The more details the better! It isnt certain, but some researchers claim that there could be native cougar populations across the Blue Ridge in as little as 25-30 years. This is between Fairfax and Reston. This seems strange for late in the summer. The West Virginia Wildlife Center is open to the public seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Spotted a large cat we think- on Squirrel Spur Road the new section about 8-10 miles south of Meadows of Dan. When they said they had we advised them of the origin and told them about the cougar incident on their property. Wolves once thrived in Virginia, but due to the harm they inflicted on farms and livestock, they were hunted by the settlers of Jamestown and eventually became extinct. I sat, played my guitar for an hour. They say the last mountain lion in Virginia was killed in 1882. I think there have been reintroduction programs in some areas. There are a lot of instances of someone trying to mess with us, or theyre messing with a buddy, and the buddy sends it to us thinking its real, he said. The Florida Panther was also listed as a separate subspecies, Puma concolor coryi. They are moving Eastward, theyre now found in Western Tennessee. Michael told me. Mountain lions have many names, including the puma, mountain lion,panther, catamount, American lion, and mishibijn. Weve been searching the internet to identify it, but after reading these messages it sounds as though weve seen a cougar. They said I must have seen a bob cat. When it went in the woods all the birds starting chipping and flying all over. The good news is that because it was right beside the road, others undoubtedly saw it, too, leaving no doubt that it was indeed a mountain lion because it was much too good a view for there to be any doubt of its species. I HAVE HEARD OF AN OLD WOMAN THAT HAD A DOBERMAN THAT STAYED ON HER BACK PORCH NEAR ROCKINGHAM CO NC. Remember Ligertown? I went to Chestoa, which is an awesome overlook pretty much between Altapass and Linville. In fact, they are the fourth-largest cat species in the world, behind tigers, lions, and jaguars. 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.. There are at least 10 different subspecies of white-tailed deer, and it doesnt make a bit of difference in the grand scheme of things.. I used to vacation on Smith Mountain Lake Virginia, Good View, and I can definatly confirm cougar in this area. Its part of mother nature I guess. For conservationists, this is a huge step in the right direction. Source: US Fish and Wildlife Service, Eastern Cougar Recovery Plan, morphological differences identified from museum specimens was used to classify over 30 subspecies of the Eastern Cougar, before DNA analysis was available In Rockingham county virginia, my father, family friend and I go bow hunting for 1 week every year in the GWNF. Male cougar territories are pretty big, and thats why they have to disperse farther than females, LaRue said. Large aggressive alpha predator spotted in Central Virginia near Fredericksburg on july, 17 2018 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? I sometimes doubt local farmers reports. 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. #1. Fish and Wildlife Service has declared the eastern population of cougars extinct, but based on numerous sightings and reports, you can't be too sure. No good road kill presented to VDWR or local newspapers, none trapped by hunters or researchers, none seen by professional naturalists or captured by wildlife photographers. 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. The "coywolf" is an informal term for a unique hybrid of western coyotes and eastern timber wolves. In another leap, the cat was up the bank on the right hand side of the road and off into the woods. Losingand RegainingBalance in our Deer Population. The size of a lion's territory depends on the availability of food and habitat quality. 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. Mountain lions weigh between 90-160 pounds while bobcats weigh between 20-30 pounds according to an article by the Iowa DNR. Whether its via Appalachian Trail or some random place in the woods near my home, I almost always encounter some sort of larger mammal. Mountain Lions are back, maybe. 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. About a month ago I was visiting a local sheep farmer (more gentleman farmer than actual make-money-farming farmer). Of course, he has never seen a documented one inthe wild, so I only trust his take so far. Yeah there may be a stray young male very occasionally. Imagine what a difficult time the authorities would have had explaining that accident! No one has since today, reported seeing one. The U.S. Fies doesn't believe that there is this thriving population that has been hidden from the world. THANK YOU KATHY, I KNOW THEY HAVE LET SOME COYETTES(SPELLIN) LOOSE AND THERE ARE FOX HERE. Cougars prowled nearly all of the United States below Canada, and all of Virginia from mountain . I had the windows open because it was a cool night. It was completely jet black, with a very long tail 3-4 feet long. For an interview on these animals, that dont exist, please call me (John Ballard) at (434) 946-0486. I nearly mastered replicating their calls. Cougars used to roam the entirety of North America, making the mountain ranges, woodland forests, and river corridors from coast to coast their homes. I started to get out and get an even closer look but I decided that probably wasnt a good idea, so I stayed in my car . Enter your email in the box below to get the most mind-blowing animal stories and videos delivered directly to your inbox every day. Well, then we know theres a cougar there, Peterson said simply. We went out there today to look for tracks. I am not sure we should base the existence of mountain lions in VA. and TN on the opinions of a few biologists. Period. I am scared to go out, the police wont do anything, the game warden wont do anything until someone they said got hurt. If I knew how, Id post the picture here. About a week later I seen a documentary on black mountian lions, and that is exactly what I had seen, same size and coloring. This could cause an issue because they could go after livestock and cause problems for humans. The data they have collected over the years indicates that cougars are gradually making their way eastward, and validated the theory that young males travel farther and more quickly than females, making the repopulation process a gradual one. Today's habitat could support a breeding population. This animal is about 4-5 ft long not including about a 30 inch tail. He was concerned that the animal was, not only not affraid of him, but watched him for some time before running off. Any jokes about sexually adventurous older women will not be noted or acknowledged and I will automatically assume you are a 13 year old boy who yells racial slurs on Xbox live. It is the timeline that is in dispute. Calling All Skiers and Snowboarders Home to Massanutten, An Insiders Guide to Mount Rogers and Whitetop Mountain, the Highest Peaks in Virginia. My grandparents lived most of their lives near Summersville, WV, in Nicholas County. 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. In a small town called Coeburn. His body was very long and had a beautiful face. 28-Aug-08. 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! Forestry rangers say they have spotted several mountain lions in the area. 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. Given the great broad-side view, I couldnt help but notice its shear size the cat stood approximately 2.5-3 feet in height, and was approximately 4-5 feet in length. This. Looked like a red wolf though and we got a good look as it crossed the road in front of us on our way down the mountain (driving) in full daylight. To my suprise, twenty feet ahead of me a LARGE cat emerged from the grass. Being in a residential neighborhood does nothing for a cougar.. HAS ANYONE ELSE HEARD OF ANYTHING LIKE THIS. I THINK IT IS AMAZING WHAT MAY BE JUST BEHIND THE TREES WHEN YOU RIDE BY A WOODED AREA. While I was on vacation last summer, 2007, in Sandbridge Beach, Virginia, outside Virginia Beach, I encountered a big black cat. Is this thread for real? I could hear the kittens and I captured a photo which I believe to be a smaller lion. If there was a breeding population, we would know. I told everyone the next day what I had seen and I was told there no big cats here any more. I couldnt believe it! There is no reported melanistic phase of cougars or pumas in the literature. They were last seen in 1882 and have since been killed off. 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. 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! 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