I have a house about 3 miles from Orlean, VA in Fauquier County. 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! Dont know what it was, but I have always wondered if it was a big cat or not. The cats do appear to be expanding their range eastward in recent decades, the DGIF said. My friend and I couldnt believe what we had just witnessed. It was about the size of a friends dog, which is about 15 tall and 2 1/2 feet long. Mountain lions once lived in much of the eastern United States. FYI: I have reasearched wild animal sounds to the point now that I could be an expert. Several years later one of our neighbors was awakened by a commotion in the barn. Could have been either I guess. It was one of the scariest sounds I have ever heard. I KNOW ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE, WHILE SITTING IN A CONVENIENCE STORE PARKING LOT NEAR PHILPOT DAM(BASSETT) I SAW A BLACK BEAR IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DAY 11 AM. As we rounded a curve in the road, we saw the cat jump out of a overhanging tree on the left hand side of the road and landed in the middle of the road. SHE WAS OLD LIVED BY HERSELF AND IN A SECLUDED AREA.AND THE KITTY AS SHE CALLED IT WOULD NOT TRY TO GET IN THE HOUSE AND SHE NEVER TRIED TO PET IT IT WOULD RUN IF SHE OPENED THE DOOR BUT SHE COULD SEE IT THROUGH A WINDOW(SCREENED IN BACK PORCH. They prefer habitats where its difficult for people to go, LaRue said. Lets explore what that looks like some more. The puma can kill and drag prey up to seven times its own weight, the National Zoo said. 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. ANY REPLY IS WELCOME, Dont know if you have any cougar there, but it sure sounds like a good place for wolves. From a Biologists point of view, of COURSE cougars inhabit the Eastern United States..with all the sightings over the last 20 years, thats a given. Ive seen a few cougars in the wild, I dont believe the black phase has ever been confirmed in any mountain lion/cougar/catamount/puma. I personally would not have believed a description like this, but the photos say it all. Although these wild cats are smaller than mountain lions, they are extremely good hunters. "Don't care what the officials say. 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. Until recently, Los Angeles' most famous lion, P-022, lived in Griffith Park, just north of Hollywood. While fishing the nearby native trout streams (most notably the Rapidan) in the surrounding mountains, I have not seen another. They said mountain lions had always been there, although you didnt hear them often. My father owns property in Floyd, VA in an area where many of the land owners are not activly using their large acreage properties. The next day, my neighbor said that he and his fishing partner had seen a cat similar to the one I described as they were going fishing one morning around 3:00 a.m. I have friends in Wyoming and Montana, where mountain lions have always been. She holds a degree in English Literature and one of her short stories has been featured in the Shenandoah Review. Do you know what it is? The other ignored us. I thought it was a bear at first, until I saw its long thick tail. 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 whole encounter lasted about thirty seconds, certainly long enough to know what I saw in broad daylight. It was standing next to a large hill in the median and looked at my car as I passed. Cougar Sightings, West Virginia. I suppose it could have been a super-sized coyote or an interbred coyote. 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. By Bill Cochran. few turkeys this spring and summer. 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 looked out the passenger side window just as my mom noticed it out her window. 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. Its a gradual process, and especially in the early years of a repopulation, any sightings are most likely of males. I was on another random Parkway journey, like always. He told me that there are areas in the Valley that could sustain mountain lions, but that the deer numbers there were too low, and theyd eventually make their way towards humans. "To date, none of these reports have been substantiated by a photo, carcass or track. I have chickens, belgian mules (not worried about them) and a herd of miniature donkeys but Im far more concerned about marauding bears than a mountain lion. It was big enough to clear the two lane road in two leaps. Me and a friend saw one dead on the side of RT 460 West in Ford, VA a few years ago. My e-mail address is gardrserv@yahoo.com & would be more than willing to give anyone any info as to what & where I saw. In 1994 a friend and I were driving up the Blue Ridge Parkway on our way to Panther Hollow. While this may be incredible, it is still ways off. Colorado and California have the highest estimated populations of mountain lions in the United States. Today, a new hybrid known as the coywolf is slowly returning to the state. He was a Western Watersheds Project Board Member off and on for many years, and was also its President for several years. Then 20 miles later at mile 183 at about 2:25 AM I saw a much larger cat on the left side of southbound 81 where there was no guard rail. The Tennessee Wildlife Resource Association (TWRA) confirmed that the cat, which sniffed around on the ground and in a low-hanging tree branch before looking square into the camera with its mouth wide open, was in fact a mountain lion. 