and the does mated again? 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. The Blue Ridge Mountains are prime habitat for these cats, and once they get a foothold in the region, the signs are positive that they could return. Today is Sept. 29, 2008. Interestingly, the does seem to have very new fawns (twins generally). This is not the same picture withe the cat dragging the buck. About a month ago I was visiting a local sheep farmer (more gentleman farmer than actual make-money-farming farmer). I have pictures of the tracks and of the mares injuries. Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. The animal looks to be a mountain lion I havent contacted the Animal control people yet unless it takes up residence here. For about 15 years there were handfuls of confirmations that showed up in the midwest. 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. The Bluefield, West Virginia native . This weekend, had dinner with a new neighbor who mentioned that he had seen a black cat near Carrington Road in Markham, VA. Heard back from Animal Control and VDGIF. It was a large cougar that had an eight point buck by the neck. THANK YOU KATHY, I KNOW THEY HAVE LET SOME COYETTES(SPELLIN) LOOSE AND THERE ARE FOX HERE. Staunton entrepreneurs tackle urban farming. 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 . However it was way too fast, too quiet, and did not move like a deer. "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. This could cause an issue because they could go after livestock and cause problems for humans. In 1979, The Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries cited the mountain lion, or puma or cougar, to be an endangered or threatened animal in Virginia. He also wrote "Beyond the Tetons" and "Backpacking Wyoming's Teton and Washakie Wilderness." I was sitting in my tent in the darkness (no fires permitted in the back country of the park) when i heard a loud crashing sound coming towards my tent. It was one of the scariest sounds I have ever heard. Sometimes relatively together and sometimes on opposite sides of the trail. 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. https://www.whsv.com/content/news/Mountain-lion-attack-reported-near-Humpback-Rock-385246261.html Its been confirmed by by fish and game. Hellol. In reply to D. Racey we would like to review your photo of the track. Wild Cats in Virginia. There is no reported melanistic phase of cougars or pumas in the literature. 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." kind of beige, dark grey at tip of tail, white underbelly. This normal school was founded by veterans of both the Union and the Confederacy, Concord is named for the ideal of "harmony and sweet . Wonder why so many big black cats ae spotted all over the country then?? 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. I thought that cougars were hunted to the point of extermination in Virginia, I was wondering if anyone could confirm or deny my sighting with what little information I had I just think in would be really cool if they were moving back into these mountains. But she knew what one of those looked like, said it wasnt and added that it had a long tail. 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. I will have to go back, & look to see if it was an eight point deer, but I did see the rack. I didnt even know there were mountain lions in these parts, so I clearly wasnt looking for something like this. The puma can kill and drag prey up to seven times its own weight, the National Zoo said. The very sad news: there was a PGC ear tag on it. Many people live their entire lives in mountain lion country, and never see or know the cats are around. And then my second thought was No, maybe not.. I myself saw 2 big black cats with a tawny one run out of an abandoned barn back in the late 1970s in upstate NY. Oct 3, 2017. They plan on going back to that area with their camera in hopes of spotting it again and taking pics. If they are in Virginia, shouldnt there be a photo by now from a camera trap? OK see I read there were mountain lions in a certain large canyon but now Im pretty sure that rumour is to keep other fisherman out. The best hidden gems and little known destinations - straight to your inbox. VA. We coundnt believe what we saw. 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. Certainly there is a chance that cougars can be in VA. How could we possibley know there are none, and be certain. The DWR is open to reviewing evidence of mountain lions in our area, and Michael told me to always keep an open mind. If for some reason there were any cougars rediscovered in the east that werent migrants from the west, the protection status is up to the state in which it is found, LaRue said. She ranked top 10 in the MEC in field-goal percentage (third/54.3), free-throw percentage (sixth/78.2), blocks per game (sixth/0.9) and rebounding (eighth/7.9). We do see a bob cat about once a year and an occasional bear but this was clearly different. Thanks for any help, as plenty claim they are here also. Dec 27, 2022. Historically, these creatures had a range that extended well into Virginia, where they had a population, especially in . Most sightings occur in Shenandoah National Park and in Bedford, Amherst and Nelson County region. I suppose it could have been a super-sized coyote or an interbred coyote. Hmmm, but then we have pictures of bear in the local paper sometimes. It ran down the road for a bit. Does it make a circle on a set time period or does it travel randomly? 