RE: Mountain Lions Are Absolutely in PA (photo Added)
 

Why on earth would I be skeptical of a cougar photo that claimed to have been taken in a state known to have a wild cougar population? If someone posted a picture of a wildelephant and said it was taken inAfrica would you be skeptical. How about if they said it was taken in Alberta?

RE: Mountain Lions Are Absolutely in PA (photo Added)
 

This is from the US Fish and Wildlife web page...

http://www.fws.gov/endangered/i/a/saa48.html
RANGE AND POPULATION LEVEL: Historic records indicate that the eastern cougar once occurred from eastern Canada southward into Tennessee and South Carolina, where its range merged with that of the Florida panther (F. c. coryi). Present United States distribution is limited to only a few scattered areas at best. Recently there have been some sightings reported in Minnesota and Michigan. These individuals are believed to have originated from around New Brunswick or Manatoba, Canada (Bob Downing, personal communication 1991). In the Southeast Region, there have been a number of sightings, but the best evidence for a small permanent population has come from the Great Smoky Mountain National Park Region. Based on a National Park Service study that included both sighting reports and field observations, there were an estimated three to six cougars living in the park in 1975. Sightings have also be reported in three other North Carolina areas including the Nantahala National Forest, the northern portion of the Uwharrie National Forest, and the State's southeastern counties. The remaining population of this species is extremely small; exact numbers are unknown.

MANAGEMENT AND PROTECTION: The Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. Forest Service jointly completed a 5-year survey in an attempt to determine the presence of self-sustaining cougar populations in the southern Appalachian Mountains from Virginia to Northern Georgia. The primary survey method was to search for cougar tracks in the snow, especially in remote areas such as closed sections of the Blue Ridge Parkway. Other utilized techniques were scent stations using cougar urine, catnip, or other scents, and recorded sounds such as cougar screams, predator calls, and deer bleats. Although many promising leads were pursued, no concrete evidence was ever obtained for the existence of eastern cougar populations.

Interesting... No mention of Maine at all and even after a 5 year study to attempt to find evidence of them in the most likely place in the east they found no concrete evidence!

If you look up the maine game commission web site they will tell you they have been gone since the 1800's.




Here's what the National Park Service says...
[blockquote]quote:

Originally, Mountain Lions roamed throughout North and South America. Today in North America, lion populations are limited to British Columbia, Alberta, the twelve westernmost states in the U.S., and the Florida Everglades. [/blockquote]

RE: Mountain Lions Are Absolutely in PA (photo Added)
 

Cougars don't migrate, they expand their range and there is a big difference.

RE: Mountain Lions Are Absolutely in PA (photo Added)
 

Any government agency istypically years behind a trend. Clinton had Bin Laden and didn't see the urgency, do you think the government slackers are up to date on cougars? Give me a break! It would take a government agency a decade to finalize the range map alone, and another 5 years to get it printed.
Cougars are seen in MD. Since MD borders PA, is it possible that one couldexpand it's rangeinto PA?

RE: Mountain Lions Are Absolutely in PA (photo Added)
 

If the experts say there are no cougars in the northeast, why protect them?

I think they should declare an open season on cougars in all northeastern states.After they are bagged, the hunter should be required to show biologist and Game Commission personal the exact location of the kill site. Similar to what they do for Pennsylvania elk. This would be cheaperthan that" 5 year study." Then when they bag a few, some taxidermist,somewhere,should provide FREE lifesize mounts of all cougars taken. (Bill Yox) LOL

Call the PGC and ask them if you can shoot a mountain lion, and see what they tell you. If there are none, they shouldn't care. Ask them if you can shoot a woolly mammoth if you see one. They will just laugh if you ask that. They don't laugh when you ask about the cougars.


I have been debating whether to say this on here because of all the ridicule others have recieved, but here it goes.

Several years ago I was dating a girl that worked at the same place I did. She swore she saw a cougar cross the road in front of her on her way to work.( during daylite )We all laughed and teased her for quite a while. I told her it was a bobcat. She argued that she knows what a bobcat is and this thing had a long tail and was "orangish colored". She also said it was as big as a deer in body size.

I called the PGC to ask if they had any sightings of mountain lions. They said yes they get a few.They ask a few questions of where and when. they ask for a discription, etc.They were sincere and said it was probably an escaped pet.

Since then I didn't dout that they were here in Pa. I knew this girl for quite a while and she wasn't one to make things up. She was very knowledgable of wildlife and knew what a cougar looked like. After asking her dozens of questions, I believe she saw a cougar. I'm telling you this so you guys can understand why I am so argumentativeover there existance.
If you want to ridicule me, go ahead. I know they are here.

RE: Mountain Lions Are Absolutely in PA (photo Added)
 

the PGC is not interested in knowing about lion or cougar. i know, they were notinterested when i said i wouldmeet with them and take prints. they said on phone,GROUND TO HARD.anyway, i believe she did see a lion or cougar.i am glad she said ORANGISH COLOR, thats what we saw too. you look at picture of patrhunters lion and it does not show that orangish color but animal i saw was ORANGISH.i know i saw a lion, for sure.no bobcat has tail or body like i saw .take care.

RE: Mountain Lions Are Absolutely in PA (photo Added)
 

Game comissions and/or DEC's in Main, New Hampshire, Mass, Connecticut, New York, P.A., New Jersey, MD, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, W. Virginia, North and South Carolina, Delaware, Georgia(have I missed any?) as well as the US Fish and Wildlife Service, The US Park Service, Penn State University and as far as I know every major universtiy and every major encyclopedia will ALL tell you that there is no evidence for wild mountain lions in the east with the exception of a tiny (less than50) population in Florida. Most will tell you they have been gone for 150 years. You guys claim you have evidence lol.Wellthen,take it to any one of the above and get them to confirm it andjust about everybody willbelieve you andthen you can yourecover your lost dignity. Untill thenBRING ON THE CONSPIRACY THEORIES BOYS and gives us all another good laugh!

RE: Mountain Lions Are Absolutely in PA (photo Added)
 

Why is shooting one a crime then?

RE: Mountain Lions Are Absolutely in PA (photo Added)
 

You asked an interesting question, so I thought I might do a bit of research. I came up with this site, where it lists those species in PA that are endangered. Funny, but the eastern puma ( Puma concolor couguar) is on the list.
http://www.endangeredspecie.com/states/pa.htm
Now, if there aren't any, why would they be listed as "endangered?" Oh well. Something more for my age induced feeble mind to contemplate.

Sure enough, I checked the US Fish and Wildlife Service website, and they list it too.
http://www.fws.gov/endangered/wildlife.html

Now, if you do see one and shoot it, you would be shooting a member of an endangered species, which is blatantly illegal and is punishable by fines, imprisonment, or worse. I sincerely hope this helps.

Now, given the above information, perhaps you can see why the Pa. Game Commission tells you it is illegal to shoot a cougar. Somehow, I doubt that it would stop a whole bunch of our best and brightest poachers.

RE: Mountain Lions Are Absolutely in PA (photo Added)
 

I'm surprised this needs to be explained. They are on the Endangered Species list! That means there are so few of them known that they are on the verge of extinction. There are less than 50 of them known and only in the state of Florida. There is no evidence of the eastern cougar any place else. Don't you think that qualifies as on the verge of extinction? O.K. then, they are not extinct but are very close to it, so you tell me, should they be on the list and be protected by federal lawor not?