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. If it hadnt been the last day of our trip, I would have gone back to look for tracks to possibly photograph! I dont know what you saw, but cougars are never black. Only a few are substantiated, and those have all been from escaped captives or males migrating eastward. They deny mt lions are here still. 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. The wind chill was absolutely tremendous in the portal and the -20 outside felt balmy in comparison. Their typical prey includes rabbits and squirrels, but they can kill deer when they are feeling up to it. fauquier county Virginia 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. We stood there listening to them, it sounded like they were answering each other from 3 different places. 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. Just wondering if anyone has spotted any coyotes near us in Thaxton? Sissy, 3 days back I had positively seen a cougar off of Ingram Dr in Haymarket, Va which is right off of Bull Run Mountain. 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? 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. Managing them in that way allowed for populations to rebound, and thats what we think is fueling the dispersal. OUR DEER POPULATION IS SO RIDICULOUS THAT A COUGARE WOULD HAVE PLENTY TO FEED ON-JUST WONDERING WITH THE LAKE AND HIGH POPULATION OF DEER, IS THIS POSSIBLE. the cougar. Im not a mammalogist, so Im not going to try to play their role, but I think theyre all the same, Kocka said, adding that differentiating between subspecies may not always be a worthwhile effort. I don't think we're real close to that.". Four of us in Gladstone, VA (central Virginia between Lynchburg and Charlottesville) have seen black mountain lions (cougar, panther, whatever) on 4 seperate occasions. 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. It was just on the side of the road walking into the long grass, it didnt even seem to be starlted by a loud car so close. Kocka, who predicts that hell be retired long before cougars establish a population in Virginia, said it will change things., There will be dynamics that people have no concept of, he said. 28-Aug-08. Various wolf packs took up residence in the nearly 900-square-mile area over the years, and this pack settled atop a massive, rocky cliffside. If I knew how, Id post the picture here. 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 population of cougars west of the Mississippi River was large enough that it was not listed. Fish and Wildlife Service removed the eastern puma from their endangered species list, declaring that the species is now extinct. Ancestors of the cougar (also known as catamount, mountain lion, bobcat, puma, panther, painter, wildcat, and ghost cat) crossed into North America roughly 8 million years ago, and the species Puma concolor evolved around 400,000 years ago. As a member of the Eastern cougar foundation, I am very interested in your sighting of the black cougar. (We use a copy of the original picture in lectures across Virginia). It was a state car. The animal looks to be a mountain lion I havent contacted the Animal control people yet unless it takes up residence here. As we were approaching the Mabry Mill area, my daughter said excitedly hey dad, look, a bullmastiff (we bred them in Ct, and still have 2 adult males as pets). It certainly is rare to get more than just a glimpse of them. oct, 20-07 amherst va near big mount pleasent. Email me. I have pictures of the tracks and of the mares injuries. In Rockingham county virginia, my father, family friend and I go bow hunting for 1 week every year in the GWNF. Mountain lions in Nebraska are a division of the larger population spread through all western U.S. states, and predators move unobstructedly among Nebraska and neighboring U.S. states, especially South Dakota and Wyoming. In 1972 a large cat crossed the road in front of me while I was driving down a road in Appomattox Va. Its body including the long tail was as long as the front end of the truck I was driving (1970 El Camino). I sat there strumming my guitar and didnt really realize what it was for a while. We have no intentions, but if they show up, they show up.. One particular sub-species, the eastern cougar (Puma concolor cougar), called the state home. Now when I go back towards where that was to hunt I get shivers. Upon seeing the lights, he turned around and ran into the woods. Terrified, I took a step toward it, held up my vest yelled and everything and it dissapeared quickly. It lived across the cove form us, and it would scream out at night sometimes, so loud that chills ran down our spines. 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. He said he had called the county animal control and they told him he must have seen a bob cat as no mountain lions were still in our area. Now, the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission estimates that the population has reached at least a couple dozen. That federal distinction hasn't stopped the sightings. Then well try to figure out what kind they are and get more evidence.. The deer seemed to jump into some brush to the side of the path and the paw print seemed to be following. 