Last November a bow hunter reported to the TWRA that he had shot a cougar in Carroll County. Many of which are kept illegally. Theres lots of legends around here, but I have heard from one very reputable source about a recent (within the last year) sighting in the vicinity of the Lovers Leap turnout on Route 58 about 6-7 miles east of Meadows of Dan. Im not doubting that people see black cat like animals, although true size is often hard to tell. Sometimes relatively together and sometimes on opposite sides of the trail. Beowolf the key to your sighting is the tail . He got up and armed with only a flashlight he ventured outside to see why the horses were so restless and upset. Our sleep was disturbed any more that night. My name is ryan and I am from dayton va. On Oct 3d, I was playing music w/ a friend near the union springs dam. 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. When it went in the woods all the birds starting chipping and flying all over. The girls were young and werent sure what theyd seen. But the majesty and strength of the Mountain Lion was still apparent! I live in Spout Spring. Im not accusing anyone of anything, I myself have certain ideas in all of this, but am wondering what other people think of it. Love Virginia? More info if you want itG. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. She has really bad gashes on her front leg, shes lame. One night our mules and horses had broken through the fence. Given my report in spring of 07 of a lion sighting could this be a return of the catamount? Scientific reports one claimed that the Florida Panther was an obligate forest species and used lands only within 100 yards of forests. Additionally, those unaccustomed to living near apex predators will need to adjust their way of thinking! In recent years, sighting reports are becoming more and more common. They deny mt lions are here still. For a long time he produced Ralph Maughan's Wolf Report. 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. If you enjoyed this article, please consider sharing it! I HAVE HEARD OF AN OLD WOMAN THAT HAD A DOBERMAN THAT STAYED ON HER BACK PORCH NEAR ROCKINGHAM CO NC. Good luck, I think and hope theyre here, its interesting to consider. Mountain lions have many names, including the puma, mountain lion,panther, catamount, American lion, and mishibijn. Enter your email in the box below to get the most mind-blowing animal stories and videos delivered directly to your inbox every day. 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. I am wondering if there is anyone who is tracking these sightings and wants to know moreIt was clearly a cougar. The 1982 Eastern Cougar Recovery Plan defined the establishment of one population containing at least 50 breeding adults as the threshold for moving the Eastern Cougar from "endangered" to just "threatened." Despite the widely-held belief in the scientific community that eastern mountain lions have been long gone and any cats seen roaming the region these days must have made the long trek from midwestern states like South Dakota, some Appalachian residents remain convinced that the cats never actually left the area. And yet, there have been more than a few bizarre sightings over the past few decades that have us scratching our heads. I never had heard anything like it before. "I never say never about these things, it's certainly possible," Fies said. But to spot one in Virginia? 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. Although these wild cats are smaller than mountain lions, they are extremely good hunters. This picture seemed to have been at night. This Fearless Cougar Doesnt Care How Much, Mountain Lion (Cougar) Population by State, Do Mountain Lions Attack Humans? He was a beauty! Fish and Wildlife Service removed the eastern puma from their endangered species list, declaring that the species is now extinct. Definitely not a dog, too big for a cat. His body was very long and had a beautiful face. Look up the story of Rocky the African serval- an escaped pet that roams Virginia to this day I believe. Mountain lions are known by many names, including cougar, catamount, painter, panther, and puma. It was less than a year before that my daughter said she came across a litter of cute puppies while riding her mule in the park. Diana Marchibroda and her miniature schnauzer froze in their tracks when the mountain lion stepped out of the woods last May. For an interview on these animals, that dont exist, please call me (John Ballard) at (434) 946-0486. Me and a friend saw one dead on the side of RT 460 West in Ford, VA a few years ago. All of this happened just out of bow range and its heart wrenching knowing there is nothing you can do. But their population definitely isnt established here. My horse just disappeared- we live adjascent to Havens Wildlife Preserve. The Midwest can offer two of the three, but the males dont have much luck repopulating the area on their own. I was dragging some stuff behind my ATV down a old farm road in Appomattox Virginia, when this fellow bounced out in front of me about 50 yards ahead. It jumpped across the dirt road and into the woods headed north. The road in paved, but long(14 miles+) winding and has very few streets that are off it back here. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. Its been dry. Could a mountain lion or cougar be in my area? That would be earth shattering for the depts. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. The AT Camera survey did not get a photo of a cougar during 2007. Its paw was as big as a mans face, & its head with the ears was as wide as his body. FYI: for those who dont know HOW A COUGAR CRY AND BOB CAT CRY DIFFER: Even thou the cougar is a much bigger ,more powerful fearsom cat than the bobcat , the cries differ this way: COUGAR: the scream is more of a stronger from the bottom pit of the stomach frantic yell(like a 14 yr old thats been tramatized) and it repeats itself over and over and moves rather quickly from one place to the next. Thanks for any help, as plenty claim they are here also. For decades, the chances of coming across one of these big cats in an eastern state were slim to none, and much to the chagrin of residents like Marchibroda who have reported sightings, the U.S. Thank you for reading! B. McQuary. (usualy a rabbit) as it tapers off not to be heard again until the next night. On another ride our oldest daughter described a cat that was smaller but she said the color was different it had spots. The cougars wandering far from their original homes in the West are, naturally, searching for three things: habitat, food and mates. He charged at the Fish and Game guy in the process. We know they were two different animals because the tail-tips were different. I sat there strumming my guitar and didnt really realize what it was for a while. He was concerned that the animal was, not only not affraid of him, but watched him for some time before running off. It took another 3 minutes or so before all the fogs quieted down. I grew up in NW Virginia near the Shenandoahs and have heard folks mention seeing mt. i would love their return to our wilds. We have heard them up near the edge of the mountains but never this close. 