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. I just want to confirm that, yes, theyre back and I hope they stay around! There are several reasons that government agencies dont want to admit to the presence of pumas in the area. When Dr. Michelle LaRue began her graduate studies in 2005, the state of Nebraska had virtually no mountain lions. It was probably a year later that those people sold their house to another couple with horses. That is if it is still around. We were tracking a deer one night and ended up lost for 6 hours and found a small field. Ive heard stories of forest rangers at Apple Orchard Falls BRPkway and Potts Mountain, Craig Co being relocated for taking pics of mountain lions is there anyway to confirm such? The more details the better! Every year there were a few here and there.. Chris Desborough/Shutterstock.com. The DNR maintains mountain lion sightings using a system to receive, record and review mountain lion reports. It was, without question, a mountain lion. Does it follow a path through the woods like a deer sometimes does?? It certainly is rare to get more than just a glimpse of them. Scientists once classified over 30 subspecies of cougars based on morphological differences. Cant say what it was and hope to never see again. We still hear these screams from time to time but most recently (Dec 26, 2006) our grand daughter spotted a coyote digging in our manure pile for varmits! I met with Michael Fies, Wildlife Biologist with the DWR, and we spoke about the history, extinction, and sightings of mountain lions in the Valley. The West Virginia Wildlife Center . Thank you for reading! 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. The photo in question popped up over the weekend on a local Bigfoot enthusiast's Facebook page, which prompted some discussion. 29 and crossed the highway. After passing the long horn pasture over the summit I thought I was clear, hadnt seen eyes at any distance in a while. Its a gradual process, and especially in the early years of a repopulation, any sightings are most likely of males. Yes, most sightings, if not all of them have to be taken on 100% trust in the person who has it. Today's habitat could support a breeding population. According to the Cat Specialist Group, Puma concolor cougar is in North and Central America and Puma concolor concolor ranges throughout South America.2. I had always heard stories about the big cats thriving around Buladean, N.C and even closer areas to my home. While Virginia Beach has been known to house several species of sharks, it's more unusual for these intimidating creatures to wander inland. Contact the AZ Animals editorial team. The left rare flank was eaten and the entrails were gone. He didnt rule out the possibility of an individual wandering into Virginia, as that has happened before. It was about 100 pounds with a tail about 3 feet long. Many years ago when my dad was just a kid, he was walking home after dark and a large black cat was walking off the dirt road along with him. While I was on vacation last summer, 2007, in Sandbridge Beach, Virginia, outside Virginia Beach, I encountered a big black cat. 1001 Virginia St. East Charleston, WV 25301 Phone: 304-348-5140 tail, gray to tan in color. We got a phone call last night that one of our neighbors (in Midlothian, VA) saw a lion in the back yard. No breeding female has been found east of the Mississippi River since the 1920's.3. Even thou it is a much smaller cat , its scream is much scarier ! I aimed my light in the direction and it was a huge cat halfway up the tree staring at me. It is being held at the Discovery Center at SML State Park from 3:00 - 4:00 p.m. on March 31st. Found no prints, unfortunately. I have friends in Wyoming and Montana, where mountain lions have always been. Does this mean they do not exist? One of the yotes had her by the mouth over her nose and one had her by the throat while the other 2 watched. My husband and I just got home from work about 3 hours ago at 1:30 am. At a second glance, we knew that it couldnt be deer. They go hiking in the Rockies all the time and people still dont see them very often.. Fies, however, thinks it's a matter of time before one actually does show up in some eastern state. My grandparents lived most of their lives near Summersville, WV, in Nicholas County. Look at his PAWS!. I saw what I thought was a mountain lion today in Fairfax County off of Bull Run Post Office Rd and Glory Creek Trail near the Loudoun County line. It was just after dark and I didnt think there were supposed to be any mountain lions in that part of the country. 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. 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. 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. So these sightings have been confirmed, and there is in fact at least one mountain lion roaming around in Tennessee. I live in Spotsylvania va in a development but we all live on 5 to 10 acres. My buddy who lives in Floyd heard one, and others I know around here and by bent mountain. It was about 11:30 PM and I was driving an Austin Healy Bugeyed Sprite. You want to talk about uneasy its almost like it was stalking us. They were all shiny black with long tails. This lion was hit between Cherry Reservoir Road and High Knob area At first I thought it was a bob cat but it was larger and the color was not right. 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. 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