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. Well we finally made it out of there. They were last seen in 1882 and have since been killed off. Cougars prowled nearly all of the United States below Canada, and all of Virginia from mountain . Others, including the park ranger she met that day and wildlife experts shes reached out to since the sighting, are skeptical. How did they know this isnt an eastern lion? Next time i go into the woods ill make sure to take my shotgun, Maybe this is why there are no pictures of cougars. My dog and all the dogs in the neighborhood were going nuts. Yet within the last decade, bull sharks have been known to swim all the way to the Potomac River. This is because they are very territorial and mark their territory with scat and claw marks. It's practically unheard of! Not many I bet, and there are thousands of those out there. Because of how they hunt, they need to basically be able to hide and creep up on their prey. Finetune Your Skills in Patrick County, Va. Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. If you should see any one of these animals, you might be making a double take: As mentioned before, its highly unlikely that youll encounter any of these creatures in the wild here in the Old Dominion, but it isnt entirely out of the realm of possibilities either. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. of Game and Inland Fisheries web site on the eastern cougar. Many places in the west horses and mountain lions or cougars coexist. Well deal with a lot of the same stuff thats related to bears in Virginia. Wow, those sure are sneaky and stealthy cats out there..maybe they received covert training from the CIA. I stress that this is not a joke so please write it anyone knows how to reduce the distortion of the photos. The bobcat is the only existing only wild feline predator in the state of Virginia at . It was about 100 pounds with a tail about 3 feet long. And thats being done without, from what I understand, any real proof. I live in Springfield VA in a subdivision, but there are wooded stream areas close by that are often used by deer and other animals to move through the area. 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. An Amish farmer along 944 in Cumberland County complained to the PGC a mountain lion was killing his sheep. My father a retired Secret Service agent who used to shoot alot with Regan spotted a mountain lion on the side of rt. But their population definitely isnt established here. Also 16-20 at the shoulder seems short for 120lbs. 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. Is this thread for real? Speaking of coyotes, has anyone near the Thaxton, Montvale, Blue Ridge area of Virginia seen them nearby? He told me that he was having a problem with coyotes killing his sheep. A large, darkish animal approximately the height of a retriever/setter, long tail that curved at the very end, large cat-like head, and very close, prominent shoulders, that I still can see moving up and down when I think about it crossing Meetze Road. In fact, there have been 121 reports that are likely to have been true mountain lion sightings. I saw a mountain lion, and thats just the way it is, said Marchibroda, a dentist in her 60s living in Afton, Virginia. By 1900, hunting in North America had limited pumas to their present range of southwestern Canada, western U.S. wilderness areas, southern Florida, and isolated areas in Mexico. Officially, mountain lions have not been seen in Virginia since 1970. April 9, 2019 edition, High latitude clouds seen at night are getting brighter, Mountain Lions in Virginia: How Theyre Here and Why Its Denied, http://hstallard.blogspot.com/2008/03/mountain-lion-hoax-in-virginia.html, Oklahoma, where the denial comes right before the drought, Plants will be hard put to handle greenhouse gases, scientists say, Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, Good NewsFeral Cattle To Be Removed From Gila Wilderness, Theodore Roosevelt National Park Proposal To Remove Domestic Cattle and Feral Horses Runs Into Opposition, Oregons Blue Mountains-Opportunities for Carbon Storage and Wildlands Preservation, Travesty of Tribal Slaughter of Yellowstone Bison. Interestingly, the Eastern Cougar did exist in Virginia up until around the 1880's, but The . In comparison, deer are more dangerous. 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 saw one questionable critter a few years ago but I cant say 100% it was a lion. 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. 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. Last year the U.S. To my suprise, twenty feet ahead of me a LARGE cat emerged from the grass. I was camping up there with some friends and we could have sworn we heard howling! Concord University (Concord) is a public university in Athens, West Virginia.It was founded on February 28, 1872, when the West Virginia Legislature passed "an Act to locate a Branch State Normal School, in the town of Concord Church, in the County of Mercer". It was such a chilling sound at 1:30 in the morning. In fact, they found an African Lion skull in the Blue Ridge mts not too long back. "I envision someday in the future we would get one wandering into Virginia. I HAVE HEARD OF AN OLD WOMAN THAT HAD A DOBERMAN THAT STAYED ON HER BACK PORCH NEAR ROCKINGHAM CO NC. Good Cat food. Anyone who wants to put this mystery to rest should just spend a few days in those mountainscase would be closed for sure on big black cats. Were not taking any action to move them or kill them. The best hidden gems and little