View Full Version : Saw a mountain lion today on the AT
vamelungeon
08-17-2011, 21:13
I was hiking north to the Mt. Rogers NRA HQ today and at about 1pm I saw a mountain lion cross the trail about 75 yards ahead of me. It ran across the trail then jumped up on a fallen tree and paused, then jumped down into the woods. My view of it was clear and unobstructed. There was no doubt about what it was, from the super long tail, the tawny color, the huge but low slung body. I've seen one in a zoo and of course on film but never in person before. I've been a lifelong hunter in southwest Virginia and I've seen a lot of wildlife but this cougar was a new experience. It wasn't a bobcat or Aunt Tilly's housecat. I only wish I'd had a camera in my hand.
you weren't out picking mushrooms were you?
wornoutboots
08-17-2011, 21:57
That's really cool!
Shutterbug
08-17-2011, 21:58
... I only wish I'd had a camera in my hand. That is why I almost always have a camera in my hand. I would love to see another mountain lion in a situation where I could get a good picture. I envy you for the experience.
AWE,you lucky dog(or cat!) Too bad you didn't snap a pic...such is life ehh?!
HiKen2011
08-17-2011, 22:25
Lucky you! I think they are spreading ever so slowly on the eastern US.
WingedMonkey
08-17-2011, 23:12
Was he chasing Bigfoot or was Bigfoot chasing him?
:D
Jim Adams
08-17-2011, 23:23
very nice!
geek
stumpknocker
08-18-2011, 05:50
Lucky you!!
I know of three others who have seen mountain lions on the AT. One in VT, one in VA, one in PA.
That is the one critter I've not seen in the wild yet.
Very nice! What time of day or night was it? The only person I've talked to who said he has seen a mountain lion in the the eastern US saw it before dawn.
BTW, there was an article in the Charlotte Observer recently about a couple of mountain lions being killed on the interstate in CT recently.
bronconite
08-18-2011, 07:32
I was hiking north to the Mt. Rogers NRA HQ today and at about 1pm I saw a mountain lion cross the trail about 75 yards ahead of me. It ran across the trail then jumped up on a fallen tree and paused, then jumped down into the woods. My view of it was clear and unobstructed. There was no doubt about what it was, from the super long tail, the tawny color, the huge but low slung body. I've seen one in a zoo and of course on film but never in person before. I've been a lifelong hunter in southwest Virginia and I've seen a lot of wildlife but this cougar was a new experience. It wasn't a bobcat or Aunt Tilly's housecat. I only wish I'd had a camera in my hand.
I'd encourage you to read through the following link. There are those who would love for this to be true, and if you could collect some evidence, they'd lile to here from you. http://www.easterncougar.org/pages/beyondsightings.htm
bronconite
08-18-2011, 07:37
Very nice! What time of day or night was it? The only person I've talked to who said he has seen a mountain lion in the the eastern US saw it before dawn.
BTW, there was an article in the Charlotte Observer recently about a couple of mountain lions being killed on the interstate in CT recently.
I'm fairly sure there was only one mountain lion killed on the highway there recently, which is the one that USFW believes came from South Dakota. http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2011/08/16/2530942/mountain-lions-show-up-in-greenwich.html#storylink=misearch
Pedaling Fool
08-18-2011, 07:41
What time of day or night was it?
I was hiking north to the Mt. Rogers NRA HQ today and at about 1pm I saw a mountain lion...
BTW, if you did have a camera do you think you would've had enough time to snap a pic? Most people carry the camera in their pack; I normally carry it in a case attached to my shoulder harness, but there have been some things I wanted to get a pic of, but just couldn't get the camera out quick enough, at least quick enough for a clear unobstructed pic.
Mountain Maiden
08-18-2011, 08:00
That is so COOL! WOW! My closest encounter was with a black panther--of course, no camera! A lot of excitement, though! On my thru hike in '02, I remember two hikers saw a mountain lion up close and personal as it chased a deer directly across the path in front of them on the Trail near Bear Mtn (NY).
