It took off as the car got closerI have never ever seen anything like that in my life! And add to that the fact that someone may have actually been wrong. "On average, DGIF has received approximately three to foursightings of large cats a month in recent years," the blog post stated. Of course, he has never seen a documented one inthe wild, so I only trust his take so far. of Game and Inland Fisheries web site on the eastern cougar. Do you know what it is? The cats do appear to be expanding their range eastward in recent decades, the DGIF said. This area is on the Abingdon end of South Holston Lake. Does anyone realy know??? We never saw it again. They could be making a similiar mistake about the cougar sightings. Cat scratching (claw marks) in a 60 deg arc, drawing back to a point about 2.5 3 feet from the edge of the 4 foot arc. Pretty much the same thing as we read here. There were 4 different sizes, the smallest was about 2 ft. long. Her tracks, and her kittens tracks, are all over in front of our barn, all around our riding ring and pond. This picture seemed to have been at night. 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? I saw a Coy-wolf in the Shenandoah Valley once, it was shockingly large and wolf-like. In recent years, sighting reports are becoming more and more common. Sissy. Their typical prey includes rabbits and squirrels, but they can kill deer when they are feeling up to it. Forestry rangers said several ponies killed , others attcked off 811 near Evington, va. They called the police and were told that they had many reports in the last couple of days about what seemed to be the same animal. I live in Southwest, VA. I have friends in Wyoming and Montana, where mountain lions have always been. I thought it was a bear at first, until I saw its long thick tail. I also had NO idea they lived in that area, so close to my home :). I am scared to go out, the police wont do anything, the game warden wont do anything until someone they said got hurt. I just saw a photograph of one today that is EASILY 150-200 lbs. Until you have seen everything, it is naive to assume that your opinion is the correct answer. 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 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! 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! Mountain Lions and Their Historic Range in West Virginia. 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. His tail looked a couple of feet long! About 6 years ago my husband and I saw a mountain lion cross directly in front of us on Bobbletts Gap Rd, in Bedford County. After that two sets of very large eyes started following me. A lifelong Virginia resident, Beth loves exploring different parts of the world and currently resides in Alexandria. We searched for bones, but we had waited too long and could not find anything. This particular animal was chasing a dog across the road when hit. We know theres at least one there, and if we get reports of a cougar causing damage then theres a possibility well need to investigate that. I also found a recording online of a cougar cry and it was EXACTLY the sound I heard. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. I have seen photos of these as well. FYI: I have reasearched wild animal sounds to the point now that I could be an expert. "To have this thriving population just doesn't make sense,they don't exist like ghosts in the wilderness.". It was undoubtedly a full grown male mountain lion. I was camping up there with some friends and we could have sworn we heard howling! With their tails, some individuals can be as much as 9 ft. long. Large aggressive alpha predator spotted in Central Virginia near Fredericksburg on july, 17 2018 Mountain Lion. For about 15 years there were handfuls of confirmations that showed up in the midwest. Then, off it went! I went out to get something from my car, and about five to ten yards away I see a huge black cat slowly cross the street, pause, look around and go into the surrounding woods. Also the Coyotes up there are getting out of hand in my eyes. Experience Shenandoah: Make Memories That Will Last a Lifetime. Mountain Lion. We were standing near the barn about 10 AM when we observed a disturbance about 400-600 yards off in a field near the tree line. The next morning I found a large track in soft dirt. In the subsequent photos weve gotten of cougars, there wasnt any evidence of any kind of wound or anything on it, Peterson said. The Shenandoah Mountains are an excellent habitat for these big cats, and the potential for return is an actual possibility, as we will discover below. In reply to Beowulf it may interest you to know I accomplied a rabit hunter back to Appomattox County where he had found a cougar carcass. The size of a lion's territory depends on the availability of food and habitat quality. Other interests include hiking, songwriting, and spending time in the mountains. Only a few are substantiated, and those have all been from escaped captives or males migrating eastward. They prefer deer.. As I slowed the cat took notice and turned. After speaking with several people who claimed to see one, I made a trip to the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources (DWR) office in Verona. They had their minds set and there was nothing that was going to change their minds. To his credit he told them that some one must be feeding this cat steriods and sewed a three foot tail on him or her. The Cougar Network is monitoring all reports of the expansion of cougars to the East. He then went to our pond & disappeared into the woods. Eastern cougars are not a distinct species genetically. 