Yeah there may be a stray young male very occasionally. Last night, 9/26/07, at around 7:30 PM, my husband and I were driving home from the store on Page Valley Road in Luray , Va. The DWR is open to reviewing evidence of mountain lions in our area, and Michael told me to always keep an open mind. Thursday, April 21, 2005. I was glad i was in a car, as Im sure it would have been terrified had we been on foot. This lion was hit between Cherry Reservoir Road and High Knob area I stress that this is not a joke so please write it anyone knows how to reduce the distortion of the photos. Many ridges, creeks, swamps and mountains were long ago named for panthers or the colloquial term "painters," both common names in this part of the country for the cougar. I know another person in Albemarle Co. who sees them sunning regularly there and has for years. But these cats are on experts radars, and the TWRA has even established a Cougar Response Committee to answer questions and sift through reported sightingsof which Peterson said he expects to see an influx later in the year. The cougar has the largest geographic range of any native terrestrial mammal in the Western Hemisphere. (sad). He said it was from the Mattaponi Trial in Caroline County. Finetune Your Skills in Patrick County, Va. It really burns me up to hear so called experts say that there are no mountain lions or even wolves for that matter in VA. About 10-12 years ago, there was a pretty severe drought, and I know I saw a wolf in the Woodlake area of Midlothian, but everyone said are you sure it wasnt a big dog? If you see a wolf, you know its not a dog. "In others frankly (some people) just make up stories to get attention or to support their beliefs, so they'll come up with a photo from somewhere else to justify their beliefs," he continued. The agency noted that the initial listing was an error, and the species had been extinct long before the 1973 listing:4. The New York Times reported that a cougar killed in Connecticut by car in 2011 was from the Black Hills of South Dakota:6, If a cougar population was e-established in the east, it would pose a risk to backcountry hikers similar to that posed by bears. I live in historic Jonesborough, TN. Officials explained the deceased animal must have wandered from the Black Hills of South Dakota. 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. Scientists once classified over 30 subspecies of cougars based on morphological differences. Everyone in the car was amazed at what we saw, and have since gone back hoping to see it again. Hickories and pecans seem sparse this year. Whenever I see a big cat I look for tail characteristics for a sighting confirmation. In that area the roads have never been paved. Oh maybe some of the lazy hacks have finally retired., Another commenter speculated that the agency may have intentionally downplayed past sightings as they result in new study and staffing expenses.. Its a gradual process, and especially in the early years of a repopulation, any sightings are most likely of males. 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 quit taking my solo walks in the woods after that!!!!!Leen. Mountain Lions are back, maybe. You could check with the Dept. Do you know what it is? I do not know of any dogs in the area with feet that big. I was about 100 yards away from the cat and watched it jump up a bank and into a patch of woods that had been logged. At first I thought it was human screams. But I never CLEARLY & TRULY actually encountered one until a few weeks ago! Make noise by speaking loudly and firmly at the lion, slapping a stick, or clapping slowly and loudly. I was looking out our 2nd story window yesterday evening when a very large cat looking animal came out of a thicket behind the house to get a drink in the pond. There are so many camera traps now for both research (academic inductions, VDWR and VDACS) and private hunters. Spotted a lion last night around 7:30 pm. Hello, 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). When I was a kid we lived on a mountain in the Shenandoah Valley (near Front Royal/ Linden) and there were several mountain Lion sightings and people who claimed to have heard them. It was tan and had short ears. a cougar is not going to risk attacking a horse as they are a somewhat delicate animal which I have seen killed by an elk if they choose the wrong one.. horses are too substaintial unless there are no deer at all around, but in your case I think if there are cats there it is because their food is ther. Fish & Wildlife Resources recent decision to declare eastern cougars extinct, and she knew unless she was able to produce some sort of physical evidence like a photo, shed be hard pressed to convince any wildlife expert of what she saw. Reason being: If mountain lions are show to exist east of the Mississippi River, the states game departments may be liable for livestock damages. THAT GOT HIT BY A CAR AND,THE LADY WAS FAILING MENTALLY WITH ALZHEIMERS AND WOULD PUT FOOD OUT ON HER SCREEND IN BACK PORCH LIKE THE DOG WAS STILL THERE. He was a beauty! They plan on going back to that area with their camera in hopes of spotting it again and taking pics. Additionally, those unaccustomed to living near apex predators will need to adjust their way of thinking! If there was a breeding population, we would know. The tail was furry but with short hair like the rest of the body that I saw and was round kind of curving down and out like my house cats tail when he hunts birds. ), Bobcat kittens!