If was about 50 . Note: this article expired, but a lot of people want to comment on this thread, so I kept it active, and updated it for quite a while. Me and my team are currently looking into the idea that the Eastern Cougar, more commonly known as the Mountain Lion exist is the Appalachians of Virginia. One of her biggest concerns about the recent declaration of extinction is that any cats in the area (whether western migrants or otherwise) and their habitats wouldnt be protected. An Amish farmer along 944 in Cumberland County complained to the PGC a mountain lion was killing his sheep. Harsh winters can[], Thanks for dropping by! They say the last mountain lion in Virginia was killed in 1882. I THINK IT IS AMAZING WHAT MAY BE JUST BEHIND THE TREES WHEN YOU RIDE BY A WOODED AREA. And my car lights revealed a 3-year-old or so male Mountain Lion. They were all shiny black with long tails. https://www.whsv.com/content/news/Mountain-lion-attack-reported-near-Humpback-Rock-385246261.html Its been confirmed by by fish and game. Weve been searching the internet to identify it, but after reading these messages it sounds as though weve seen a cougar. By 2011, U.S. Several years later one of our neighbors was awakened by a commotion in the barn. I work with someone who says that on his familys farm in Virginia (not sure exactly where, but can find out) he said there are wolves. And thats being done without, from what I understand, any real proof. He told me that he was having a problem with coyotes killing his sheep. Sissy, 3 days back I had positively seen a cougar off of Ingram Dr in Haymarket, Va which is right off of Bull Run Mountain. 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 live in Springfield VA in a subdivision, but there are wooded stream areas close by that are often used by deer and other animals to move through the area. The eastern cougar, which occurred in West Virginia, is one of 15 subspecies . I have been compiling reported cougar sightings around the Bedford, Virginia area and will be manning a booth for them on March 8, 2008 Outdoors Show at the Bedford Armory. Large aggressive alpha predator spotted in Central Virginia near Fredericksburg on july, 17 2018 About a month ago I was visiting a local sheep farmer (more gentleman farmer than actual make-money-farming farmer). In 2012, LaRue and her colleague Dr. Clay Nielsen published a paper in the Journal of Wildlife Management analyzing 178 confirmed sightings between 1990 and 2008 throughout the Midwestern and Eastern states and parts of Canada. Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. We gathered the kids and went to retrieve them. Look how long it took scientists to find the okapi. If for some reason there were any cougars rediscovered in the east that werent migrants from the west, the protection status is up to the state in which it is found, LaRue said. We still hear these screams from time to time but most recently (Dec 26, 2006) our grand daughter spotted a coyote digging in our manure pile for varmits! This area is on the Abingdon end of South Holston Lake. Last year the U.S. The U.S. Im not sure if they really believed us but a few years ago the lady and her friend rode their horses off into the battlefield trails which begin in a field directly across from our front door. Free shipping for many products! "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 . It was standing next to a large hill in the median and looked at my car as I passed. Thankfully we were vindicated by a clear trail cam sighting a couple years later. Could it have been one of those? Does anyone realy know??? But even when a new population does begin to grow, LaRue said the likelihood of crossing paths with them will still be miniscule. The girls were young and werent sure what theyd seen. Updated: Jul 3, 2016 / 10:29 PM EDT. Cougars, also known as mountain lions, were once common here and they have left a legacy of place names throughout the state indeed, the entire Southeast. Lots of fawns this year. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Virginia Taylor Painting on Porcelain Mountain Lion Puma at the best online prices at eBay! Thursday, April 21, 2005. "On average, DGIF has received approximately three to foursightings of large cats a month in recent years," the blog post stated. Given my report in spring of 07 of a lion sighting could this be a return of the catamount? There are just too many of these stories for her to believe that the cats are extinct. It was such a chilling sound at 1:30 in the morning. 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. Get real. Today, we are going to be learning about where they live. But in 2011, they were declared extinct. Virginia's mountain lions were once on the endangered species list and in 2011, they were declared extinct. . I still wasnt positive though. It stood about 3 feet tall, and had a rounded face with low-set ears. NEW VIRGINIA, Iowa (KCRG) - Law enforcement have confirmed mountain lion sightings in central Iowa. Based on the photographs and videos we receive, the primary ones that people mistake them for are bobcats. "He was only 10 weeks old when he came here," said Mark . For those who dont believe in the sightings or tales of the eastern cougar, it is a misjudgment to criticize others for their experiences. Although the eastern cougar is extinct, there are still sightings of these