LUCKY YOU!
bronconite
08-18-2011, 08:24
That is so COOL! WOW! My closest encounter was with a black panther--of course, no camera! A lot of excitement, though! On my thru hike in '02, I remember two hikers saw a mountain lion up close and personal as it chased a deer directly across the path in front of them on the Trail near Bear Mtn (NY).
LUCKY YOU!
There is no scientific evidence of the existence of mountain lions that are black. The cats we know as "black panthers" in North/Central/South America are melanistic jaguars.
Tom Murphy
08-18-2011, 09:34
pics or it didn't happen
Slo-go'en
08-18-2011, 10:01
pics or it didn't happen
Yeap, even up here in the great north woods, close to eastern Canada, there have not been any confirmed sightings of mountian lions (aka cougers). Don't know what the OP saw, but it unlikely was a mountian lion. Maybe a Fisher cat?
Majortrauma
08-18-2011, 10:13
pics or it didn't happen
Does anyone have a good, clear photo of God? :)
I'm far more open minded about the possibility of mountain lions actually roaming around, albeit in small numbers, on the east coast.
Considering the large amount of woods and potential territory for these animals and the large number of deer they have available to them I don't see why people are so quick to accept the theories of the USFW.
vamelungeon
08-18-2011, 10:30
pics or it didn't happen
No pictures. I don't really care if anyone believes it or not, and I know what it was. There's no way for me to prove anything. It wasn't a "Fisher Cat" or bobcat or housecat.
vamelungeon
08-18-2011, 10:33
I had to google "Fisher Cat" and no, that looks NOTHING like a mountain lion. The Fisher Cat's domain is nowhere near here anyway. It would less likely be a Fisher Cat than a mountain lion. Jeez.
Would be tough to confuse the two. He might have you mixed up with the guy that tried to fill a deer tag with a domestic goat a few years back.
If anyone sees a cougar in the East, try to get some hair or scat, taking pics during collection. Call an environmental group not the Feds.
Majortrauma
08-18-2011, 10:49
Don't bother talking to the NYSDEC folks about mountain lions; same story up there. "They do not exist."
They're more interested in explaining that they do NOT exist than listening to credible hunters and landowners.
bronconite
08-18-2011, 10:59
I had to google "Fisher Cat" and no, that looks NOTHING like a mountain lion. The Fisher Cat's domain is nowhere near here anyway. It would less likely be a Fisher Cat than a mountain lion. Jeez.
While a Fisher aka Fisher Cat does look nothing like a Mountain Lion. It is much more likely that you will see a Fisher in the East. There is a healthy, growing population in Pennsylvania. There is also a population in West Virginia. And they are believed to be in Virginia. http://www.dgif.virginia.gov/outdoor-report/2009/12/09/
vamelungeon
08-18-2011, 11:00
Would be tough to confuse the two. He might have you mixed up with the guy that tried to fill a deer tag with a domestic goat a few years back.
If anyone sees a cougar in the East, try to get some hair or scat, taking pics during collection. Call an environmental group not the Feds.
I've been hunting for 45 years or so and I've got a pretty good handle on identifying wildlife. I've practiced judging distances and I've practiced describing what I've seen (in law enforcement). But nonetheless I have zero proof so I'll just have to leave it at that. It was an awesome experience for me though, and I thought I'd share it. I know the fed's attitude about it and wouldn't bother reporting it to them. Evidently some of them are here on WB! LOL
vamelungeon
08-18-2011, 11:02
While a Fisher aka Fisher Cat does look nothing like a Mountain Lion. It is much more likely that you will see a Fisher in the East. There is a healthy, growing population in Pennsylvania. There is also a population in West Virginia. And they are believed to be in Virginia. http://www.dgif.virginia.gov/outdoor-report/2009/12/09/
Wow. Google shows their range stopping in northern Maine, which is a LONG way from SWVA. It's not what I saw, though. Not even close.
bronconite
08-18-2011, 11:22
Wow. Google shows their range stopping in northern Maine, which is a LONG way from SWVA. It's not what I saw, though. Not even close.