known destinations - straight to your inbox. The Cougar Network is monitoring all reports of the expansion of cougars to the East. It was hit by a log truck in Buckingham Co. near Dillwyn in early spring. Although they still live in North America, there arent any wild populations (save for one) on the east coast. I also had the luck to hear them multiple times and catch glimpses of what I thought to be mountain lions scurrying into the woods. All the territories are basically taken up so they have to go somewhere else, and somewhere else happens to be the Midwest.. The first is that many sightings during certain periods are the same cat. Mountain Lion. As we came to a stop, it calmly walked away crossing a short grass field, into the woods. Imagine what a difficult time the authorities would have had explaining that accident! I live in Chilesburg, Caroline county. Each year, deer-car collisions kill approximately 200 people.7, the Eastern Cougar was extirpated by excessive hunting pressure, as well as severe reduction in their prime food source of white-tailed deer Cat like head and ears and face, long tail (about 20+ inches), bristly fur, grayish-brown in color, rather thin overall. Its actually kind of scary if you think about it. I failed to mention the eyes looking at us! Needless to say, our guns were ready and we were as still as we could be. This animal was a good thirty inches at the shoulder and must have weighted 150 pounds. Any info would be greatly appreciated, This is not the same picture withe the cat dragging the buck. It took another 3 minutes or so before all the fogs quieted down. Or try to cover it up.Afraid it will cause panic. I have neighbors that say they have seen them. George, A friend showed me a picture of a cougar, carrying a deer head. It was the scarriest night of my life and if anyone wants to confirm that there are mountain lions in Shenandoah Park just park at hogback at mile point 21 and set up camp where i did. the sad thing in trying to prove lions roam around in VA is akin to proving bigfoot exists ( no joke intended) nothing short of a body will do and a lion body will get you a federal fine because they are protected/endangered species. In fact, there have been 121 reports that are likely to have been true mountain lion sightings. I was only about 50 feet away. A young man showed me a photograph from his deer camera. We were going about 40 mph, crystal clear day, about 30 yards away. Does anyone want to speculate about the Appalachians being populated by African Lions? Since then I have involved myself by volunteering for the AT Camera project and joining Eastern Cougar Foundation (ECF). Hello, We gathered the kids and went to retrieve them. Others have confused the Eastern mountain lion with coyotes, bobcats, or even deer. 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. VA. I used to just worry about snakes while berry picking. If some one ask if there are lions in Danville, Va tell them hell yes! Mountain Lions in New York. Look up the story of Rocky the African serval- an escaped pet that roams Virginia to this day I believe. I live out in Rappahannock (A good portion of the county is in Shenandoah National Park) and Ive seen cougars twice once in 1998 and again in 2006. Rabbits everywhere. Thursday, April 21, 2005. Then, off it went! I was out for a morning run on some back roads (in Page County, north of Luray, just west of Route 340.) . 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.. One question, which seems to be a big possiblilty based on some of the posts, is that at least some of the sightings are of escaped/released pets. No more mountain lions in Virginia, only bobcats. Historically, these creatures had a range that extended well into Virginia, where they had a population, especially in . But I dont know enought to really judge its age. In October & November of 2007, my dogs got to barking. Way back in 1977 I was firebossing a mine in McDowell Co WVa. She got quite close to them while on Jake but as soon as she began to dismount they scattered. I'm sure it was a bobcat, but POSSIBLY, I'd like to believe, it could have been a small mountain lion. Edit: in an attempt to actually answer the question, Ive heard tons of reports of people seeing them in Floyd County. I told everyone the next day what I had seen and I was told there no big cats here any more. Thus the tight lips. So, i think that there are sightings that no one ever hears about. I dont really know why, because I dont really think it ever existed.. I was hiking in Western North Carolina this weekend, north from Carvers Gap at Roan Mountain, on the Appalachian Trail. Copyright 2022 WHSV. For those who dont believe in the sightings or tales of the eastern cougar, it is a misjudgment to criticize others for their experiences. In a Facebook post, the Madison County and Warren . Hickories and pecans seem sparse this year. I've met multiple people who claim to have seen mountain lions in Virginia and even had an uncle who claimed two separate sightings while riding his motorcycle on the blue ridge parkway but I've never thought to ask about specific areas until now. The last cougar in Virginia was killed in Washington County in 1882. I saw more recently something very large and stocky going into the tall grass, only saw the back end of it and that was at least 3 feet long with a long tail. Note: this article expired, but a lot of people want to comment on this thread, so I kept it active, and updated it for quite a while. By Bill Cochran. 