With declining turkey populations in many Wildlife Management Units, it might seem logical to eliminate the second spring gobbler tag to reduce harvest. The northeastern U.S. population is thought to have disappeared in the 1930s. Isn't the release of another predator just going to cause or add to the further decline of species such as the wild turkey, northern goshawk, ruffed grouse, Allegheny woodrats, or rabbits? Although mourning doves are considered a migratory game bird species, many of the doves we have in Pennsylvania reside here throughout the winter and provide an excellent opportunity late into the season. Please keep scrolling - ALL the Puma posts are included. Those licenses remain available and 2. The doe bolted for the trees with the cat still attached, and every 6 feet or so you could see a large impression in the snow, which mustve been the cats rump as it was hanging on with teeth and claws. As you can see, the cats shoulder measures the same as the indicator, i.e. You can also call the Game Commission's replacement card fulfillment center at 1-800-830-2268 for assistance in obtaining a replacement certificate. I also took a tape measure with me. They cover large areas of the state; in fact, many counties have only one game warden assigned. "Cougars really are deer specialists," said Laura Prugh, an author on the study. Youngsters who participate in the mentored program for at least three years before turning 12 are required to get a license at 12, rather than continuing as a mentored hunter. The report is available at www.pgc.pa.gov or by clicking here. Since turkey restoration efforts 5 environmental factors have changed and the interactions of these five factors can negatively affect turkey populations. Many of the reports I receive are extremely credible. Based on the available imagery, its impossible for me to say with confidence whether were looking at a huge bobcat or a small cougar/mountain lion. I have received about two dozen reports during that time, including one game camera image that still looks very credible to me. Populations with an abundance of hens have rebounded from poor hatch years in as few as two years, producing more gobblers than areas without an abundance of hens. Fearing the worst, I called 911. do I get an immediate, 'Oh yeah!' Who can I call with additional Hunter-Trapper Education and/or mentored hunter questions? Bear check stations are open on each day of the regular firearms bear season, and on select days of the extended seasons. Despite yearly reports of cougar sightings in Pennsylvania, the U.S. Then there is Rocky. Supplemental feeding is not necessary to sustain wildlife populations. 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. Have your animal tested and do not consume parts of any animal testing positive for CWD or displaying outward signs of disease. Where can I find bear harvest data? Late-stage signs of CWD-infected animals include an extreme loss of body condition; excessive drinking, urination, salivation and drooling; and behavioral and neurologic changes such as repetitive walking patterns, droopy ears, a wide-based stance, and listlessness. If you ask me, the answer is yes. Now, if there were any escapes, and if any of these bred with a possible minuscule number of eastern pumas, a relic native population, wouldn't the gene pool be corrupted? With lots of hens breeding in the spring, turkey populations can rise quickly. Click here for full harvest reporting details. However, my friend and I discussed this, and agreed, we saw what we saw, and had it been 40 years ago or four months ago, we knew we saw a coyote. How do I report my bobcat or fisher harvest(s)? To learn more about this action, and for an update on the status of turkey management in the Commonwealth, please review the wild turkey biologist's January 2021 report to the board. Please remember to be respectful of private property while visiting. 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 . Now consider: If it was confirmed that there was a breeding population of endangered pumas on the mountain ridge behind my house, if the USFWS recognized the existence of this endangered species, what might happen? The Pennsylvania Game Commission is your state wildlife agency and we want to help clarify and simplify some timely and commonly asked hunting- and wildlife-related questions. As you can see from the above images it is very difficult to confuse the two if you have a good view. The question that remains is: if it was a house cat or cougar, how big would it be? This is the most asked turkey hunting question the Game Commission receives. Onthese three Sundays, hunters on private land are required to carry written permission from the landowner. Wildfires on the other hand, are unplanned fires that occur during extreme conditions, which can pose threats to public safety and cause damage to natural resources. Feeding also promotes the spread of infectious diseases by having them unnaturally congregate into small areas. This framework represents an effort to proactively revise Pennsylvanias season-setting process to respond to declines, while we still have a functional statewide population. More about mountain lions in Pennsylvania: If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. How can I apply for a Pennsylvania elk hunting license? Mature trees are left standing and are typically not impacted by the fire, (unless that is the desired effect). 