More info if you want itG. 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. Im thinking they are here though. No more mountain lions in Virginia, only bobcats. I found one which I took a picture of. I live in Montgomery Co, and was wondering if you could tell me where exactly you saw the cougar in 2002 in Floyd county. I saw a Coy-wolf in the Shenandoah Valley once, it was shockingly large and wolf-like. 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. Florida seems to be the number one place for non-native wildlife. I also know numerous credible people that have seen them in the Blackstone, VA area over the past 10 years. An Amish farmer along 944 in Cumberland County complained to the PGC a mountain lion was killing his sheep. Could this be possible?? 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. Press J to jump to the feed. It wasnt too long after we moved in that we began hearing screaming coming from the area of the river (Bull Run). I opened the door and told my husband to hurry up and come outside. Whats exciting is the fact that it came up from the deep in the valley, and obviously followed my scent and sounds. 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. WVa Sanctuary provides safe home for mountain lions and bobcat. So it could have been a red wolf. So yes, there are mountain lions in the Blue Ridge. Many mountain lions used to roam the West Virginia wilderness. People often see bobcats & mistakenly call them a mountain lion. Mountain lions have many names, including the puma, mountain lion,panther, catamount, American lion, and mishibijn. It was about 8:00 am on Saturday 8/8/09 and I noticed a black animal in a fenced pasture just ahead of me. In Dec, 1981 my husband, sons and I were out in the woods on our property target shooting with bows. There are no wild populations in Virginia, but there have been some sightings! The U.S. Even thou it is a much smaller cat , its scream is much scarier ! She believes that North American mountain lionsincluding the Florida panther, which she said is protected because they are considered a distinct population segment via the Endangered Species Actare essentially all the same, without enough genetic distinctions to justify differentiating the western and eastern subspecies. It was completely jet black, with a very long tail 3-4 feet long. "I thought, 'holy cow, where did that come from?'" We had stopped outside the portal to warm ourselves briefly before returning to the mine office when we heard a scream from the cliff face above us. I must have terrified them. This is not the same picture withe the cat dragging the buck. The creek still has running water. I am from western North Carolina. Peterson said he understands the excitement around the idea of crossing paths with a mountain lion, but nearly all of the photos and videos he receives are not what they seem. THanks CArole. 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. OK. 2 Sept about 12:30 maybe 12:45 I was jolted out of a good sleep by what I first thought was 2 cats fighting below my 2nd story bedroom window. Although the eastern cougar is extinct, there are still sightings of these cats across the state. Upon seeing the lights, he turned around and ran into the woods. Be that as it may, I have happened upon a number of large feline tracks similar to those of the cougar, and while rerunning the indelible images of my sighting, can only deduce that the animal I saw was just that. Upon leaving the woods one morning another hunter in the group said he had seen a cougar on the mountain that morning. The cougars wandering far from their original homes in the West are, naturally, searching for three things: habitat, food and mates. The whole encounter lasted about thirty seconds, certainly long enough to know what I saw in broad daylight. He didnt rule out the possibility of an individual wandering into Virginia, as that has happened before. 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. When i shined my mag light acrossed it we noticed eyes and it was like nothing else we have seen before. Jaguars can be black with black spots, so if indeed you saw a large cat, someone let loose a black jaguar. 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. Colorado and California have the highest estimated populations of mountain lions in the United States. At first I thought it was human screams. 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.. 150 yards in front of us travelling east. 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. I put on the speed and got within about 30 years before it jumped off into the brush. 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. Soon the large cat disappeared from sight, leaping up an 85 degree, 12-14, road-side ridge in two bounds, and with the very same physical pattern that is so common among all cats. Unfortunately, these animals have been pushed to the brink by hunting and habitat loss, and they arent nearly as common as they used to be. Every year, state agencies investigate many reported sightings of cougars. HAS ANYONE ELSE HEARD OF ANYTHING LIKE THIS. Despite repeated claims on Facebook and other social media outlets, it's highly unlikely wild mountain lions live in Virginia. It was about the size of a friends dog, which is about 15 tall and 2 1/2 feet long. Weve been searching the internet to identify it, but after reading these messages it sounds as though weve seen a cougar. It was hit by a log truck in Buckingham Co. near Dillwyn in early spring. When I told another fellow that lives near there, he said he had seen tracks. Hello Since the photo was taken in early 2015 a number of people have made claims that they took the photo and the large animal is roaming the area. This animal is about 4-5 ft long not including about a 30 inch tail. I had always heard stories about the big cats thriving around Buladean, N.C and even closer areas to my home. But she was familiar with (and disturbed by) the U.S. 