- They were just thicker-coated & boned kittens with a bobby tail and whisky ears for the most part. July 25, 2019 edition, Do you have some interesting wildlife news? It stood about 3 feet tall, and had a rounded face with low-set ears. Yes, most sightings, if not all of them have to be taken on 100% trust in the person who has it. Bull sharks are one of the few species that can tolerate fresh water, which allows them to flow from ocean to river relatively easily. Even though the WV DNR says there are no wild mountain lions in the state, there are some held in captivity at the West Virginia Wildlife Center in French Creek. Most of the time we can find the original photo on the internet where it was taken out west or wherever. The mountain lion is one of the coolest and most elusive animals in North America. When rounding the corner in the driveway, my headlights illuminated a light reddish brown cat in a sitting position looking toward my house. I live in Chilesburg, Caroline county. But really, itll change peoples viewpoints at some point., 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. rick_freer@yahoo.com, Theyre out there Im still amazed at the VDGIF not publicly admitting that theyre back in the state. There is wide open space there, high cliffs, and an abundance of deer. So that is all the details I can think of except I didnt mention that the cat was tan with dark fur higlighting its face, looked like pictures Ive seen of them really and I figured due to its size and the fact that it had no spots left that we could see it was almost grown. For those who dont believe in the sightings or tales of the eastern cougar, it is a misjudgment to criticize others for their experiences. Due to an abuse of hunting privileges, the species was completely wiped out. . A mountain lion sighting was reported at, Showshoe West Virginia. Today I looked outside and in the middle of the yard was a large looking black cat with a long tail, much larger then any cat. Places that will never see any kind of development. What is this. Im not a mammalogist, so Im not going to try to play their role, but I think theyre all the same, Kocka said, adding that differentiating between subspecies may not always be a worthwhile effort. TWRA has had their collective heads up their cloacas for a very long time in denial of these sitings [sic] and reports, reads a comment on a December 2015 article about the video footage. Bears on the other hand, are a dime a dozen and we see them every year. The traffic was moving quickly but he had no doubt that it was a cougar. Originally, mountain lions lived across the entire continent of North America. It had been sent to him on his cell phone. Their conclusion: "Sir, you don't have a mountain lion.". I was like baby look at that big ole cat! Red wolves have been reintroduced into the state. Forestry rangers said several ponies killed , others attcked off 811 near Evington, va. But shes also realistic. We know what we saw. Long enough I was wishing he would be quiet so that I could hear if any deer were coming. Staff writer BRUCETON MILLS Orphaned when his mother was shot by a poacher near Yellowstone National Park in 2003, Montana the mountain lion now prowls a well-fenced section of hillside next to a fast-flowing creek in the wilds of Preston County. It was undoubtedly a full grown male mountain lion. I had NO idea they were so big ! There was no mistaking the color and the face we saw very clearly not to mention its slim tail that was still visible on the edge of the road. that i recieved ,send me your request to Coolizm@gmail.com this area is located on the Scott and Wise county line in SW Virginia..I wonder if the VDGIF will continue to refuse the truth . It was light brown and was definitely a cat, and it had a long tail. Pretty exciting. There are still two other sub . Which is the only large native cat that we have.. Well deal with a lot of the same stuff thats related to bears in Virginia. No more mountain lions in Virginia, only bobcats. But then again, no one would come forward if they killed one because its illegal to kill an endangered species. Last year I saw a very large cat print left in the snow. Im not suggesting this a farm animal. Modern DNA studies have led to a consolidation into just two subspecies, though not all scientists agree. Sadly, mountain lions no longer live in Virginia. The Florida Panther was also listed as a separate subspecies, Puma concolor coryi. Im of the opinion that there really never was a big difference between the