100% sure? "Don't care what the officials say. Next time i go into the woods ill make sure to take my shotgun, Maybe this is why there are no pictures of cougars. He was concerned that the animal was, not only not affraid of him, but watched him for some time before running off. In fact, there have been 121 reports that are likely to have been true mountain lion sightings. They say the last mountain lion in Virginia was killed in 1882. Has anyone else seen a large cat in the Campbell County area? cat with a !very long! few turkeys this spring and summer. It was a large cougar that had an eight point buck by the neck. Those few instances where the information appears credible, investigation by staff has always confirmed the animal to be a bobcat, black bear, domestic cat or dog.". The next morning I found a large track in soft dirt. Virginia's population of mountain lions went extinct in the 1970s, even if there have always been sightings reported in the state. At first I wondered if it was a bob cat, however, the feline was far too large, and lacked the bushier tail commonly associated with a bob (especially given that it was still early February). Since 1970, 121 sightings have been identified as possible mountain lions, but have not been officially confirmed. It was undoubtedly a full grown male mountain lion. Speculating that they were mountain lions, we drove to a distance of about 250 yards away to take a second glace. Wonder why so many big black cats ae spotted all over the country then?? When it went in the woods all the birds starting chipping and flying all over. When they said they had we advised them of the origin and told them about the cougar incident on their property. Rockingham Co., va Mountain Lions in New York. We live in Oak Hill, Virginia, in a neighborhood. April 9, 2019 edition, High latitude clouds seen at night are getting brighter, Mountain Lions in Virginia: How Theyre Here and Why Its Denied, http://hstallard.blogspot.com/2008/03/mountain-lion-hoax-in-virginia.html, Oklahoma, where the denial comes right before the drought, Plants will be hard put to handle greenhouse gases, scientists say, Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, Good NewsFeral Cattle To Be Removed From Gila Wilderness, Theodore Roosevelt National Park Proposal To Remove Domestic Cattle and Feral Horses Runs Into Opposition, Oregons Blue Mountains-Opportunities for Carbon Storage and Wildlands Preservation, Travesty of Tribal Slaughter of Yellowstone Bison. After DNA testing . The Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources claims that they havent been in the region since 1882. Whatever it was was big and right under my window. Interestingly, the does seem to have very new fawns (twins generally). Now, they are mostly relegated to a few states in the west. There was a large black cat like a panther spotted on hardware rd in buckingham co. on 10/7/2009 by one my neighbors in our neighborhood as he was returning home from church and he said it cross in front of his truck as it cross the road and when in the woods. I started yelling and making as much noise as i could and heard the sounds of claws running up a tree. 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. Today, there are less than 200 Florida panthers remaining. Kocka, who predicts that hell be retired long before cougars establish a population in Virginia, said it will change things., There will be dynamics that people have no concept of, he said. This Spring we had few deer and fewer fawns, but lately (since mid August) I have seen plenty of deer sign. Her views represent another twist in the ecological controversy. Myself and many others in the state have trail cams all over the place. We would also be very interested in recovering any remains. Im not 100% sure but thats what i feel it was a COUGAR. We have for several years seen small ones around. The wind chill was absolutely tremendous in the portal and the -20 outside felt balmy in comparison. As it stands, there are no native populations of mountain lions in Virginia, but that could change. According to the Cat Specialist Group, Puma concolor cougar is in North and Central America and Puma concolor concolor ranges throughout South America.2. I stopped the truck and did the did I see what I think I saw routine. Scientific reports one claimed that the Florida Panther was an obligate forest species and used lands only within 100 yards of forests. Thank you! I didnt think any more of it until we had our coyote visitor but now shes certain what she saw was a little of coyote pups. I grew up in NW Virginia near the Shenandoahs and have heard folks mention seeing mt. I live in historic Jonesborough, TN. We cant even find criminals when we know where to look, let alone a cougar who;s very existence depends on its ability to remain hidden. Diana Marchibroda and her miniature schnauzer froze in their tracks when the mountain lion