The fisher population has been rebounding very nicely. With the experience you describe yourself as having, I would very much encourage you to look for some physical evidence and read through the link I posted earlier. The Eastern Cougar Foundation would love more than anything for there to be evidence, other than sightings, of cougars in the east.
vamelungeon
08-18-2011, 11:33
The fisher population has been rebounding very nicely. With the experience you describe yourself as having, I would very much encourage you to look for some physical evidence and read through the link I posted earlier. The Eastern Cougar Foundation would love more than anything for there to be evidence, other than sightings, of cougars in the east.
I have actually looked at that website before when people told me they saw mountain lions. If I were ever to find any tracks, scat, etc. I would collect it for them. I didn't linger in the area yesterday because I was hurrying to get to the HQ. I don't know that I would have felt comfortable screwing around there with a large predator nearby anyway. I just kept walking.
bigcranky
08-18-2011, 12:32
pics or it didn't happen
Oh please, if he did have photos, people would be screaming that it was a Photoshop job.
Slo-go'en
08-18-2011, 13:09
Well, I actually hope what you saw wasn't a mountian lion. Don't want to have to worry about being stalked by one while hiking at dusk! Those critters have been known to eat people!
Kerosene
08-18-2011, 13:14
Lucky you!!
I know of three others who have seen mountain lions on the AT. One in VT, one in VA, one in PA.
That is the one critter I've not seen in the wild yet.You know of 4, Stumpy! I saw one on the AT about 40 yards ahead of me on a crisp, clear October day in 2001 about 4 miles south of Harpers Ferry.
I'm going to go with vamelungeon on this, and accept that he saw either a mountain lion or something very close to one. In over 60 years of hiking these hills I've run up onto many strange things, including wild boar, moonshiners, meth labs, very large animals that ran away in the night, bobcat, and my latest favorite, a very large bear that tried to hide behind a tree that was at the most four inches wide. Once I went into an abandoned mountain cabin where the ceiling and walls had fallen in, and in the middle of it was an intact and lived-in room with a ticking clock. I didn't stay around.
Majortrauma
08-18-2011, 13:56
LOL
Oh please, if he did have photos, people would be screaming that it was a Photoshop job.
Hmmm, I wonder if any of these people that don't think he really saw a mountain lion also are totally OK with Earl Shaffer claiming to be the first thru-hiker.
Earl Shaffer hasn't made a claim to anything since 2002 when he departed this world.
Pedaling Fool
08-18-2011, 15:24
...I don't see why people are so quick to accept the theories of the USFW.
Sheeple. You just can't ignore all the reports. I don't know if the eastern cougar is extinct or not, but I can't ignore all the sightings of cougar, some form of cougar is out there in appreciable numbers. And the fact that the USFW wants to just shrug their shoulder and say: "Oh, that's an escaped pet." is typical of a govt bureaucracy.
I can see them now sitting around the office drinking coffee and eating doughnuts making fun of all the people that report a cougar sighting.:rolleyes:
I don't know if the eastern cougar is extinct or not ...
Some authorities believe there never was such a cat.
Pedaling Fool
08-18-2011, 15:48
Some authorities believe there never was such a cat.
Actually I do remember reading that some where, that some believe there's no genetic difference between an eastern or western cat, meaning there is no subspecies of Eastern Cougar. However, the USFW, through its arrogance, declared the eastern cougar officially extinct back in March of this year. Messy little situation:D
USFWS is just trying to cover all possible contingencies. All of these reports might otherwise require implimenting and funding a controversial recovery program for an entity that doesn't exist.
If at some point, it's demonstrated such a distinct, genetic entity and a remnant, recoverable population exists, they would likely rescind their ruling and impliment a recovery plan.
I am doubtful that any such recoverable population exists. That doesn't mean there isn't the occasional cougar to be seen.
Pedaling Fool
08-18-2011, 16:31
USFWS is just trying to cover all possible contingencies.