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? What could be mistaken for a mountain lion? So will a new population of cougars render the U.S. He told me that he was having a problem with coyotes killing his sheep. In another leap, the cat was up the bank on the right hand side of the road and off into the woods. Finetune Your Skills in Patrick County, Va. It finally took off on the other side of the road into the woods, and I made a U-turn to the nearest farmhouse! The other ignored us. I dont know what you saw, but cougars are never black. 21 years ago Nancy Hugo published an article in Virginia Wildlife Feb 1987. That federal distinction hasn't stopped the sightings. Want to see the pics? There haven't been any cougars in Tennessee since the early 1900s. He thought it was just another call of mistaken identity, but in fact he was face-to-face with a legit mountain lion under a family's porch. June 21, 2008 About two weeks ago I was traveling on Rt 15 from Farmville to Dillwyn in Buckinham county. Thanks for any help, as plenty claim they are here also. 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. People believe that Bigfoot and Nessie exist, which I am not saying they dont. And then my second thought was No, maybe not.. 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." Anyone with info local to south central VA, email me at austinsandsons@verizon.net. I saw one questionable critter a few years ago but I cant say 100% it was a lion. Despite their extinct status, there have been persistent mountain lion sightings . It was standing in front of my car. It was approximately 5 ft. long & 2 ft. high. Definitely not bobbies. https://www.whsv.com/content/news/Mountain-lion-attack-reported-near-Humpback-Rock-385246261.html Its been confirmed by by fish and game. Overall about 3 1/2 inches wide by about 3 inches front to back. Eastern cougars (mountain lions) do not have a native, self sustaining population in New York State. We have seen a 50 pound bobcat at our pond. I can definetely say that there are mountain lions in Shenandoah National Park. Motion-sensitive infrared cameras have been deployed near Appalachian Trail to try to determine whether cougars are back. It was undoubtedly a full grown male mountain lion. It was a state car. About a month ago I was visiting a local sheep farmer (more gentleman farmer than actual make-money-farming farmer). I thought I might be crazy a first, and I didnt know if black mountain lions existed; so started researching them and came to this site. The sub-species of the eastern cougar indigenous to the state is extinct. I believe the state doesnt want to find cougars here because they are an endangered species and, if a population is discovered, we may need a oermit to mow the lawn, let alone cut a log. hunterb8s@yahoo.com. ", "These cats are moving east looking for new territory," Renee O'brien posted on Facebook. ), Bobcat kittens!- They were just thicker-coated & boned kittens with a bobby tail and whisky ears for the most part. However, according to growing reports, they are here. 12. When it went in the woods all the birds starting chipping and flying all over. 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. Wild Cats in Virginia. But the sound again didnt seem characterstic of a fox, it wasnt a barking or a yelping, it was a scream/cry. 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 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. A French naturalist created the name "cougar" by combining "puma" with "jaguar." For a solid four seconds, Marchibroda watched as a large, sleek cat standing about three feet tall with a long, curled tail crossed Skyline Drive near Gavel Springs Gap less than 100 feet in front of them . Reason being: If mountain lions are show to exist east of the Mississippi River, the states game departments may be liable for livestock damages. When they said they had we advised them of the origin and told them about the cougar incident on their property. Many mountain lions live at altitudes as high as 19,000 feet, hence the name mountain lion. They are back folks here in North Western Virginia, if they ever totally went away at all. It stopped and looked at me for a minute, I didnt move, and then it went on into the woods where I know a rabbit lives. Bill Shaeffer and Frank Womack helped with the capture. 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. I kept hiking and went all the way to HWY 19E where I slept in a shelter half a mile from the road. I walked w/n 40 yards and took one more photo. My grandparents lived most of their lives near Summersville, WV, in Nicholas County. Others have confused the Eastern mountain lion with coyotes, bobcats, or even deer. 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. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. Whenever I see a big cat I look for tail characteristics for a sighting confirmation. Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. I think the increase in goat and sheep farming in Appomattox County is attracting more predators. They plan on going back to that area with their camera in hopes of spotting it again and taking pics. Still no pictures though. No mountain lion sightings, but Im convinced I once saw a wolf on Reddish Knob outside of Harrisonburg. Growing up, my parents always warned me about mountain lions whenever I went hiking, and everyone in the area accepted them as fact. Its a gradual process, and especially in the early years of a repopulation, any sightings are most likely of males. In 1996-98 I lived in Catharpin, VA near Manassas Battlefield. July 25, 2019 edition, Do you have some interesting wildlife news? (sad). In a Facebook post, the Madison County and Warren . While bringing wood into the house I saw a cat like animal behind the wood pile squat down then run into the woods. Mountain lions once lived in much of the eastern United States. I couldnt see their relative sizes, as they were not close together until right before I entered the woods, and one was very low in the grass, could only see its eyes reflected. There were 4 different sizes, the smallest was about 2 ft. long. 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. It was headed north. 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. But the thing about mountain lions is that females dont travel as far or as often, and when they disperse they dont go very far or very well.. Lots of fawns this year. Staunton entrepreneurs tackle urban farming. . Thankfully we were vindicated by a clear trail cam sighting a couple years later. This could cause an issue because they could go after livestock and cause problems for humans. Thank you for reading! But, there is always a chance that one day the sighting will be real. I am not 100% certain but I would like it if someone could identify the cats for me. Why? In Wyoming, the season runs from Sept. 1 to Aug. 31, but in Utah, the season runs from Nov. 9 to March 31. Based on the photographs and videos we receive, the primary ones that people mistake them for are bobcats. Fish and Wildlife Service removed eastern subspecies of cougars from the endangered species list last year and declared them extinct. I was wrestles camping (alone) and decided to hike over Big Hump Mountain to the next campsite. This was a night time sighting. 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. Others, including the park ranger she met that day and wildlife experts shes reached out to since the sighting, are skeptical. Th cat didnt pay any attention to them although they were careful to remain at a distance until it got into the woods and disappeared. Although these wild cats are smaller than mountain lions, they are extremely good hunters. About 200 yards west of the main gate of Mount Weather (Morgans Mill Road) in Clarke county. We were too busy looking at each other asking, Did you see that? We should have ben focusing on details. Victim of animal attack treated for rabies. In fact, they are the fourth-largest cat species in the world, behind tigers, lions, and jaguars. One reason is that admitting to their return would require counting/protection as they are an endangered species. In the case where two mountain lions had been found locally, it didn't take long for them to stir up trouble. Not much rain in these parts since early August. I hope the person who struck it hears its cries in his or her nightmares / dreams for a very long time to come. My guess is that it might have escaped from the zoo on route 522 where they have not native animals and do breeding. THERE ARE MOUNTAIN LIONS IN VIRGINIA, I HAVE PROOF. This is beacause the scream is that of the prey that he has just killed. You'll receive your first newsletter soon! like when you see a wolf look at the paws for positive ID. At least, that was the case until recently, when a moose was spotted near Lake Frederick in northern Virginia. All the territories are basically taken up so they have to go somewhere else, and somewhere else happens to be the Midwest.. The road in paved, but long(14 miles+) winding and has very few streets that are off it back here. In August 2007 on my way to work from the Meadowview Virginia area , between Meadowview and Abingdon there was a Mountain Lion crossed the road in frount of me, So people can say what they want , there are big cats in the area. I sat there strumming my guitar and didnt really realize what it was for a while. Their typical prey includes rabbits and squirrels, but they can kill deer when they are feeling up to it. Tracks found near Holy Cross Monestery in Clarke Co, Va have been identified as a cougar by a USDA zoologist. The first time I heard the screams I went in the direction with a flashlight, fully expecting to find a victim. Our youngest daughter was hysterical thinking that her mule would be attacked. All of this happened just out of bow range and its heart wrenching knowing there is nothing you can do. The AT Camera survey did not get a photo of a cougar during 2007. Forestry rangers said several ponies killed , others attcked off 811 near Evington, va. There is no reported melanistic phase of cougars or pumas in the literature. Dont know what it was, but I have always wondered if it was a big cat or not. How many people have actually saw a bobcat in the wild? Im not doubting that people see black cat like animals, although true size is often hard to tell. There have been some hunters around who swear there are mt lions in bedford county. I have since seen a picture of a lion spotted in Buckingham co. and realize that was the animal I saw. My first thought was, I gotta chase this thing, Marchibroda said. In Rockingham county virginia, my father, family friend and I go bow hunting for 1 week every year in the GWNF. 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