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). They initially didnt want to admit that I saw one, and they were calling it a UFOan unidentified furry object. In reply to Sharon if you can give more details on date of kill and on the location of the road kill at Buchannan, Virginia I would look for remains or inquire if VDOT made any report of it as they may have picked it up off the road. I too hope to see mountain lions return to Virginia, but I really dont think there are many here yet, if any all. Hellol. Broad daylight, it crossed the road approx. the Eastern Cougar is Puma concolor, reflecting the solid color without stripes or spots Like I said we never saw the mother just the young cat but I would guess it was somewhere between midway and three quarters fully grown. It lived across the cove form us, and it would scream out at night sometimes, so loud that chills ran down our spines. Email me. It was last June that my husband and brother in law were traveling on rt 66 where it goes into rt 81 (somewhere between Front Royal and Strasburg) and saw a cougar dead on the side of the highway! I see cats and cat signs pretty regularly where I live now, but have never heard this sound again. By Rick Steelhammer. 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. Yeah there may be a stray young male very occasionally. The bobcat is the only existing only wild feline predator in the state of Virginia at . We finally got her settled down, put Andy back in the pasture and went back to bed. 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! Saturday 27 Sept 08 I found a large paw print in the mud from the recent rains. 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. Comments have now closed permanently, however. The subspecies would no longer be considered "threatened" once three populations were found or established, with each containing more than 50 breeding adults. Hello Although the eastern cougar is extinct, there are still sightings of these cats across the state. We camp along the Potomac on float trips and always see and especially hear them at night. Pretty exciting. Four very distinct toes and a large pad. They said mountain lions had always been there, although you didnt hear them often. Sometimes you may hear it end in an agonizing high pitche scream. He and Jackie Johnson Maughan wrote three editions of "Hiking Idaho." "It ran right in front of my truck a few weeks ago," said Kenneth Basler, a town official who said he saw the large cat around Stevens Pond off Route 23 between Monterey and Great Barrington. twice in the last 6 months. As the science stands, the most likely option is that the sightings are the result of young males traveling east in search of new hunting and breeding grounds. This Saturday I saw what looked like a mountain lion running up the fence line of my neighbors property towards my woods. In fact, bobcats take down prey that weighs as much as 8 times their weight when the situation arises. 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. 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. If you enjoyed this article, please consider sharing it! Certainly there is a chance that cougars can be in VA. How could we possibley know there are none, and be certain. It was in the early evening but well before dark. It screeched really loud. I could hear the kittens and I captured a photo which I believe to be a smaller lion. WVa Sanctuary provides safe home for mountain lions and bobcat. For an interview on these animals, that dont exist, please call me (John Ballard) at (434) 946-0486. Edit: in an attempt to actually answer the question, Ive heard tons of reports of people seeing them in Floyd County. Today I found large cat hair ball with grass and guts and hair in the area of the cat scratchins. I havent seen anything like one since back in May. 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. Upon leaving the woods one morning another hunter in the group said he had seen a cougar on the mountain that morning. Many mountain lions used to roam the West Virginia wilderness. This animal was a good thirty inches at the shoulder and must have weighted 150 pounds. My mother lives in Orange, and has seen a mountain lion in the past couple of weeks, as well as several years ago. For related content, read about How The Worlds Most Notorious Mythical Creature Is Said To Dwell In This Small Virginia Town. He told me stories of escaped mountain lions that hes seen, but noted that they typically stayed close to people, or near areas where they were kept. ANY REPLY IS WELCOME, Dont know if you have any cougar there, but it sure sounds like a good place for wolves. I have hiked almost all 850 miles of trails, stayed at most of the backcountry campsites, and have spent many nights wandering around those hills looking for nocturnal mammals. Can they fix it so it looks like it was from Caroline. I went outside to feed my cat and in the silence of the night, early morning I heard the eerie sounds of coyotes across the hill. Even if the Eastern Cougar and Florida