I can't see it being a contingency plan. Whether the sightings are from a reviving eastern cougar population or migrating western cougar, or even the Florida panthers, they all need protection. Even if they are escaped pets that are starting to gain numbers of sustainability they need protection.
You maybe right, maybe the numbers aren't enough to sustain a breeding population, but there's numbers out there, so to declare it extinct is just...
To me it's either the USFW sticking their heads in the sand or complete arrogance. Contingency -- NOT!
it seems mtn. lions pose a greater threat of attack on people given the stories from Calif where runners have been attacked on trails.
USFWS isn't obligated to assist in establishing a population of cougars of dubious and/or mixed genetic background any more than they are obligated to assist in establishing a population of feral, pet wolves.
Extralimital species that turn up outside their normal range otherwise known as vagrants do not constitute a breeding population. If cougars expand their range on their own, that's a different issue.
The Florida panther is a distinct population and continues to have full protection under the Endangered Species Act as it should.
I know how to find big cats... get a helicopter with a spotlight! ;)
(move it around like a laser pen)
stumpknocker
08-18-2011, 17:30
You know of 4, Stumpy! I saw one on the AT about 40 yards ahead of me on a crisp, clear October day in 2001 about 4 miles south of Harpers Ferry.
Dang....you too?? Good for you!! The other three I know of that has seen one on the AT was Rambunny, Trek and Doc & Wounded Knee. I heard the one Doc & Wounded Knee saw, but I never saw it.
I really have been watching for one out west on the CDT, but haven't been lucky enough to actually lay eyes on one yet. Mrs Gorp saw one from the truck this year, but I was driving and couldn't turn fast enough to see it. That doesn't count as seeing one on a trail anyways. :)
My best sighting out west has been a wolverine.
Snowleopard
08-18-2011, 17:35
There's been a small number of cougars that have been verified in New England and Quebec. Where DNA testing was done, I think all have been South American except the Greenwich, CT, animal. This means they've been captive animals that were released or escaped. The Conn. animal was from the Dakotas. I've read a report by a reliable person of a cougar in the Adirondacks, but I'm skeptical.
There was a cougar shot in northern Georgia; this was genetically a Florida panther. Mt. Rogers would be a couple hundred miles further; that's a bit far for it to wander, but young males do travel.
I'm skeptical that what Vamelungeon saw was a cougar, but it's possible. I also don't think it was a fisher because that's outside their known range, and V. would not have mistaken a fisher for a cougar.
If it really was a cougar, congratulations!! Not many people in the east have seen one in the wild.
Sir-Packs-Alot
08-18-2011, 18:01
:rolleyes: DON'T SAY THAT! We'll have to deal with another "Animal Planet" tv show looking for mountain lions this time ... down here in GA ! ;)
I was hiking north to the Mt. Rogers NRA HQ today and at about 1pm I saw a mountain lion cross the trail about 75 yards ahead of me. It ran across the trail then jumped up on a fallen tree and paused, then jumped down into the woods. My view of it was clear and unobstructed. There was no doubt about what it was, from the super long tail, the tawny color, the huge but low slung body. I've seen one in a zoo and of course on film but never in person before. I've been a lifelong hunter in southwest Virginia and I've seen a lot of wildlife but this cougar was a new experience. It wasn't a bobcat or Aunt Tilly's housecat. I only wish I'd had a camera in my hand.
Sir-Packs-Alot
08-18-2011, 18:11
All cracks aside though (and it sounds like you were ready for them vamelungeon) - I have knowledgable friends that I believe have seen a mountain lion in a remote areas of the North GA mountains - so why not you in VA? There food source is back - and they are the wiliest, most agile and possibly most intelligent big mammals that used to frequent these hills. As Jeff Goldblum said in Jurassic Park - "Nature will find a way". I just hope that some of the things I'm hearing being whispered are NOT true though ... and that is ... that "the hunters have found a way" to keep this small population that is on a slow comeback from being recognized - to increase their chances of bagging one before the situation becomes regulated by the authorities. I hope that rumour is MORE unreliable than the bigfoot rumours...
