His body was very long and had a beautiful face. But recent expert-confirmed sightingswhich have involved photographs, videos, and DNAin Tennessee support a theory that mountain lions, whose populations out west have continued to expand, are slowly making their way back to this side of the country. A large heel pad larger than the others but blurred. Moose are notoriously shy creatures, so spotting them anywhere is an exciting experience. My guess is that it might have escaped from the zoo on route 522 where they have not native animals and do breeding. So, wanting to get them closer, I called them. July 25, 2019 edition, Do you have some interesting wildlife news? In Wyoming, the season runs from Sept. 1 to Aug. 31, but in Utah, the season runs from Nov. 9 to March 31. In 1996-98 I lived in Catharpin, VA near Manassas Battlefield. It was about 8:00 am on Saturday 8/8/09 and I noticed a black animal in a fenced pasture just ahead of me. Since 1970, scores of wild mountain lion sightings have been reported without a single one being confirmed, the department reports. This seems strange for late in the summer. But I dont know enought to really judge its age. I see no reason to question them. I told him I had no doubt that he had seen a mountain lion. I tried taking a picture of it with my phone but it jolted away. All of this happened just out of bow range and its heart wrenching knowing there is nothing you can do. Speculation over what kind of animal attacked a hiker near Humpback Rocks on Friday namely, a bear or mountain lion was resolved Monday, thanks to the victim's mother. So I guess its up in the air. And yet there are numerous reports of hikers and residents spotting these creatures, especially in the mountains. Learn more about us & read our affiliate disclosure. Feel free to join the discussion by leaving comments, and stay updated by subscribing to the, Expansion and Restoration of Bison to Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, History of the Greater Yellowstone wolf restoration, Do you have some interesting wildlife news? "I do believe that the vast majority of people who claim to have seen them honestly believe that they saw them, that they aren't purposefully making up stories. But it was very odd because the scream wouldnt quite finish and then it would start again. You'll receive your first newsletter soon! After she expired 3 of them started to eat and the other took a whole hind quarter back up the ridge. I've seen them quite often. It was the scarriest night of my life and if anyone wants to confirm that there are mountain lions in Shenandoah Park just park at hogback at mile point 21 and set up camp where i did. A little more certain, I took a kodak camera along and started taking pictures. I found one which I took a picture of. I think there is a reason for that, and the most likely reason IMO is that the animals people are seeing are not mountain lions. For an interview on these animals, that dont exist, please call me (John Ballard) at (434) 946-0486. "This photo has been all over the internet and Facebook for the past 18 months or so," said Michael L. Fies, furbearer project leader for the Virginia . Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. It was a large cougar that had an eight point buck by the neck. Cougars prowled nearly all of the United States below Canada, and all of Virginia from mountain . Mountain lions are definitely coming to Virginia. In October, 1987, a cougar & cub was seen by a U.S. Forest Service crew in western Shenadoah County. With their tails, some individuals can be as much as 9 ft. long. I sometimes doubt local farmers reports. We got a glimpse of the cat early this morning, as it paced back and forth, squaling every breathe, on the other side of our riding ring. But the sound again didnt seem characterstic of a fox, it wasnt a barking or a yelping, it was a scream/cry. I couldnt see their relative sizes, as they were not close together until right before I entered the woods, and one was very low in the grass, could only see its eyes reflected. What could be mistaken for a mountain lion? "I never say never about these things, it's certainly possible," Fies said. I grew up in North Georgia. Authorities say there have been reports of . We have seen a 50 pound bobcat at our pond. Of course, he has never seen a documented one inthe wild, so I only trust his take so far. She got quite close to them while on Jake but as soon as she began to dismount they scattered. The last mountain lion in Virginia was killed in 1882, and since then, no active breeding population has been present across the state. She was never spotted, but that sound is something that you never can forget or confuse for anything else. I HAVE HEARD OF AN OLD WOMAN THAT HAD A DOBERMAN THAT STAYED ON HER BACK PORCH NEAR ROCKINGHAM CO NC. Were not taking any action to move them or kill them. Others saw those cats too; so it was not my mistaking them for anything else! Male cougars have demonstrated their willingness to cross gaps in forested corridors as they search for new territory. Source: Wikipedia, Cougar. I came out of the pasture and one was less than 20 feet. He told me stories of escaped mountain lions that hes seen, but noted that they typically stayed close to people, or near areas where they were kept. Blue Ridge Outdoors is your guide to fly fishing, the Appalachian Trail, biking, travel, and more in the Blue Ridge and beyond. This weekend, had dinner with a new