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! By the mid-1900s pumas were eliminated from almost all of the eastern states, and by mid-century were officially extinct east of the Mississippi, except . Their bodies are mainly covered in tawny-beige fur, except for the whitish-gray belly and chest. After several years of teaching, I transitioned into the world of educational consulting. Is the Pennsylvania Hunter-Trapper Education Course available online? Will the Game Commission refund the cost of my hunting and furtaker licenses if I cannot travel due to COVID-19-related restrictions? A contained "test fire" is typically lit mid- to late-morning in a small area to see if conditions are appropriate for proceeding with the full operation. Removal of other items is strictly prohibited. How can opinions be submitted to the Pennsylvania Game Commission? Pennsylvania is home to the largest wild elk herd in the northeastern United States. License buyers must first successfully complete a Hunter-Trapper Education Course. Wet hens may leave a more significant scent trail allowing predators to be more successful at finding nests. I believe that the folks that are reporting, in detail, their sightings are faced with a similar situation. A few additional ways to help prevent bears getting into garbage: Keep garbage cans clean by washing them out a few times a year with bleach or ammonia; keep bears from easily getting inside cans by attaching ratchet straps (not bungee cords) across the lid in an X pattern; and do not strap cans to a tree or post, as doing so actually gives a bear leverage to more easily access a can if someone is using an actual bear-proof container or using the ratchet straps. The other three images are from my file, selected to most closely approximate the pose of the cat from the game camera. If pumas do exist in the mid-Atlantic and Northeast, could they all be released cats or escapees? Is there a Mountain Lion Conspiracy? Junior hunters, ages 14-15, must be accompanied by an adult 18 or older. Although I suspect that the cat filmed is not a bobcat (its certainly not a house cat), I cant say for sure that this proves there are mountain lions in Pennsylvania. Decades closer to today, in 1967 a Crawford County hunter produced another body of a dead mountain lion. Hopefully, we'll see the real thing. Penn's Woods is our state's nickname due to our forests, which blanket more than 60 percent of our state, and more than 92 percent of our state game lands. Once a hunter obtains six licenses, the hunter cant purchase additional licenses without first harvesting deer and reporting them. Eyes are normal and are not light sensitive, and the over-all color, generally black, is usually not detrimental and may actually be of benefit. It is available to view online at www.pgc.pa.gov/cwd. HuntFishPA, is equipped to provide hunters and trappers with electronic versions of the licenses they buy. *Please note: While we try our best, we are not always able to respond to every inquiry. Click here for more information. How, Who, and Why? For example, one man I interviewed said he saw a 'black' puma, and this should disqualify his sighting as a black puma has never been recorded. All told, they could eliminate 708,600 collisions and $2.13 billion in damages over 30 years. The American Marten is a native species to Pennsylvania that was extirpated 100 years ago due to deforestation and unregulated harvest. Luckily, the camera is static, and there are plenty of objects in the frame that can be used to compare scale and positioning. But this one was black, and he knows mountain lions are some variant of brown. The most common areas to see mountain lions in Arizona are in places of rocky and mountainous terrain. Does my mentored hunter need to purchase his or her own doe tag? However, evidence of attempt to tag would be harder to prove if the tag was placed around the antler. What's more, the U.S. Predation typically only limits local turkey populations. However, it is unlawful to remove any historical or archeological artifact. It is best to call the region office directly because the region dispatcher might have additional questions for the caller about an exact location, the time the animal was witnessed or other something else. Weather, especially during spring nesting season can affect turkey populations. Support proper deer management actions like increased deer harvests in DMAs designed to slow the spread of CWD. Road-killed deer should be reported directly to the Pennsylvania Game Commission region