eastern cats and whats in existence now, she said. At first I thought it might be a big black dog like a mastiff or something but I saw the tail and it was just like a bigger version of my house cats tail. I was only about 50 feet away. soon after, a report appeared in the wash. post about a squirrel-hunting ranger/game warden who spotted 2 pumas. It took off as the car got closerI have never ever seen anything like that in my life! "The original photo was taken by an Oregon State University forestry student named Hayden England. As I inched my way down the road I saw the tall grass to my left move as if something was approaching the road. I am not sure we should base the existence of mountain lions in VA. and TN on the opinions of a few biologists. A southern cousin of the lynx, the bobcat (Lynx rufus rufus) is the only "wildcat" in Virginia. We disturbed something that ran off into the woods. Our family moved to the Manassas National Battlefield area in 1983. A huge buck jumo out in front of us right then so we assumed it had smelled cat or that the cubs mother was hunting. Mr. Lutz do you have internet picture of the Virginia cougar that you show arround? I saw one near my home in Floyd County. In fact, there have been 121 reports that are likely to have been true mountain lion sightings. Virginia's population of mountain lions went extinct in the 1970s, even if there have always been sightings reported in the state. In August 2004, a cougar was captured on film near Craigsville, Virginia and identified by professional wildlife biologists of the Eastern Puma Research Network. Lil Rose/flickr. So it could have been a red wolf. Officially, mountain lions have not been seen in Virginia since 1970. This had Caroline County, on the bottom of the screen. George, A friend showed me a picture of a cougar, carrying a deer head. They are dark reddish-or yellowish-brown dorsally, lighter ventrally, the tail tip is dark, and the fur is short, soft and unspotted. Its actually kind of scary if you think about it. Its been about ten years since then and Smith Mountain Lake has become a vacation spot for every northern virginian there is so the mountain lion probably found a more secluded area, there is a ton of it out there, to hunt and live. I agree that the cat populations are small, but i wonder if there are more than we think because they are very stealth. I was going to let him walk on by obviously, when suddenly he sat down about 25 yards right in front of me, not facing me, I had a beautiful side view of him. I found one which I took a picture of. Eastern cougars are not a distinct species genetically. 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. The last mountain lion in Virginia was killed in 1882, and since then, no active breeding population has been present across the state. She has really bad gashes on her front leg, shes lame. We gathered the kids and went to retrieve them. It was one of the scariest sounds I have ever heard. The folks living in those areas, at least in WV, mostly keep to themselves and most of those folks do not have computers. Sometimes relatively together and sometimes on opposite sides of the trail. "I never say never about these things, it's certainly possible," Fies said. I doubt it. FYI: I have reasearched wild animal sounds to the point now that I could be an expert. It had a long bushy tail and appeared to weigh about 70 or 80 pounds. A few weeks later, I saw it dart across the dirt road for a split second. It Had a very long tail, and had a light brown coloring with black spots. Published: Oct. 12, 2022 at 9:17 AM PDT. "On average, DGIF has received approximately three to foursightings of large cats a month in recent years," the blog post stated. The next day, my neighbor said that he and his fishing partner had seen a cat similar to the one I described as they were going fishing one morning around 3:00 a.m. I am sorry, but some of the comments are incredible, and border on the hilarious. They said mountain lions had always been there, although you didnt hear them often. About a week later I seen a documentary on black mountian lions, and that is exactly what I had seen, same size and coloring. I saw the cats long tail as he ran into the woods. In daylight I am sure I would have thought it was only one cat. No, its one persons opinion of the world around them as they exist in it. Then 20 miles later at mile 183 at about 2:25 AM I saw a much larger cat on the left side of southbound 81 where there was no guard rail. It turned around when it got to the side of the road and went back into the tall grass. At first I thought it was a bob cat but it was larger and the color was not right. Cougars depended heavily upon the white-tailed deer for food. Historically, these creatures had a range that extended well into Virginia, where they had a population, especially in . I know they are on the endangered species list, but I cant help cut be concerned about the horse. Get more stories delivered right to your email. It is being held at the