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. It was extremely cold out, maybe -20F and we had just come out of the portal against the strong winds of the ventilation fans. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. Start throwing rocks or anything else at the animal to make it turn away. I think I may have seen a fully jet black cougar around 2230 just by the cement plant north of Roanoke Va but Im not sure. I walked w/n 40 yards and took one more photo. The Florida panther is a subspecies of the eastern mountain lion that lives in the Everglades and pine forests of central Florida. The day after the wolf incident my wife called from her work and advised me not to go in the pasture as a mother bear and cub had been spotted berry gathering there. Many places in the west horses and mountain lions or cougars coexist. 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. In a small town called Coeburn. Free shipping for many products! Email me. We would also be very interested in recovering any remains. . They can stand up to 35 in. I have friends in Wyoming and Montana, where mountain lions have always been. Since my reported sighting of a perhaps cougar several local farmers have told me of similiar beasts they have seen. Forestry rangers said several ponies killed , others attcked off 811 near Evington, va. 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. 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. They said I must have seen a bob cat. The population of cougars west of the Mississippi River was large enough that it was not listed. It was slinking off up a hill after crossing the road, he said it was 100 + lbs. No, its one persons opinion of the world around them as they exist in it. Could this have been a young cougar? "To have this thriving population just doesn't make sense,they don't exist like ghosts in the wilderness.". I was out for a morning run on some back roads (in Page County, north of Luray, just west of Route 340.) I still wasnt positive though. I've seen them quite often. My dogs heard it and came running. 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 live in historic Jonesborough, TN. of Game and Inland Fisheries web site on the eastern cougar. If they escape, who is to say that they will not do what is natural and find a mate? The U.S. She stated that she had previously spotted one on I 40 while crossing the Cumberland Mtns. 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. Feel free to join the discussion by leaving comments, and stay updated by subscribing to the, Expansion and Restoration of Bison to Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, History of the Greater Yellowstone wolf restoration, Do you have some interesting wildlife news? Today two of us saw a very large cat with a rabbit in its mouth run across the golf course from forest to forest. But, there is always a chance that one day the sighting will be real. Mountain lions and yes black cats. 421, I watched a black cat come from under a concrete bridge and jump into the woods when it saw me. Virginia Dept. Virginia has two different native species of wild cats. They exclusively populated western states for decades, but according to LaRue, some shifts in hunting regulations began to change things about 50 years ago: lions were switched from the bounty hunter category to a game species managed by the states. Get more stories delivered right to your email. A week later the farmer shot the mountain lion. I just saw one a couple of hourse ago. How many people have actually saw a bobcat in the wild? Last time I heard it it sounded like it was 30 50 yards away and then I heard a dog bark then yelp and one last scream from the animal and then quiet. lions do not inhabit the Virginia mountains. Officially, mountain lions have not been seen in Virginia since 1970. I saw a mountain lion, and thats just the way it is, said Marchibroda, a dentist in her 60s living in Afton, Virginia. The question is how big is the population. It does not benefit the DNR, Fish and Game Dept, etc. Because of how they hunt, they need to basically be able to hide and creep up on their prey. Wonder why so many big black cats ae spotted all over the country then?? 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. Mountain Lions at the West Virginia Wildlife Center. While hiking in the winter after a good snowfall I came across huge cat tracks that were fresh. 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. We never saw it again. Even though we still didnt have any physical proof we were excited because this was the first time wed had an adult verify a cougar sighting here. However, wildlife experts in the area have disagreed with the sightings and think people are confusing bobcats with mountain lions. Our last trip we had a mountain lion stalk us outside our tent. 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. 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. My wife and I have seen two cougars in Patrick County, VA. It has to be a good, clear photo, and we get all kinds of fuzzy stuff that could be a bobcat, could be a yellow lab, but its so far away or so fuzzy we cant tell.. My house was in a very wooded area and driveway led off into those woods about 1/2 mile from the main road (which was a dirt/gravel road about 1 mile from a paved road). I was wrestles camping (alone) and decided to hike over Big Hump Mountain to the next campsite. Still, many sightings arent clear or even true, so being skeptical is still the best bet when it comes to sightings in Virginia. She was certain of the species but said it moved very slowly and appeared to be thin and weak. LaRue is the first to admit that shed love to see a mountain lion in the wild, and she of all people understands the fascination with them. I was hiking in Western North Carolina this weekend, north from Carvers Gap at Roan Mountain, on the Appalachian Trail. Scientists once classified over 30 subspecies of cougars based on morphological differences. I stopped the truck and did the did I see what I think I saw routine. I found one which I took a picture of. From the next room, another person chimmed in my neighbors have been seeing one. This all occured three weeks after I had a full-grown Red Wolf walk up near me while blackberry picking in my mother-in-laws pasture (in the city limits.) I sat, played my guitar for an hour. In the 1940s and 1950s, people were paid bounties for mountain lions, according to Jim Williams, regional director for the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks and author of "Path of the Puma." 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