:rolleyes: DON'T SAY THAT! We'll have to deal with another "Animal Planet" tv show looking for mountain lions this time ... down here in GA ! ;)
vamelungeon
08-18-2011, 20:56
All cracks aside though (and it sounds like you were ready for them vamelungeon) - I have knowledgable friends that I believe have seen a mountain lion in a remote areas of the North GA mountains - so why not you in VA? There food source is back - and they are the wiliest, most agile and possibly most intelligent big mammals that used to frequent these hills. As Jeff Goldblum said in Jurassic Park - "Nature will find a way". I just hope that some of the things I'm hearing being whispered are NOT true though ... and that is ... that "the hunters have found a way" to keep this small population that is on a slow comeback from being recognized - to increase their chances of bagging one before the situation becomes regulated by the authorities. I hope that rumour is MORE unreliable than the bigfoot rumours...
I haven't heard anyone say that here in Va. It could be true though. I know people who think that way.
SassyWindsor
08-18-2011, 21:08
One time, while at a Zoo, I saw a thru-hiker cross my path 30 meters in front of me.:)
I don't care if you saw someone who had a certificate of recognition from ATC in hand, that doesn't prove anything!:)
One time, while at a Zoo, I saw a thru-hiker cross my path 30 meters in front of me.:)
Without a pic, it didnt happen.:)
I would normally think this was pretty cool, but I am heading up tomorrow evening to do some hiking and overnighting just past Wilburn Ridge. Looks like I better bring some ear plugs, I will probably be a bit jumpy when things go bump in the night.
75 yards is a long way but I do believe you. Or at least I believe you you saw what you saw. Though, one time I was sure I say lion (like in Africa) three times as I hike up some switchbacks even when I know you don't find them in the US and for sure not on the AT. It turned out to be a big golden retriever walking in the woods. That said, here in southern wisconsin my daughter almost hit a cougar last year and there has not been a confirmed sighting years. So it does not surprise me if you did see one. I wish I was there. I carry my camera out and ready to shoot.
BTY - the cougar killed in Connecticut was known to have traveled all the way from Wisconsin (http://dnr.wi.gov/news/BreakingNews_Lookup.asp?id=2158).
vamelungeon
08-18-2011, 22:41
I would normally think this was pretty cool, but I am heading up tomorrow evening to do some hiking and overnighting just past Wilburn Ridge. Looks like I better bring some ear plugs, I will probably be a bit jumpy when things go bump in the night.
As an insomniac I sometimes carry a small bottle of Nyquil. I used to use Ambien but started having that "Ambien Amnesia" and quit taking it. With a small dose of Nyquil you'll sleep soundly. An elephant could trumpet and you wouldn't hear it. I've never been all that scared in the woods except when a screech owl let loose with it's blood curdling cry a few times. That always scares the you-know-what out of me. As I understand it, if you are stalked by a mountain lion you won't know it until it's too late.
SawnieRobertson
08-19-2011, 10:15
I do not welcome the mountain lion. They are not good neighbors. I would have preferred that V. keep his lion on the west side of I-81. On the other hand, the talk about fisher cats solved a mystery for me. A creature that looked like a marten, a mink, and ever so many other wildlife that like to be near creeks and other water sources, went quickly leaping (about 8 inches high at the most) in my duck pen when I went out to allow the ducks to forage. I had recently lost six ducks and immediately got a trap set up. I also went to the Internet to ID the mammal. No search ever reveal a photo that matched, chiefly because this fellow had a bushy tail as long as his Dashund-shaped body. (pardon the spelling) But there he is in the picture on the link about fishers. SO I have sighted a fisher at Sugar Grove, Virginia!
But, back to the mountain lion, I believe you V., and I am glad you had the good sense not to run from or, for that matter, pursue it. I think it is time for PMags to chime in on how he enjoys hiking with lions in the Rockies and for that matter within Boulder.--Kinnickinic
JollyMaiden
08-19-2011, 13:09
An elderly friend of mine saw one in the early 1970s in the GSMNP - Twenty Mile area just after it got light enough to see clearly. He was a veternarian at the UTK veterinary hospital which treated the big cats from the Knoxville Zoo so he knew what he was seeing. He did not make it public because he was afraid someone would attempt to hunt the animal.
