not black) and have a plaster cast of the track made on sight after the sighting. The cast was confirmed, by a biologist, to be that of a mountain lion. I saw this while deer hunting and had the cat 20 yards under my tree in broad daylight. No bobcat, no housecat. I live in a rural area and noone within miles has a "pet" mountain lion. I asked about shooting the animal if another sighting occured and was told, by a game warden, that even though they were not native to Alabama there would be a hefty fine should I be caught. There were stories done in local papers featuring pictures of the cast throughtout the area but no national media convergence as some of you suggest. There are bigger stories in the world that a mountain lion in the eastern part of th U.S. Now if a mountain lion escaped from a zoo or any other type of enclosure, then yes the public would be notified. After my encounter I did extensive research on these animals and it is not at all surprising that there are lots of sightings in the east. They are very clever animals, which are mostly nocturnal, and have an enourmous range. One could literally be in my yard now and in the next county by this time next week. I'm not suggesting there is an abundant population, because I do not believe there is, but there are enough to sustain their existence here. I'm not here to argue, nor will I, just share some personal experience. Just because there aren't alot of sightings doesn't mean they don't live in your area. In my 25 years of hunting I've never saw one until this encounter. I've also only saw two bobcats in those 25 years of hunting the same property. Does this mean those are the only two on the property? I doubt it. There are alot of remote places for a wild animal to live without ever encountering a human. For those of you who don't believe a mountain lion is possible in the east, will see how your opinion is changed when you have one face to face with you in it's natural surroundings. Remeber....they eat meat!
08-02-2009, 01:45 PM
#54
Fork Horn
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: southwest ohio USA
Posts: 111
Does anyone remember the cattle that were killed in Gallia county about 2 years ago. The surviving, injured cows had been clawed down along their sides. Ohio outdoor news also did an article on it. I believe that was ruled mtn lions. Not the work of a little bobcat.
08-02-2009, 10:18 PM
#56
Spike
Join Date: Jul 2009
Posts: 92
WOW, DougE is an expert on ML in Ohio now to. He just knows for a fact there are none east of the mississppi other than florida. So just take his word and let it go. Get back over to the PA forum before I beat your arse back over there and let ohio alone before you and your PGC brother f!@#$% that state up to..
08-03-2009, 03:30 AM
#57
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Moravia NY USA
Posts: 2,164
So just take his word and let it go.
Pretty simple really and elimintes the low class tack of threats of violence.
Much more effective as well.
08-03-2009, 10:08 AM
#58
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2004
Posts: 2,262
WOW, DougE is an expert on ML in Ohio now to. He just knows for a fact there are none east of the mississppi other than florida. So just take his word and let it go. Get back over to the PA forum before I beat your arse back over there and let ohio alone before you and your PGC brother f!@#$% that state up to..
Nope,never claimed to be a ml expert and never claimed there weren't any mountain lions east of the Mississippi.I just know that mountain lions don't typically drag deer up into trees and I know that there's no suvh thing as a black one.Other than that,just show me some proof.Actually,anything more concrete than someone who claims to have known someone who killed one and then had it confiscated by a game warden.
08-03-2009, 11:52 AM
#59
Super Moderator
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Trumbull County, Ohio
Posts: 9,520
I didn't say a deer. It was much smaller than a deer. That being said, here's a little lesson. Mountain lions are actually cougars, which is the most widespread large mammal in the western hemisphere. It ranges from canada deep into south america (all different subspecies, but all the same cat). Here in America we have three subspecies. North American COugar, Eastern Cougar, and FLorida Panther. The United States Fish and WIldlife Service protected both the Eastern COugar and the florida PAnther until the subspecies were combined (not sure what year they combined the subspcies...there used to be around 36 subspecies but they have been combined down to six subspecies now I believe). THere has been a confirmed killing near chicago, which was genetically tested and proven to have come from the black hills (year 2000 I think). SO yes, they are east of the great mississippi. If they are in chicago of course they could be east. Just a matter of time, we'll be seeing them just like we see bears here in north east ohio fairly often now.
-Jake
-Jake