office that serves the county where the animal is located. I've seen hoaxes, of pumas carrying deer shot with game cameras, but these were of western cats. Even though the majority of the harvest occurs during the first week of the season, our harvest data show that fifteen to eighteen percent of the harvest can occur the last Monday-Friday of the season, so the longer the fall season length the higher the harvest. During times of the year where natural food sources are low, bears sometimes help themselves to food that is easily accessible, including bird feeders, trash cans and pet food left outside within a bears reach. The PGC has no plans to reintroduce mountain lions or any other big predator into the state, Hardisky said. Hold your ground and back away slowly. Cougars in Pennsylvania may still be a pipe dream in 2023, but who knows? Users must realize that these decisions are highly weather dependent and therefore cannot be made more than a few days in advance. Given the cougar's effectiveness as a deer population control, some biologists think this eastern push is a good thing one that should even be encouraged or helped along. Are there Mountain Lions (Pumas, Cougars) in Pennsylvania and the Mid-Atlantic States? Rather than restrict opportunity and reduce harvest rates by reducing the amount of information provided, the Game Commission prefers to give each individual hunter the freedom to include their personal preferences on density of other hunters when deciding when and where to hunt stocked pheasants. On average, one antlerless deer is harvested for every four antlerless deer licenses allocated. The reason biologists believe predation rates increase in wet weather has to do with scenting conditions. Try to block the mountain lion from your eyes and face as you strike it. A variety of entities handle road-killed deer removal throughout the state and the region office can clarify the proper authorities to notify based on the location of the animal. With the Great Lakes in its way, the cat moved either north or south of the water, and the latter route would have seen it pass through at least some of Pennsylvania. And a bit of an unpleasant one at that, as they now faced ridicule or doubt whenever they discussed their sightings. In Pennsylvania, Sunday hunting has been permitted for a long time for foxes, coyotes and crows during open seasons. I've worked with students of all ages and backgrounds, and I love helping them unlock their full potential. They regularly join the camp of those angrily claiming the commission has introduced the big cats back into Pennsylvania as a control measure against the state's huge deer population. Yet there is a taste for meat of threatened wild animals in other parts of the worldtoo many species to list, said Allan. We are one of the leading states when it comes to turkey hunters! 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. Click here for ways to be ELK SMART. It is illegal to take or possess wildlife from the wild. Share on Social They were definitely cat tracks, no claws at all, and were crisply imprinted in an inch of snow. No. In 2011, a mountain lion migrated from South Dakota to Connecticut, a journey of some 1,500 miles. How can I buy a bear hunting license? A hunter mentor must be 21 years of age and possess a valid, current hunting license or otherwise qualify for a license and fee exemptions. Calls to the Operation Game Thief hotline are always answered by a secure recording device. No wild cougars have been found in Pennsylvania since their extirpation in 1871. The lowered bag limit should allow AP Canada goose populations to rebound. Although size can be difficult to determine in the field, a puma will be three or four times larger than a bobcat. Help prevent negative human-bear conflicts and keep Pennsylvania bears wild by: Removing potential bear snacks, like pet food or bird feeders, and putting them inside overnight. Are hunters OK with fewer deer?". Because the success of a seasons' offspring can be directly affected by poor weather in the spring, an abundance of hens can make it easier for a population to recover from poor hatch years. But Ill leave it up to you, my readers. Many hunters remove the antlers prior to processing. Many species of wildlife are born in the spring and its almost certain Pennsylvanians will encounter young wildlife at one point or another. If you purchase a snow goose conservation permit, you must submit a snow goose harvest online at HuntFishPA, even if you were not successful. With my daughters help, I held the tape measure to the ground and pointed at assorted measurements on it. Natural food sources can be low this time of year, so bears are more likely to help themselves to food that is easily accessible. If you have a question that isnt answered below, please email us at By reporting harvests, hunters are helping the Game Commission monitor populations and help set future seasons and bag limits. 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