stepped out of the woods last May. The folks living in those areas, at least in WV, mostly keep to themselves and most of those folks do not have computers. Upon seeing the lights, he turned around and ran into the woods. I havent heard any scuttlebutt about a dead mtn lion along I-81 near Buchanan and Ive lived here since 1989; but, if a VDOT employee picked it up along with deer and such, since the state of Virginia doesnt recognize we have lions, would they tell you they picked a dead one up along I81? I knew we a small population of bobcats in this area and asked her if it could have been that. "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 . My horse just disappeared- we live adjascent to Havens Wildlife Preserve. The web site has emails for officers and members to communicate with along with membership applications and links to a whole world of information on cougars. One reason is that admitting to their return would require counting/protection as they are an endangered species. I called my neighbor as soon as we got home and told her the tale and she responded Yeah, I have heard several people say they have seen them up here. Which shocked me even more that she wasnt surprised! This time is was near 4 A.M. I am skeptical of each sighting of mountain lion when no physical evidence is present. Everyone knows that the panthers that are seen in the East are former pets released. It then stopped in the road and turned to look at me. Virginia has two different native species of wild cats. Yeah there may be a stray young male very occasionally. Are Mountain Lions Back in the Blue Ridge? Ive seen plenty of foxes in the woods around here and I thought maybe it was a fox in pain. I was also told of a large cat sighting just north of Eden, NC. My dad found tracks and no, not bear, but cat, on our farm in that area and residents have reported seening a pair crossing just a few miles from where dad saw tracks. My farm helper saw one at approximately the same location yesterday. Montross, VA . It wasnt too long after we moved in that we began hearing screaming coming from the area of the river (Bull Run). Yes, most sightings, if not all of them have to be taken on 100% trust in the person who has it. Experience Shenandoah: Make Memories That Will Last a Lifetime. Interestingly, the Eastern Cougar did exist in Virginia up until around the 1880's, but The . They then have to ensure that the picture hasnt been tampered with in any way, because Peterson said an astounding number of peopleboth misinformed wildlife enthusiasts and tricksters with too much time on their hands and access to Photoshopsend him shots of mountain lions that were clearly either edited or taken in a state out west. Based on the photographs and videos we receive, the primary ones that people mistake them for are bobcats. The near-extirpation of deer would have forced any remaining cougar population during the 1930's-1970's to hunt in areas where the cats were likely to have been seen. Experts in Tennessee dont know exactly how many mountain lions are roaming the area, but they do know one thing for sure: at least one of them is a female. Lets explore what that looks like some more. Despite their extinct status, there have been persistent mountain lion sightings . However, wildlife experts in the area have disagreed with the sightings and think people are confusing bobcats with mountain lions. When very quietly without any noise I saw movement coming out of a clearing. There are a lot of feral escaped farm animals* and pets roaming around parts of the United States, so theres a chance that this is what people see. Because I was at a B-day party, I had my camera, and took the picture off his phone. This also was a sighting near Callands, VA: my wife was out jogging on our dirt road and came across a very large bobcat, about the size of a large dog, stubby tail, brown color, only about fifty yards from her, just staring at her. and the does mated again? i recently moved to Martinsville from Ct. My folks have lived in Stuart for the past 11 years. If a mountain lion walks around an area enough, many different humans will notice. Pretty much the same thing as we read here. The US Fish and Wildlife Service listed the Eastern Cougar as Endangered in 1973, since it was considered to be a distinct breeding population separate from the western population. Bears, Deer and Turkey come out in the yard on a regular basis. Theres just too few of them. It Had a very long tail, and had a light brown coloring with black spots. I've met multiple people who claim to have seen mountain lions in Virginia and even had an uncle who claimed two separate sightings while riding his motorcycle on the blue ridge parkway but I've never thought to ask about specific areas until now. As we were approaching the Mabry Mill area, my daughter said excitedly hey dad, look, a bullmastiff (we bred them in Ct, and still have 2 adult males