Sir-Packs-Alot
08-19-2011, 13:15
I could understand feeling that way ...
An elderly friend of mine saw one in the early 1970s in the GSMNP - Twenty Mile area just after it got light enough to see clearly. He was a veternarian at the UTK veterinary hospital which treated the big cats from the Knoxville Zoo so he knew what he was seeing. He did not make it public because he was afraid someone would attempt to hunt the animal.
You're a lot more likely to be bit by a snake than attacked by a mountain lion.
Mountain Maiden
08-19-2011, 13:28
There is no scientific evidence of the existence of mountain lions that are black. The cats we know as "black panthers" in North/Central/South America are melanistic jaguars.
Well, how about that? Ya' learn something new everyday...Any scientific evidence of how they got here (southeastern U.S.?) Call it what you want, either way--he/she was a BIG Black kitty!! A memorable experience for me!
Mountain Maiden
08-19-2011, 13:34
I'm going to go with vamelungeon on this, and accept that he saw either a mountain lion or something very close to one. In over 60 years of hiking these hills I've run up onto many strange things, including wild boar, moonshiners, meth labs, very large animals that ran away in the night, bobcat, and my latest favorite, a very large bear that tried to hide behind a tree that was at the most four inches wide. Once I went into an abandoned mountain cabin where the ceiling and walls had fallen in, and in the middle of it was an intact and lived-in room with a ticking clock. I didn't stay around.
Did you get pics? :D
WingedMonkey
08-19-2011, 13:45
You're a lot more likely to be bit by a snake than attacked by a mountain lion.
I swear I'm gonna send you them damn rattlesnake eggs. But not till I take out some life insurance on ya.
:p
bronconite
08-19-2011, 13:45
Well, how about that? Ya' learn something new everyday...Any scientific evidence of how they got here (southeastern U.S.?) Call it what you want, either way--he/she was a BIG Black kitty!! A memorable experience for me!
Jaguars are native to the Western U.S.. There just moving back in. If you google "Jaguars in the Southeast" you'll find lots of reading. Here is an example. http://www.southwestwildlife.org/PDF/Newsletter/Spring06.pdf
bronconite
08-19-2011, 13:49
Jaguars are native to the Western U.S.. There just moving back in. If you google "Jaguars in the Southeast" you'll find lots of reading. Here is an example. http://www.southwestwildlife.org/PDF/Newsletter/Spring06.pdf
Wow, I should really spend some money and get editing privleges. Should be "They're just moving back in" and google "Jaguars in the Southwest"
I was hiking the AT this year and I met another hiker who claimed he saw a mtn lion in Virginia. Other hikers poopooed him and said they do not exist in that area.
Nutbrown
08-19-2011, 15:18
If a mtn lion went from the Dakotas to Conn, why is it so difficult to believe that they have made it to Va? Do they have to be hit by a car to be called a mtn lion??? I wonder how many of the doubters are religious...
doritotex
08-19-2011, 18:19
Why on earth would most people carry their camera in their pack? Really, do "most people" have their camera in their pack? I carry mine in my shorts pocket! And that's not quick enough when I see wildlife! I was reading about mountain lions just the other day, and the article said that they are out there more than people know because they are nocturnal and rarely seen in the day. You got really lucky!
vamelungeon
08-19-2011, 18:44
In my case, I use my Blackberry camera and it was in my pocket but turned off to save the battery. I may start carrying a separate camera but of course digital cameras have to be turned on too. Maybe one of those little film cameras where you send in the entire camera would be better.
Sierra Echo
08-19-2011, 18:47
You're a lot more likely to be bit by a snake than attacked by a mountain lion.
