Here we go again!!
 

I just got around to reading my Dec 2013 edition of American Hunter magazine. There is an article in there titled "Predators at the Back Door". The article talks about grizzly and black bears, coyotes, and cougars. In this article there are maps of the current and historical ranges for each of these animals. Taking a look at the cougar's, the historical range was from the west coast to about the eastern edge of the rockies (maybe a bit farther east) and from the upper reaches of BC south all the way into South America. The current range now covers this area AND the entire rest of the continental U.S. and about 3/4 of Canada. Pretty much the same for the coyote.
I believe they are here in PA. I've just not been fortunate or unfortunate enough, depending on the circumstances, to see one for myself.

I believe they are here too. There has been 2 sightings in Butler Co. In the last few years and my cousin spotted one just a couple miles from his house in Pleasantville a couple of years ago. It's maybe a case of plausible deniability for them. I heard the same thing about Bald Eagles in the area. They said, no they weren't...till pictures of them were everywhere. Then there tune changed.

I don't believe there is a wild population of cougars here in the north east and testimonials aren't about to sway my thinking on the matter. Unless and until the scientific community, (primarily universities) say there is, I'll regard all these recurring "cougar" threads in the same manner as I do reports of Bigfoot. :)

Both my wife and I saw a cougar last year here in NW CT.

A cougar was killed by a car near New Haven CT last year.

I saw a cougar in 1957 in Southern Vermont in November.

Claims of Bigfoot sightings here in southern NY are fairly common.

Well my thinking is this. There are and estimated 15,000 - 17,000 black bear in PA. And there have been hunters who have yet to see one. What is the percentage of times out of total times in the woods has the average hunter seen one. And the deer population I believe is estimated about 400,000 but I've hunted about 30 days this year on public land and have only seen about a dozen or so.
Then you have a trappable population of bobcats to which I've only seen 4 in my 45+ years of being in the outdoors. Coyotes - I've only ever seen 2, yet tracks are everywhere. So the idea that cougars are here, to me, does not seem too far fetched. And as for seeing tracks from them, if they are here, they are few and far between and they are very reclusive animals so not seeing tracks is no reason for doubting sightings upon sightings from educated, knowledgeable hunters. Heck, even in states where there is a huntable population, it may take days of driving back roads in vehicles with scent dogs to cut a track.
As for Sasquatch - I've yet to be formally introduced. But I don't think they've migrated from Mich's upper peninsula yet.

well about some time back 12 years ago was hunting PA. late BP season around Tuckanock area I think it is 3C area and seen a cougar on the trail of a small doe,funny I give credit to that little doe she did outwit the cat and crossed my flintlock sight 3 times that day
I did pass on her on the late sundown shot I think she deserved a chance to live.
I will say last year (winter) in the Hancock area) we caught a large cat on the deck of by buddies property) 125 lbs easy.

I find it hard to believe that there are absolutely no cats here in PA. I've traveled through the "wilds" and the mountains are so vast, you can't tell me we know exactly whats inside them.

I am from Beaver County PA and I did spot a cougar a couple of months ago. I thought I was insane but after doing some research, I found that cougar sightings have been happening in my area for years now. I didn't report the sighting because I didn't want the cat to be bothered. But it was a cat. It was about the size of a medium/large dog, taunie colored and had a low, long and swooping tail.

The game commision will pass off a cougar sighting and come back with the answer "There are no breeding populations". When was the last time they checked or did an intense study to see if they have returned to PA? Have the combed the "wilds"? Western cougars are steadily moving east again. If we don't have a breeding population here, we probably will in the near future.

Does anybody ever cut a cat track? They must leave a foot print, I know the ones in Montana do.

Prints have been found and documented. The game commission refuses to release any statements other than "there are no breeding populations".

Documented by who? Certainly none have been documented by any reputable agency or university. All reputable organizations say the same as the game commission - "there are no breeding populations". Until they say different, I have no reason to think differently. Like I said before, testimonials mean nothing to me. If I believed what the testimonials say I'd have to believe in bigfoot, ogopogo, the lock nest monster, alien abductions etc. etc. etc. No thanks! :)

Bronco22000: I read your post, and sure enough I cut bobcat tracks a couple days later. I was hunting a mountain I have hunted over 40 years and it is the first I saw of them. I will give it the benefit of doubt on the mountain lion thing. I don't really care what biologists say. Those are the $%^holes that pretty much wiped out the PA deer herd. Until just a few years ago a lot of us were idiots because we thought deer could see colors. Now I am reading science has made a "New" discovery.

That's right! Scientists are "$%^holes", let's let uncle Bubba and his nephew Stinky enlighten us!

Could not be any worse than the crap that biologists have been slinging at Joe Hunter for the last 10 years.

I agree, scientists don't know as much about game and game management as Joe Hunter. :)

I sense a bit of sarcasm there. But look at what the biologists did to PA's deer herd. We hunters have been telling the PGC for years that they were issuing too many antlerless tags and reducing the population to critical levels. They are finally starting to believe us. They realize that they screwed up but will not admit it.
License sales show it too with hunters becoming frustrated and not buying them.

Some people used say there is no way that mountain lions or wolves are in Indiana and I was one of those people for years. Then one day out walking my Grandfathers farm with my Gramps he elbows me and nods toward the other side of the valley. I looked up and could not believe what I saw. Yes it was a mountain lion. I still thought this was just a fluke thing maybe someone had raised it and released it. At any rate even after seeing it I doubted that there were any others in the area or state. Well years later I read a statement from the DNR and I'll share the link.

http://www.in.gov/dnr/fishwild/files...nformation.pdf

Now that statement was released around 2010. Now when you hear about a sighting its not that big of a deal.
They are making a comeback and it is illegal to hunt them here so they will make a comeback as the apex preditors.

Hunted in Southern Illinois 5 years ago and 1 of the guys in camp swore that he had a mountain lion working around his stand for 15 minutes one late afternoon.

I believed him.

we have deer everywere peoples back yards in the citie outer limits and there cant be a mountain lion in up state pa lol

You should sense a lot of sarcasm there! I don't have much respect for conspiracy theory thinking.

What a goofball, and I am being serious, not sarcastic. What conspiracy? Years back I lived in lower Lehigh County, PA. If you said you saw a coyote, the PA Game Commission laughed at you and talked down to you as if you were a retarded child. The PA legislature just passed funding to pay a bounty on coyotes. We are not saying there is a conspiracy, just incompetent people with high opinions of their abilities working for the Game commission. Get a map and take a good look at the wooded areas still left in PA.

You would think the trail cameras would get one sooner or later.

I would agree with you. But......how many guys set their trail cameras in remote areas? A mtn lion is a very recluse animal and will avoid human contact at all costs. Maybe someday someone will get one on a trail camera. But even if they do the nay sayers will say it was taken somewhere else and the PGC will also deny it.

I seen a Cougar last archery season in Lambertville NJ , across the Delaware river from Bucks Co. Pa. Without a Doubt it was a Cougar.

Hatchet Jack