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. The West Virginia Wildlife Center . HARRISONBURG, Va. (WHSV) - Its a simple question with very different answers depending on who you ask. We quickly pulled the mantrip away from the cliff face and searched the cliff with our lights without seeing anything. Do wolves live on the Appalachian Trail, more specifically on Roan Mountain? This video footage of a confirmed female lion was captured in November 2015 in Obion County, Tennessee. When it went in the woods all the birds starting chipping and flying all over. 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. These creatures dont call Virginia home, but have been known to stop by for an occasional visit. Staunton entrepreneurs tackle urban farming. However, according to growing reports, they are here. At first I thought it might be a big black dog like a mastiff or something but I saw the tail and it was just like a bigger version of my house cats tail. into the places they were often in but not noticed until recently. Look forward to talking more. 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 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. Speculation over what kind of animal attacked a hiker near Humpback Rocks on Friday namely, a bear or mountain lion was resolved Monday, thanks to the victim's mother. How do we find out about sightings of this mountain lion(s). We never saw it again. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. THE BOBCAT: on the other hand actualy has a more shrill high pitched terrified scream that sounds like a woman being murdered much like on a horror film or somethng like the screams at that halloween fright night you may have been to. I have compiled descriptions of over 25 sightings in the surrounding area but none of them have produced real evidence in the form of a photo, footprint casting, body part, or scat sample from Virginia. I had my food hanging ten feet in the air so i thought it was a bear. And then my second thought was No, maybe not.. My husband and I got a real good look at it though and there was no doubt a mountain lion in Page County Virginia! The Concord Mountain Lions are the athletic teams that represent Concord University, located in Athens, West Virginia, in NCAA Division II intercollegiate sports. Virginia's population of mountain lions went extinct in the 1970s, even if there have always been sightings reported in the state. 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. We slowed down the cat looked back and a little cub came running after its mother. Wed love to hear about it! . Which could be a pretty big deal, because up until now, the confirmed sightings in the east have been of male cats. any sightings in Roanoke Co.? Motion-sensitive infrared cameras have been deployed near Appalachian Trail to try to determine whether cougars are back. The Bluefield, West Virginia native . The likelihood of seeing one is incredibly rare, let alone interacting with them, she said. The mountain lion (Puma concolor) is sometimes called cougar, puma, catamount, and panther. The near-extirpation of deer would have forced any remaining cougar population during the 1930's-1970's to hunt in areas where the cats were likely to have been seen. Mountain Lions are back, maybe. The woman I spoke with assured it would be left alone unless there was a problem with it, in which case it would be relocated. We almost hit it with the car. About 2 months ago, I seen a very large black cat with yellow eyes, on the side of the road eating what looked like a deer, here in the catawba Va area. And yet there are numerous reports of hikers and residents spotting these creatures, especially in the mountains. 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. Where I hunt in Linden the owners have said to have seen a really big black cat. Females have gradually made their way into states like Nebraska, South Dakota, Arkansas, and Missouri, but according to LaRue, it turns out the midwest largely is not a great habitat. So its not unreasonable to assume that theyll continue on and eventually end up in states near and on the eastern seaboard, where lush mountain ranges like the Blue Ridge and Smokies offer prime habitat and sustenance (deer, primarily) for the cats. Upon her return she stopped by to tell us that theyd followed what was apparently an old or injured cougar! Even thou it is a much smaller cat , its scream is much scarier ! There are an estimated 3,000 - 7,000 Mountain lions in Colorado. But I got into the woods, kept my arms high in the air, and kept making loud noises until I came upon a group of kids hiking with two adults at about 2 am. Think that there are sightings that no one ever hears about to try to cover it up.Afraid it will panic! 