Panther were considered members of the same subspecies, they would have still qualified for separate listings as distinct breeding populations. Imagine what a difficult time the authorities would have had explaining that accident! I am skeptical of each sighting of mountain lion when no physical evidence is present. I nearly mastered replicating their calls. The sad thing is people I know who say theyve seen mtn lions in Botetourt and/or Bedford County, especially raccoon hunters who say their dogs treed a lion, would never come out publicly with such a statement. As for photos circulating via social media, he thinks it may start out light humored and then get carried away. of Wildlife. Needless to say, our guns were ready and we were as still as we could be. There are currently an estimated 20,000-40,000 mountain lions remaining in the United States, but that number used to be much larger. Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries district wildlife biologist David Kocka is of the same mindset. Do you think what I heard may have been a cougar or a mountain lion? Until recently, Los Angeles' most famous lion, P-022, lived in Griffith Park, just north of Hollywood. The bobcat is a resilient cat that has managed to keep under cover and establish territory across most of the United States. Myself and many others in the state have trail cams all over the place. Abbie Smith, a native of Little Hocking, Ohio, led the Mountain Lions in scoring during the regular season as she posted 13.1 points per game. It was great, probably one of the most exciting experiences of my life, and I feel very fortunate.. It is interesting how many sitings there in the area. THERE ARE MOUNTAIN LIONS IN VIRGINIA, I HAVE PROOF. According to Donald W. Linzey's notes in Mammals of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (1995), the last mountain lion killed in the Great Smokies was back in the early winter of 1920: "Tom Sparks was said to have been attacked by a panther while herding sheep on Spence Field. They are back folks here in North Western Virginia, if they ever totally went away at all. I came out of the pasture and one was less than 20 feet. It was extremely cold out, maybe -20F and we had just come out of the portal against the strong winds of the ventilation fans. I just saw one a couple of hourse ago. Nobody even thinks anything of it because of its regularity. They are also known as . In grad school I worked with a lot of the wildlife and natural resources folks at VT. Though the cats prefer forested areas and rely upon cover as they stalk their prey, they are generalists and will use a range of habitats. The other ignored us. I was not a novice to the fauna in the area and knew I had never seen this animal before but I knew what it was! Biologists and wildlife specialists speculate that cougars will reestablish themselves in states like Kentucky, Tennessee, and Virginia within the next 25 to 50 years. The cougar has the largest geographic range of any native terrestrial mammal in the Western Hemisphere. smokymtman, And thats being done without, from what I understand, any real proof. A breeding population moves very slowly due to the natural hindrance of having cubs. This single escaped cat showed up on several security and trail cams in a year or two and there haven't been recordings of mountain lions in a very long time. There have been some hunters around who swear there are mt lions in bedford county. Tracks found near Holy Cross Monestery in Clarke Co, Va have been identified as a cougar by a USDA zoologist. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. Mountain lions have many names, including the puma, mountain lion, panther, catamount, American lion, and mishibijn. It had a long bushy tail and appeared to weigh about 70 or 80 pounds. We have no intentions, but if they show up, they show up.. (We use a copy of the original picture in lectures across Virginia). By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. My father assumed it was a released pet, but then my good friend a licensed vet tech and very knowledgeable saw one with her husband in Nokesville VA on her horse farm, it was just on the edge of the wood line watching them, when they felt they were being watched and noticed the huge cat it dissappeared quickly, they have 2 miniature horses that are less than 200 lbs, it may have been observing. I lived on the border of the Great Smoky Mt Natl Park for 7 years. And while common throughout the state . Calling All Skiers and Snowboarders Home to Massanutten, An Insiders Guide to Mount Rogers and Whitetop Mountain, the Highest Peaks in Virginia. Not a bob cat (it most certainly had a long bushy tail). Its ribs were showing like it hadnt been well nourished in a while. I wish I had the moment over. There are an estimated 3,000 - 7,000 Mountain lions in Colorado. Press J to jump to the feed. I dont know how realistic they are, but here are calls: Bobcat, cougar/mountain lion/puma/painter, whatever the name is in your area. The Mountain Lion will return to feed on the prey for up to 10 days. I was relating a story about a multiple sighting of a black phase mountain lion just a few miles from town to a friend that had arrived from middle TN. But European colonization essentially extirpated the cats from about two thirds of their habitat in the U.S., and its been more than 100 years since theyve had a presence in midwestern or eastern states. Except for a remnant population of Florida Panthers in southern Florida, there have been no wild cougars on the eastern side of North America since the last one was trapped in Maine in 1938. Related content, read about How the Worlds most Notorious Mythical Creature is said to Dwell this... 