cats across the state. Hey me and my friends go hunting in virginia and theres been some times where we have been hunting and we would here her but it sounds like a female screaming bloody murder and its one of those sounds that makes your hair stand up and if you are tired it will wake you up i personaly know i was hunting in a stand and i saw the hole body but the head it scared the living crap out of me THanks CArole. I failed to mention the eyes looking at us! Long enough I was wishing he would be quiet so that I could hear if any deer were coming. Oct 3, 2017. It was just too big to be a bobcat nor did it have bobcat coloring. Follow Laura Peters @peterslaura and @peterpants . Scientific reports one claimed that the Florida Panther was an obligate forest species and used lands only within 100 yards of forests. Similar to Tennessee's wild elk and buffalo, the cougar was extirpated from the state around the early 1900s due to overhunting and habitat loss. So will a new population of cougars render the U.S. I hope that maybe I can find a place I can place a trail camera nearby to search for it. So many, in fact, that they've been listed by the Guinness Book of World Records as the mammal with the most names. The cat was black with a tail nearly as long as its body. Florida seems to be the number one place for non-native wildlife. I recently sent a comment asking if anyone has seen a wolf in Virginia. Seems in these parts every snake they see is a copperhead (even the black with white belly ones). ", "These cats are moving east looking for new territory," Renee O'brien posted on Facebook. He was concerned that the animal was, not only not affraid of him, but watched him for some time before running off. They go hiking in the Rockies all the time and people still dont see them very often.. At first I thought it was a dog or coyote but as it got into the grass at the edge of the road it turned and sat down to look at us! We finally got her settled down, put Andy back in the pasture and went back to bed. Species number one is the bobcat, and species number two is the Mountain lion. I walked to my car and turned my lights on. 1. . It's nearly impossible to imagine, but elk once roamed freely here in Virginia. Now, they are mostly relegated to a few states in the west. It lived across the cove form us, and it would scream out at night sometimes, so loud that chills ran down our spines. "They've been found as far east as western Tennessee," Fies said. twice in the last 6 months. Being in a residential neighborhood does nothing for a cougar.. George, A friend showed me a picture of a cougar, carrying a deer head. 421, I watched a black cat come from under a concrete bridge and jump into the woods when it saw me. I have since seen a picture of a lion spotted in Buckingham co. and realize that was the animal I saw. Experience Shenandoah: Make Memories That Will Last a Lifetime. Having myself grown up in western North Carolina, in the Blue Ridge Mountains, I heard all the stories about the puma, or catamount, as it was called, hanging on in the most secret hollows of the realm. SHE THEN TOLD HER SON THAT A BIG KITTY AS SHE CALLED IT WOULD COME AND EAT THE FOOD AND DRINK THE WATER SHE PUT OUT FOR HER DOBERMAN THAT HAD PASSED AWAY. A co-worker and I had a run in with a very large black cat in Floyd, VA in 2002. i just moved to roanoke just wondering are there really mountain lions or any wild animals of size and chances of them attacking people not scrared just try not to invade respect their space and hope they respect mine. "Mountain lions existed statewide at the time of European settlement, but presumably were extirpated from the state by the 1880s," a DGIF blog stated. While driving down a winding mountain road in Madison County (Northwest, VA), I witnessed a large cat trotting up the road toward me. at the shoulder, that's nearly 3 ft. tall! No more mountain lions in Virginia, only bobcats. So, if anyone knows who I can contact please let me know. . Mountain Lions at the West Virginia Wildlife Center. June 21, 2008 About two weeks ago I was traveling on Rt 15 from Farmville to Dillwyn in Buckinham county. Here's What, Mountain Lion Size Comparison: How Do They, This Fearless Cougar Doesnt Care How Much Larger the Brown Bear Is and Goes for It, Watch This Family Discover a Mountain Lion Curled Up On Their Porch. WVa Sanctuary provides safe home for mountain lions and bobcat. They yelled back at me, got a little closer, and seemingly vanished into the valley after I heard the uncanny Mountain Lion yell. I believe it was 2006 or 2007. Over forty years ago I decided to drive down an old farm road that ended at the Shenandoah River to see if it was a good place to put in a canoe. Period. My husband and I just got home from work about 3 hours ago at 1:30 am. Their typical prey includes rabbits and squirrels, but they can kill deer when they are feeling up to it. Sarah, Early this morning (5am, Oct 3 2007) I heard a very distinctive cry coming from the wooded area in front of my house. This is not the same picture withe the cat dragging the buck. My son and I definitely saw a mountain lion today while I was taking him back to college this morning on I-81 near Buckhannon in Virginia near the Blue Ridge Parkway exit; unfortunately, it had been killed by a car before we saw it. I hope the person who struck it hears its cries in his or her nightmares / dreams for a very long time to come. http://www.cougarnet.org, I LIVE NEAR PATRICK CO VA AND WORK NEAR ROCKINGHAM CO. NC. In Rockingham county virginia, my father, family friend and I go bow hunting for 1 week every year in the GWNF. As a member of the Eastern cougar foundation, I am very interested in your sighting of the black cougar. We stood there listening to them, it sounded like they were answering each other from 3 different places. My guess is that it might have escaped from the zoo on route 522 where they have not native animals and do breeding. It was about 11:30 PM and I was driving an Austin Healy Bugeyed Sprite. of Game and Inland Fisheries web site on the eastern cougar. The agency noted that the initial listing was an error, and the species had been extinct long before the 1973 listing:4. I remember seeing very large cat tracks(not a normal bobcat track) while hunting the GWNF sw of harrisonburg,va in the mid to late 1980s. They said mountain lions had always been there, although you didnt hear them often. Chris Desborough/Shutterstock.com. He then went to our pond & disappeared into the woods. Forestry rangers say they have spotted several mountain lions in the area. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. When my lights shined in its eyes I was pretty sure that what I saw was a mountain lion, but then again I only got a short glimpse of it. However, according to growing reports, they are here. We were walking back into the yard leading our pony mule, Andy, when all of a sudden there was a cougar scream which sounded like it was coming from the pond at the back of our pasture! Native to most counties in Virginia, the bobcat is a . Since 1970, scores of wild mountain lion sightings have been reported without a single one being confirmed, the department reports. Me and my wife were on Leesville Rd in Evington just at the Otter River when we saw a large black cat the size of a mountain lion running up the grassyhill by the road. Those eyes I will never forget as the cars lights stunned it for a moment.. Last night i was driving back to college from home. So these sightings have been confirmed, and there is in fact at least one mountain lion roaming around in Tennessee. I WAS WONDERING IF THERE HAVE BEEN ANY SIGHTINGS OF A COUGAR OR OTHER LARGE FELINE IN THIS AREA. I was almost back to sleep when it happened again and this time it was no house cat! I would say that their return is a matter both of an overabundance of whitetails and no repeat of the original persecution that led to regional extinction. I had the windows open because it was a cool night. I live in Fairfax County, Northern Virginia and the area is pretty urban, although there are woods adjacent to my home and I have seen plenty of deer and fox. Mountain lions are definitely coming to Virginia. It was hit by a log truck in Buckingham Co. near Dillwyn in early spring. The Florida Panther was also listed as a separate subspecies, Puma concolor coryi. Their conclusion: "Sir, you don't have a mountain lion.". We almost hit it with the car. I have seen fully grown Bobcats up close, and those animals are way bigger than I had previously expected. Scientists once classified over 30 subspecies of cougars based on morphological differences. It was in the early evening but well before dark. Ive seen a few cougars in the wild, I dont believe the black phase has ever been confirmed in any mountain lion/cougar/catamount/puma. The population of cougars west of the Mississippi River was large enough that it was not listed. There haven't been any cougars in Tennessee since the early 1900s. Human expansion and economic progress have driven natural predators out of Virginia, giving the deer free rein. And yet there are numerous reports of hikers and residents spotting these creatures, especially in the mountains. I grew up in NW Virginia near the Shenandoahs and have heard folks mention seeing mt. I can definetely say that there are mountain lions in Shenandoah National Park. It was great, probably one of the most exciting experiences of my life, and I feel very fortunate.. It was just after dark and I didnt think there were supposed to be any mountain lions in that part of the country. They prefer deer.. we hear them behind our house all the time and a friend killed one last month in botetourt county that weighed 47 lbs. In Wyoming, the season runs from Sept. 1 to Aug. 31, but in Utah, the season runs from Nov. 9 to March 31. It had a tail just about as large as the body. Upon seeing the lights, he turned around and ran into the woods. ), Bobcat kittens!- They were just thicker-coated & boned kittens with a bobby tail and whisky ears for the most part. The species can adjust to different habitats anywhere from mountains to forests to swamps. Look up the story of Rocky the African serval- an escaped pet that roams Virginia to this day I believe. A mountain lion photo has been circulating on social media for more than a year, claiming people have seenmountain lions in the state, and officials are calling shenanigans on the post. There have been sightings of mountain lions in Virginia since the late 1800s, and its tough to imagine that every single one of them is misidentifying or lying about their experience, but it doesnt help that there hasnt been any physical evidence of mountain lions found either. 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