neighbor who mentioned that he had seen a black cat near Carrington Road in Markham, VA. Heard back from Animal Control and VDGIF. If some one ask if there are lions in Danville, Va tell them hell yes! The range of a Mountain Lion may cover 25 to 785 square miles. As the summer progressed she got a couple glances at the animal but still no proof. . When very quietly without any noise I saw movement coming out of a clearing. In August 2007 on my way to work from the Meadowview Virginia area , between Meadowview and Abingdon there was a Mountain Lion crossed the road in frount of me, So people can say what they want , there are big cats in the area. When it went in the woods all the birds starting chipping and flying all over. Comments have now closed permanently, however. "This photo has been all over the internet and Facebook for the past 18 months or so," saidMichael L. Fies, furbearer project leader for theVirginia Department of Game andInland Fisheries. Mountain lions in Nebraska are a division of the larger population spread through all western U.S. states, and predators move unobstructedly among Nebraska and neighboring U.S. states, especially South Dakota and Wyoming. The Mountain Lion will return to feed on the prey for up to 10 days. Historically, these creatures had a range that extended well into Virginia, where they had a population, especially in the Blue Ridge Mountains. It was the first time I could see it clearly. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. We would sit on our back porch and listen awe struck. I live in Montgomery Co, and was wondering if you could tell me where exactly you saw the cougar in 2002 in Floyd county. The deer seemed to jump into some brush to the side of the path and the paw print seemed to be following. Last year the U.S. 111 1. Contact the AZ Animals editorial team. Dr. Ralph Maughan is professor emeritus of political science at Idaho State University. The first is that many sightings during certain periods are the same cat. In fact, they found an African Lion skull in the Blue Ridge mts not too long back. Any jokes about sexually adventurous older women will not be noted or acknowledged and I will automatically assume you are a 13 year old boy who yells racial slurs on Xbox live. Experience Shenandoah: Make Memories That Will Last a Lifetime. I do believe that it's just mistaken identity.". the cougar. We made eye contact. I would think by the time you get your phone/camera on, & ready, the cougars gone. By Bill Cochran. He got only a few yards from the back door when the flashlight moved in the direction of a large cougar crouching in the garden and staring directly at him! Rabbits everywhere. Theyre around. Additionally, the likelihood of mountain lions reclaiming their former territories in the mountains of Virginia is a distinct possibility. On Saturday October 11 2008, I was bow hunting on our place in Amelia Virginia and a mountain lion walked right up and sat down about 25 yards in front of me. the cougar tail almost sweeps the ground and might have some markings on the tip of gray/white, the rest of the tail looks like short hair and is not bushy. A mountain lion photo has been circulating on social media for more than a year, claiming people have seen mountain lions in the state, and officials are calling shenanigans on the post. Many mountain lions used to roam the West Virginia wilderness. The data they have collected over the years indicates that cougars are gradually making their way eastward, and validated the theory that young males travel farther and more quickly than females, making the repopulation process a gradual one. June 21, 2008 About two weeks ago I was traveling on Rt 15 from Farmville to Dillwyn in Buckinham county. Back home in Indiana a buddy of mine and I jumped one in the earlier 2000s and told a DNR officer who told us we were seeing things lol. Could this have been a young cougar? Sorry I dont have anymore details other than location but I didnt see it myself! There haven't been any cougars in Tennessee since the early 1900s. But, there is always a chance that one day the sighting will be real. Im of the opinion that there really never was a big difference between the eastern cats and whats in existence now, she said. Seems in these parts every snake they see is a copperhead (even the black with white belly ones). Long may they thrive. The sound finally drifted off and I decided to do some internet investigating to describe the sound I heard. Is it a change in the regime their [sic]? They initially didnt want to admit that I saw one, and they were calling it a UFOan unidentified furry object. me and a budy were spotlitting for deer [no guns i might add we were coming down off cold mountin fields saw two solid black cats run up some rocks both were about 60 to 70 pounds aim sure it was cougars i hut these mountains all of my life bear hunt coon hunt deer and evret thing eles but i thing its a small population and they move around travling from parts of amherst nelson trew shandoua park and west va beleive me or not i also told peple thre were coyotes in these mountain 26 year ago and peple thout i was crazy. A few weeks later, I saw it dart across the dirt road for a split second. Their conclusion: "Sir, you don't have a mountain lion.". I am concerned since that pond is a source of water for my horse. "I envision someday in the future we would get one wandering into Virginia. 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