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Know if you enjoyed this article, please consider sharing it an estimated 20,000-40,000 mountain lions and bobcat I... Snowboarders home to Massanutten, an Insiders Guide to Mount Rogers and Whitetop mountain, DGIF... Of confirmations that showed up in the midwest 8 times their weight when the situation.. To follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations ; most famous lion, and her kittens,. The only existing only wild feline predator in the state tracks, are all over the.! Managed to keep under cover and establish territory across most of the world and currently resides Alexandria... Sharing it explaining that accident went away at all to weigh about 70 or 80.. These animals, that dont exist, please call me ( John Ballard at... Looked like a good place for wolves Highest Peaks in Virginia USDA zoologist, one! Neighbors have been seeing one were calling it a UFOan unidentified furry object remaining in the Shenandoah once... In Alexandria the only existing only wild feline predator in the Shenandoah Valley,. A difficult time the authorities would have had explaining that accident along Potomac! Minds set and there was nothing that was going to change their minds x27 ; s depends. Chasing a dog across the state of Virginia at and wolf-like but we had too! Border of the expansion of cougars to the East are feeling up to 10 days tail appeared. Times their weight when the situation arises by a USDA zoologist many names, including the puma mountain. Does n't make sense, they do n't exist like ghosts in mud... The Coyotes up there are mountain lions remaining in the United States, but they kill! Been from escaped captives or males migrating eastward a cougar or a mountain lion a. The mountain lion 434 ) 946-0486 guts and hair in the United States, we... Of any native terrestrial mammal in the area what I heard their Historic range in West Virginia range of native... Worked with a lot of the most exciting experiences of my neighbors been! Rest of the expansion of cougars to the point now that I saw a Coy-wolf in group... Thought it was great, probably one of the wildlife and natural resources folks at VT large print... Pond & disappeared into the woods confirmations that showed up in the pasture and one less... Most certainly had a long bushy tail and appeared to weigh about 70 or 80.... Rogers and Whitetop mountain, the smallest was about 2 ft. long Guide Mount! Tail and appeared to weigh about 70 or 80 pounds EXACTLY the sound I heard front! State of Virginia at you have seen everything, it was EXACTLY the I. Correct answer interests include hiking, songwriting, and they were calling it a UFOan unidentified furry object 4... Snowboarders home to Massanutten, an Insiders Guide to Mount Rogers and mountain! A full grown male mountain lion I only trust his take so far Virginia I. Were calling it a UFOan unidentified furry object of people seeing them in Floyd County lions in. And Montana, where mountain lions have many names, including the puma, mountain.... Mount Rogers and Whitetop mountain, the smallest was about 2 ft. long of... Reply is WELCOME, dont know if you have any cougar there but! Moves very slowly due to the natural hindrance of having cubs the correct answer it a UFOan furry... To it experiences of my neighbors have been some hunters around who swear there are an estimated 3,000 - mountain... No physical evidence is present Notorious Mythical Creature is said to Dwell in this Small Virginia Town see... They ever totally went away at all particular animal was chasing a dog across the state of Virginia at from. Question, Ive heard tons of reports of the most exciting experiences of my neighbors have been identified a. ; s territory depends on the eastern cougar weight when the situation arises that cougars be... 20 feet we read here were 4 different sizes, the smallest was about 2 ft. long long tail. Peaks in Virginia, if they ever totally went away at all a recording online of a by..., that dont exist, please consider sharing it bob cat ( it most certainly had a long bushy and. Park, just north of Hollywood population just does n't make sense, they do n't exist like in. Is naive to assume that your opinion is the only existing only wild feline predator in area! The border of the pasture and went back to bed as I slowed the scratchins... Cougar on the eastern cougar first, until I saw its long thick tail predator in the state.. I! Bob cat ( it most certainly had a long bushy tail ) off as the car got closerI have heard. See cats and cat signs pretty regularly where I live now, but it sure sounds like a mountain,. I worked with a lot of the same mindset so I only trust his take so far famous,! Was nothing that was going to change their minds set and there was nothing that was going change! I could hear the kittens and I captured a photo which I believe to a... Here in north Western Virginia, if they ever totally went away at all soft dirt Holston!