Discovery Center at SML State Park from 3:00 - 4:00 p.m. on March 31st. 100% sure? I looked outside & about 300 ft. behind my house was a panther. Instead, these sightings are likely captive cats that were intentionally or accidentally released or traveling cats from a state out west. We didnt know what it was, but later walking in the field we found lots of turkey feathers but no specific sign of coyote or lion. Updated: Jul 3, 2016 / 10:29 PM EDT. I live in Spout Spring. This was kind of cool to me so I was on the lookout for any other animals, also keeping in mind that they might run onto the road. 1001 Virginia St. East Charleston, WV 25301 Phone: 304-348-5140 Once they described an animal that was nearly the same color as a deer but knew it couldnt be because it had a long tail. I quickly realized it couldnt be human. The animal has been determined extinct, and thats just a shame, she said. Native to most counties in Virginia, the bobcat is a . I am skeptical of each sighting of mountain lion when no physical evidence is present. Unless of course you already know this and are relieved to know that it is not that of the great puma . Most occur in Shenandoah National Park and in Bedford, Amherst and Nelson counties. I sometimes doubt local farmers reports. Does anyone want to speculate about the Appalachians being populated by African Lions? Chris Desborough/Shutterstock.com. You'll receive your first newsletter soon! This is not the same picture withe the cat dragging the buck. He never saw the cat again but never went out at night without a gun. On another ride our oldest daughter described a cat that was smaller but she said the color was different it had spots. It was great, probably one of the most exciting experiences of my life, and I feel very fortunate.. I stopped the truck and did the did I see what I think I saw routine. This Fearless Cougar Doesnt Care How Much, Mountain Lion (Cougar) Population by State, Do Mountain Lions Attack Humans? This picture seemed to have been at night. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. It didnt appear to be hunting, or have any kind of agenda, just comfortable in its surroundings. 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. There was another report of someone (much less credible) who spotted one near Midway (outside Gate City) about 5 years ago. Still, this is great news for conservationists and animal enthusiasts alike. Although this is great, there are a few things to consider. We stood there listening to them, it sounded like they were answering each other from 3 different places. If a mountain lion walks around an area enough, many different humans will notice. They initially didnt want to admit that I saw one, and they were calling it a UFOan unidentified furry object. Whatever it was was big and right under my window. Someone is trying to instill fear about mountain lions on the loose in Virginia, though the Department of Game & Inland Fisheries says it's fake news. It almost took the tail of the cat as long to pass from my view and did the body. It screeched really loud. Our last trip we had a mountain lion stalk us outside our tent. Fies, however, thinks it's a matter of time before one actually does show up in some eastern state. I got to see 4 coyotes run down a mature doe and brutaly slaughter her. I saw one questionable critter a few years ago but I cant say 100% it was a lion. 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! Female cougars will raise a litter of kittens up until the age of about 20 months, LaRue explained, and then the young cats are kind of kicked out and left on their own. The males, especially, are forced to disperse away from the family, partly to avoid inbreeding, and partly because male cougars are territorial and wont tolerate any other males in their domain. (We use a copy of the original picture in lectures across Virginia). In Nebraska, the mountain lion is the largest carnivore. Now, they are mostly relegated to a few states in the west. We know what we saw. This. Above post by Rob about a Lion in Wise virginia is a hoax! I dont really know why, because I dont really think it ever existed.. Now when I go back towards where that was to hunt I get shivers. Blue Ridge Outdoors is your guide to fly fishing, the Appalachian Trail, biking, travel, and more in the Blue Ridge and beyond. I also found a recording online of a cougar cry and it was EXACTLY the sound I heard. So will a new population of cougars render the U.S. There haven't been any cougars in Tennessee since the early 1900s. I looked out the passenger side window just as my mom noticed it out her window. smokymtman, Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. And while common throughout the state . Species list, but I cant say 100 % it was a lion what I think saw. Vdgif not publicly admitting that Theyre back in the west subspecies of render... North America although you didnt hear them often closerI have never been paved not... 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