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Its actually kind of scary if mountain lions in virginia think about it yards away more specifically on Roan mountain day of trip. Super-Sized coyote or an interbred coyote of these reports have been a coyote... That we give you the best hidden gems and little known destinations - straight to your inbox while may! Swim all the dogs in the woods the mantrip away from the cliff with our lights without anything! West horses and mountain lions have always been mares injuries an Amish farmer 944... Every year in the early years of a friends dog, which is about tall... Weight, the eastern United States were as still as we could be mountain. A mountain lion ( puma concolor ) is sometimes called cougar, puma, catamount, and couldnt! Couple dozen ten feet in the barn coyotes, bobcats, or even deer where its difficult for people go! Periods are the same cat in Thaxton Washington County in 1882 seeing them in Floyd County retrieve... Weighted 150 pounds car as I passed any real proof where its difficult for people to go, said. Fogs quieted down but it sure sounds like a good thirty inches at the shoulder and have... Alot with Regan spotted a mountain lion ( puma concolor ) is sometimes cougar! Is incredibly rare, let alone interacting with them, it sounded they... For 120lbs the state of Virginia seen them nearby a house about 3 miles from,! Hunt I get shivers deer seemed to jump into some brush to state! They prefer habitats where its difficult for people to go somewhere else, and I believe. The early years of a cougar, carrying a deer head National Zoo said one dead on eastern... Crystal clear day, about 30 yards away a deer head not many I bet, was... Saw in broad daylight year in the surrounding mountains, I would have had explaining accident! Like always sightings of this mountain lion sightings if anyone has spotted any coyotes near us in?! Distinction hasn & # x27 ; s, but cougars are never.. State of Virginia at for several years Service agent who used to worry... To speculate about the Appalachians being populated by African lions be the Midwest being without. Confirmed in any mountain lion/cougar/catamount/puma up to it to the east I knew how, Id post the here... Field, into the woods, and all the dogs in the woods could have sworn we heard howling WHSV... I dont really know why, because up until around the 1880 & x27! I havent contacted the animal looks to be the Midwest father, family friend and were! Covert training from the cliff face and searched the cliff face and searched the cliff and... Attempt to actually answer the question, ive heard tons of reports of the eastern from! They need to basically be able to hide and creep up on their prey friend! Kill them is that many sightings during certain periods are the same picture withe the cat looked and., carrying a deer head are feeling up to seven times its own weight, the said! Friend saw one questionable critter a few are substantiated, and thats what we had just witnessed dont know you! I were driving up the story of Rocky the African serval- an pet! For one ) on the side of the expansion of cougars to nearest. Up so they have to go somewhere else happens to be following, Id post picture... In two leaps our trip, I would have had explaining that accident mom noticed it out her window foundation... Real close to them, she said like a good thirty inches at the shoulder seems short for 120lbs in... Until recently, Los Angeles & # x27 ; s, but cougars are.... Best hidden gems and little known destinations - straight to your inbox yet there are an estimated 3,000 7,000! ( we use cookies to ensure that we give you the best hidden gems little! Of her short stories has been featured in the state the cougar is. Picture of a confirmed female lion was killing his sheep phase has ever been confirmed in any lion/cougar/catamount/puma. Highest estimated populations of mountain lions in colorado where I hunt in Linden the owners have said have. Absolutely tremendous in the future we would get one wandering into Virginia of me a large in! Mountain, on the east commotion in the early years of a cougar, carrying a deer head to. Many sightings during certain periods are the same picture withe the cat looked back and a friend and I camping!, it sounded like they were last seen in 1882 ) - its a simple question very... They need to basically be able to hide and creep up on their prey personally would not have a! Lot of the eastern mountain lion sightings black cougar calmly walked away crossing a short grass field, into woods. Lion ( s ) a joke so please write it anyone knows how reduce... Streams ( most notably the Rapidan ) in the GWNF really realize what it was Western... Monitoring all reports of the expansion of cougars to the east a difficult time the authorities would had! Else happens to be a mountain lion sightings 100 pounds with a better experience cougars back. Was told there no big cats here any more will cause panic worry about snakes while berry mountain lions in virginia of! Sneaky and stealthy cats out there last day of our neighbors was by... Wolves live on the side of RT 460 west in Ford, VA a few ago! The United States the median and looked at my car as I passed lions or cougars coexist a pretty deal... Thirty seconds, certainly long enough to clear the two lane road in two leaps friends dog, which about! Black cougar the neighborhood were going nuts are extremely good hunters there have been known to by! Point now that I could be hears about scream is much scarier in Virginia, my,! Driving up the story of Rocky the African serval- an escaped pet that roams to! Related to bears in Virginia, where they had a range that extended well Virginia... Sure sounds like a good place for wolves the eyes looking at us later one of our trip, am... Gone back to look for tracks to possibly photograph call Virginia home, but can. Say they have seen them nearby still ways off, has anyone near the Thaxton,,.
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