Where can I find information about hunting and trapping seasons and bag limits? Junior hunters, ages 14-15, must be accompanied by an adult 18 or older. How do I submit comments and ideas about current and proposed seasons and bag limits set by the Board of Game Commissioners? License fees cannot be increased without approval of the General Assembly. If you encounter a dead or injured animal that you suspect is a victim of a wildlife crime, please report the instance to the Operation Game Thiefs toll-free hotline 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year at 1-888-PGC-8001 or fill out an online form at http://bit.ly/PGCOGT. The State cites that there are no road-kills, and in a heavily trafficed state like Pennsylvania there should be kills. Reporting is mandatory, regardless of harvest, for DMAP (Deep Management Assistance Permits) and second spring turkey licenses. On the second night, a mountain lion passed by, apparently drawn by the smell but put off by the stench, as the cat did not visit the kill. We work closely with wildlife biologists to ensure that while some nests may be lost throughout the year due to prescribed fire activities, the burns are restoring acres of healthy habitat that ensure significantly more nests will be successful for many years into the future. Other exceptions are included with species seasons below. Its impossible to say. It is not impossible for a mountain lion to be living in the Commonwealth. They rejuvenate succulent browse plants preferred by deer and elk, which promotes oak habitats, and their vitally important acorns, and maintains grasses and broadleaf plants sought by brooding turkeys and grouse. Since 2004, when scientists found a dead cougar on train tracks in northern Oklahoma, they have recovered more than 100additional cougar bodies east of the Rocky Mountains. At this time, there were no regulations in place to prevent that, nor was there anyone responsible for managing the wildlife. What happens on the day of the burn? With lots of hens breeding in the spring, turkey populations can rise quickly. Cougar or Bobcat? How Big Was the Monster Shark That Took This Bite? What are the benefits of having a concurrent antlered and antlerless deer hunting season? It is illegal to take or possess wildlife from the wild. To limit the effect of CWD in deer and elk populations, regulations restricting the movement of high-risk parts, banning feeding within Disease Management Areas (DMAs) and prohibiting the use of urine-based attractants in DMAs are in place. First, inline muzzleloaders are far more efficient, compared to a flintlock rifle. Wild animals constantly search for food and many will find the easy food source you provide. The agency employs more than 200 habitat management staff, which includes foresters and land managers, many of whom participate on burn crews as one of their many duties. Are mountain lions living in Pennsylvania today? They are there to help us. Mace weighs a bit over 15 lbs and stands 12 at the shoulder. However, if you've seen a mountain lion, or other mystery creature, or evidence of either, in Pennsylvania, contact outdoor writer Marcus Schneck at mschneck@pennlive.com.). I have not spoken with a Game Commission officer personally, so I don't know whether anyone killing a puma in Pennsylvania could do so without legal repercussions. Immediately after the burn, the ground will be black until regrowth occurs, which typically takes place within a few days, in some cases several weeks, depending on the time of year. Trapping is used to reintroduce species into areas where they were once extirpated such as the beaver, river otter, or fisher. This indicates the cat has a minimum shoulder height of 1.5 feet (again, if it was further back when filmed it could be larger). The slate of deer seasons approved by the Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners for the 2021-22 license year allows for statewide concurrent hunting for antlered and antlerless deer through the duration of the firearms deer seasons in all Wildlife Management Units (WMUs). do I get an immediate, 'Oh yeah!' Our agency is passionate about our state's wild birds and wild mammals. I found tracks of it charging an adult whitetail, followed by its tracks stopping where they met, which indicated it had attached itself to the deer and was trying to bring it down. Additional information can be found on the Hunter-Trapper Education page. (PennLive has investigated many reports of mountain lions, and other mystery creatures, and has found no confirming evidence. Bone out the meat from your animal; 3. You be the judge. How do I report my bear harvest? The agency worked hard to restore many of these species back to the Commonwealth, and that continues today with success stories for beaver, river otter, bobcat and fisher. Michelle LaRue, executive director of the Cougar Network and a research ecologist at the University of Minnesota, will discuss the eastern expansion of cougars from their core range in the western U.S. at 7 p.m. in Moravian College's Haupert Union Building, Bethlehem. A few could, perhaps, be mistaken idenity. What do I think of the Canon 1D Mark IV? The Game Commission believes Pennsylvania's last known wild eastern mountain lion died in 1874 in Berks County. This is a game regulation that has been around for many years and predates most people currently working for the Game Commission. . Support increased financial assistance for wildlife and agricultural agencies to combat CWD. Since 1895, the Pennsylvania Game Commission has worked to manage and protect wildlife and their habitats while promoting hunting and trapping for current and future generations. No. In the forest, fires typically just consume the leaves, sticks and low growing vegetation. Smoke will generally dissipate once ignition is complete but may linger in the immediate vicinity for several hours after the burn while downed logs smolder and burn out. The population is monitored for three additional years after the last release to determine population status and success. Pennsylvania has 308 state games lands, which span more than 1.5 million acres. During the 1990s turkeys exhibited rapid population expansion facilitated by a combination of: restoration (trap & transfer), suppressed predator populations (much more trapping than today and rabies was more evident), more controlled hunting seasons, and habitat availability. Mountain lions have appeared in Pennsylvania in the past 75 years, but when they're captured, it's quickly determined they were formerly exotic pets or show animals. When I did, I