Did I mention that I almost stepped on a copperhead today? MUH hahhahahahhahahaha!
dilligas
08-19-2011, 22:00
http://www.loudountimes.com/index.php/news/article/round_hill_resident_claims_sighting_of_mountain_li on123/
Round Hill Va is about 3 miles east of the AT on Rt 7, between Bears Den hostel and Blackburn Trail Center.
Captain Blue
08-19-2011, 22:33
From the article:
I scrambled to take a photo ... and was able to take a picture of it, but it did not come out too well.... I was looking at one for about 20 minutes this morning and that this was no domestic cat,”
A twenty minute encounter with a mountain lion and one blurry photo? Sounds like a UFO sighting to me.
Daydream Believer
08-20-2011, 05:18
Fantastic! I was just up trail riding our horses at Grayson Highlands last weekend. My mare kept "telling" me that there might be "lions" behind every big rock and she might have been right! Just joking a bit but horses are wary by nature. That is really cool!
Pedaling Fool
08-20-2011, 10:26
From the article:
A twenty minute encounter with a mountain lion and one blurry photo? Sounds like a UFO sighting to me.
It does raise some questions. Inevitably there are both misidentified sightings out there and complete hoaxes; I have no opinion on that article, just questions. However, I do have my own story of "not getting an incredible pic".
I had a great blue heron come into my yard eating lizards off the fence and bushes. I love taking pics and take many in my yard of birds, including some of turkey vultures that I feed. So when I think back to that time I can't figure out why the hell I didn't go get the camera; I had plenty of time and would of been an outstanding shot of a majestic bird eating lizards.
What was I thinking:datz
Northern Lights
08-20-2011, 10:49
I was hiking the AT this year and I met another hiker who claimed he saw a mtn lion in Virginia. Other hikers poopooed him and said they do not exist in that area.
They aren't suppose to exist in the NWT but last year someone found one up here. They will migrate if they need to, like any animal.
Kerosene
08-20-2011, 13:22
You're a lot more likely to be bit by a snake than attacked by a mountain lion.I've beaten the odds...in 2000+ miles of hiking I've seen one mountain lion and no poisonous snakes (at least no live poisonous snakes). The only thing that's "attacked" me was a perturbed grouse hen.
WILLIAM HAYES
08-20-2011, 20:16
pretty cool it must have been quite an experience
Its still listed on the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries mammal species list.
Pedaling Fool
08-27-2011, 09:44
Its still listed on the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries mammal species list.
I guess the states can do what they want on this issue; I can't imagine the USFW really caring, but as far as they're concerned the Eastern Cougar, if there was ever such an animal, is extinct. (http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/03/science/earth/03cougar.html)
But the feds have washed their hands of this issue and the states will get no support on this. http://www.fws.gov/northeast/ecougar/newsreleasefinal.html
Sassafras Lass
09-07-2011, 16:57
Once I went into an abandoned mountain cabin where the ceiling and walls had fallen in, and in the middle of it was an intact and lived-in room with a ticking clock. I didn't stay around.
Brrrr!! I would have kept my knife out and ran swiftly while watching my back. I have absolutely nothing against mountain folks - heck, I want a cabin in the woods myself - but that is beyond creepy!
I read in the BIRCH RUN SHELTER register on 0/4/11 that someone claims to have seen a Mt. Lion on Shippensburg Rd in southern, PA. The hiker claims it was so close that they were sure it was a Mt. Lion. I know of many large feral cats in the area, but I guess you never know....
I read in the BIRCH RUN SHELTER register on 9/4/11 that someone claims to have seen a Mt. Lion on Shippensburg Rd in southern, PA. The hiker claims it was so close that they were sure it was a Mt. Lion. I know of many large feral cats in the area, but I guess you never know....
SawnieRobertson
02-22-2012, 16:14
Maybe you have already seen this small video that was NOT taken on the AT, but since there seems to be so much difficulty in learning exactly what these dangerous cats look like, I am posting the link:
http://www.nbcbayarea.com/video/#!/on-air/as-seen-on/Raw-Video--Mountain-Lion-Chased-Up-Tree/139883973.
Notice the distinctive length of the tail, hardly that of a bobcat or even a large house cat.