as pets). Today, we are going to be learning about where they live. I havent seen anything like one since back in May. What is this. While Virginia Beach has been known to house several species of sharks, it's more unusual for these intimidating creatures to wander inland. While bringing wood into the house I saw a cat like animal behind the wood pile squat down then run into the woods. smokymtman, Are there mountain lions in the Shenandoah Valley? i live close to the cement plant in botetourt co and know 4 people personally ( 2 are my sons) who have seen mountain lion near the cement plant. Have some feedback for us? Well, then dont dress them up like sheep, he said with a chuckle. I have since seen a picture of a lion spotted in Buckingham co. and realize that was the animal I saw. Because of how they hunt, they need to basically be able to hide and creep up on their prey. Figure 1 - Mountain lion range and confirmed sightings from 1990-2008. . By Rick Steelhammer. I saw a friend while out to dinner two weeks ago and he came up and said, You will never believe what I saw last evening at my place. I said, What did you see? Admission is $6 for ages 16 and over, $2 for kids 6 to 15 years old, and free for . I aimed my light in the direction and it was a huge cat halfway up the tree staring at me. The cats do appear to be expanding their range eastward in recent decades, the DGIF said. Near the paw print I found tracks of a small deer moving very fast (tracks far apart and just the point of the hoof.) However, experts claim that even if those would turn out to be true, it wouldn't be a return of the original population. Today is Sept. 29, 2008. Today's habitat could support a breeding population. shortly after this, it was reported in the article, a puma was killed by a sheep rancher in an adjoining W.VA county. VA. The DGIF is adamant though that the species is not found in the Commonwealth, although it is possible the western subspecies could be moving east. Source: US Fish and Wildlife Service, Eastern Cougar Recovery Plan (page 2), http://mountainlion.org/us/NC/-NC-history.asp, https://blog.wildlife.virginia.gov/outdoor-report/2016/03/the-myth-of-mountain-lions-in-virginia/, https://www.fws.gov/northeast/ecougar/pdf/Cougar_News_Bulletin_Final_1_18.pdf, https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2018/01/23/2018-01127/endangered-and-threatened-wildlife-and-plants-removing-the-eastern-puma-cougar-from-the-federal-list, https://www.fws.gov/refuge/florida_panther/wah/panther.html, https://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/29/opinion/the-cougar-behind-your-trash-can.html, https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.0030333, https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/mcvmagazine/issues/2015/sep-oct/cougars-in-minnesota.html, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Comission, Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries. i would love their return to our wilds. We got a phone call last night that one of our neighbors (in Midlothian, VA) saw a lion in the back yard. A large, darkish animal approximately the height of a retriever/setter, long tail that curved at the very end, large cat-like head, and very close, prominent shoulders, that I still can see moving up and down when I think about it crossing Meetze Road. Male cougars migrate further than females, but so far only a few have followed the pattern of coyotes and reached the eastern side of North America. Had an Eagle land right outside the living room window one time. Well, then we know theres a cougar there, Peterson said simply. It was completely jet black, with a very long tail 3-4 feet long. It saw my movement, froze and growled. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. The boys and dogs went back to the old beaver pond. He circled and hissed right up against the tent. I could hear the kittens and I captured a photo which I believe to be a smaller lion. As a result, multiple sightings across different time ranges could be attributed to the same cat. I was backpacking on the tuscarours trail and set up camp right after the overall run connector. Our family moved to the Manassas National Battlefield area in 1983. The species epithet "concolor" is Latin for "of one color," because adults are a solid version of some sort of tan. It was great, probably one of the most exciting experiences of my life, and I feel very fortunate.. He was licking his coat. About a week later I seen a documentary on black mountian lions, and that is exactly what I had seen, same size and coloring. News outlets picked up the story and the video went viral, and its easy to understand whyaccording to TWRA regional manager Alan Peterson, that video marked only the second confirmed cougar sighting in Tennessee in more than 100 years. Tried to track it with the game warden but never found it. 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