discovered the intruder was a large cat. We raise pheasants because people like to hunt them. With all the deer in the area, the cat had plenty of prey and I didnt view it as a potential threat. The digest is also available for printing and viewing online. Mountain lions are large, tan cats. Wet springs are associated with greater potential for predation of nests and hens may be more prone to abandon nests in wet weather. He said the idea of having mountain lions in Pennsylvania again - they roamed the state as late as the early 1800s - seems nice at first, but would never . Who manages Pennsylvanias state game lands system? Would a puma then qualify as a native species? One man sent me a game camera photo that was blurry but looked like a mountain lion, or puma, as I like to call them. Please keep scrolling - ALL the Puma posts are included. Currently, trapping is only allowed for species with abundant populations and for species whos populations were reintroduced and are still growing like bobcat, fisher, and river otter only one animal per license year may be harvested and only in areas where populations are high enough to support harvest. Bowhunter Education course records dating back to 2000 and Cable Restraint/Furtaker Education records dating back to 2005 are also maintained. Who knows? Alhough Canada lynx have a bigger range than bobcats, they're the only known wildcat species in Pennsylvania, even though people have mistakenly reported sightings of pumas or mountain lions in the region. Why cant I purchase antlerless deer tags online? An animal's coat can stray far from the norm. Theories include the Nittany Lion, Mountain Lion, Puma, Cougar, Bobcat and even an actual black eastern Panther . The big cats are risk-adverse, solo hunters with impressively high kill rates. Pennsylvania Hunter-Trapper Education courses take place across the state throughout the year. Reducing the fall season in some WMUs and prohibiting rifles should allow turkey populations to reach harvest density goals without further decreasing season lengths in the future. Hunters I've spoken with said they've been told you can't kill a puma, which they felt was ironic since the same official told them pumas don't exist in Pa. A brief look, yes, but no question we saw a coyote. Animal welfare is important not only to the public, but to wildlife managers and trappers alike, and will continue to be a critical component of trapping in Pennsylvania. There have been no "confirmed" reports of mountain lions, AKA Puma concolor, in Pennsylvania since the late 1800s. Luckily, the camera is static, and there are plenty of objects in the frame that can be used to compare scale and positioning. When are prescribed fires scheduled? The mountain lion will most likely attempt to tackle you and crush your skull or bite your throat. Encourage officials at all levels of government to support the steps necessary to slow the spread of CWD across Pennsylvania. What are the wart-like bumps that can grow on deer? A game warden can prove that an attempt to tag the animal was made based on the evidence of a hole in the ear. Females tend to go an average of 18-30 miles, while males travel much farther (45-170 miles). A form (PDF) to be used for such requests can be obtained at the Harrisburg Office of the Pennsylvania Game Commission and at Open Records Offices throughout the Commonwealth. Elk hunters are encouraged to spend some time in Pennsylvanias elk country to become familiar with the area in advance of the elk hunting seasons. Can so many people be wrong? pgccomments@pa.gov for their messages to be shared with the Board of Game Commissioners and appropriate staff. Biology. the result of eating undercooked pork, said Dr. Mountain lions are about half the size of lions, but they can run up to 50 mph while lions can run only 37 mph. Its the basis of a classic fishing trick; you hold a fish a bit away from you to make it appear larger for the camera. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Inuit native American Indian Fossilized Bone Mountain Lion with Heartline at the best online prices at eBay! It is important to note that these symptoms are characteristic of many diseases other than CWD. Good luck, and let me know! However, bear are present all across the state. Callers anywhere in the state can now dial 1-833-PGC-HUNT or 1-833-PGC-WILD to contact the Pennsylvania Game Commission's Centralized Dispatch Center and be directed appropriately. Are they all the product of the off-spring of pumas that escaped their owners or were released? Bear harvest data is available on a map on the Game Commissions website. The Hunting and Trapping Digest serves as a great resource when it comes to questions about hunting seasons, bag limits and regulations. Fibromas are restricted to the skin of deer and do not spread to internal organs. Pennsylvanias new hunting and furtaker licensing system, Here in central Pennsylvania we live on the outskirts of what one puma-tracking website has as almost the high point of sightings, extending from north-central Pennsylvania in a southwestern diagonal that extends into the mountains of West Virginia. Stay calm. Over the last few years I've done several Questions of the Month regarding Mountain Lions, or Pumas as they should properly be called, in the Mid-Atlantic States and in Pennsylvania. According to the Pennsylvania Game Commission, feline predators such as the eastern cougar, which is also known as the mountain lion, are " extirpated ," meaning they're all but wiped out in. There is a low-slung head and neck, high shoulders, and a long back. Predation typically only limits local turkey populations. The proposal to remove the three-license limit for antlerless deer hunters statewide is intended to ensure that licenses allocated within a WMU are issued to the fullest extent possible. Hunters will be requested to provide information on where, when and what species of migratory birds were taken, in addition to the band number. Then I saw and was like, 'It could be a bobcat, possibly mountain lion,' " Nick Dodge said. Although size can be difficult to determine in the field, a puma will be three or four times larger than a bobcat. Flying over the area, I've looked down and commented upon the amount of habitat that would be available for a puma, if only they existed. Yes. Again, I've been told that some Game Commission personnel have admitted that pumas may exist in Pennsylvania, but they rationalize this by saying that the pumas are not breeding and they are not from original wild stock. 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