--Kinnickinic
bamboo bob
02-22-2012, 16:29
I saw one on the PCT near Idlwyld, actually coming down the side trail into town. Devils something. I went to a talk here in VT about Catamount sightings. Many people say they saw them but no pictures that pass muster. The officials say there's not a resident population or zoo animal or some moron freed them to the wild. The guy giving the talk had many pictures but none from VT. So I just think he wants us to believe. It's tough to say if they're here when if you find scat or fur the government types have already decide it escaped from a Zoo . What zoo, they must be broke by now.
About pictures. On the trail if you have a digital camera, and it's off because you are preserving batteries, then by the time it turns on and is ready to shoot the lion or bear or even porcupine is long gone. My point and shoot disposable 27 picture Kodak at least got the shot off. Poor Kodak.
charliebrown
02-22-2012, 20:22
One was hit in Connecticut last June as well.
Hikerhead
02-22-2012, 21:04
I would have to think that there would be dead colts, dear or coyotees hanging in trees in Mt Rogers or half buried. I have no dought that you saw one.
Sarcasm the elf
02-22-2012, 21:53
One was hit in Connecticut last June as well.
Yup, that happened not too far from where I live. That one was tracked back to the Midwest using DNA testing of the fur and scat it dropped. It's, actually a rather impressive story and became the farthest know migration made by a mountain lion.
As for me, I'll believe they're back once someone shows me proof.
rainmaker
02-22-2012, 22:06
While hiking the AT in Vermont last July I met a young lady from California named Bambi who was hiking from Harpers Ferry to Katahdin. Jokingly I asked why she came all the way East to hike, that surely they had nice trails in California. Bambi said she would not hike in California because of the cougars and then told me the story of the woman mountain bike rider who was attacked and almost lost her face to a cougar. Someone mentioned the New England sighting and we never saw Bambi again.
birdygal
02-23-2012, 00:21
Didn't the one they found on the east coast come from the West Coast I remember hearing about it on tv they said the Dna results came back that the cat originated from the Western United states
birdygal
02-23-2012, 00:21
Guess I should have read it all its already been mentioned
Mike2012
02-23-2012, 01:05
Awesome for you! I saw one in Acadia NP on the carriage trail on Day Mountain a bit above the horse stables about 7 years ago. I knew they weren't supposed to be there but I saw what I saw. They are mysterious creatures!
gunner76
02-23-2012, 23:05
story of the woman mountain bike rider who was attacked and almost lost her face to a cougar
This happened in 1993/94 at Whiting Ranch Wildernes Park in Sothern Ca. Mt Lion killed one womem Mt Biker and almost killed the second women. Nearby hikers were able to rescue the second women. I use to hike/bike/run there all the time when I lived in Southern Cal and this happened shortly after I move back east. When I saw the pictures of where the attack occured I knew the loaction all to well. I believe about 3 people have been killed by Mt Lions in southern Cal.
partly cloudy
03-01-2012, 10:59
According to the Pa. Game Comm. there are no cougars ( mountain lions ) in Pa. They are either someone's pets or escape from a zoo. Let's get real. Not many people keep cougars as pets and a zoo escape would be publicized. I've see 3 in 10 years, the last being a youngin. Rumors have it that the Game Comm. brought them into Pa. to control the deer population. Years ago, they brought in coyotes. Keep you camera handy, they're here.
lostinfflood
03-30-2012, 05:03
People do keep cougars and others exotics as pets. There have been cases of people keeping big cats in NYC apartments! So a released or escaped pet cougar is certainly possible.
There are very knowledgeable hikers out there with tremendous experience and years of time in the woods. Sounds like V is one of them and I envy him for this experience. I have always hoped to see a bobcat in the wild let alone a cougar. Unfortunately you set yourself up for the people who try to put you down no matter what you post. I know experienced woodsmen who claim to have a cougar in the early morning near Waywayanda in NJ. I don't immediately dismiss this claim and put a good degree of validity to him.
Capt Nat
03-30-2012, 08:54
In an earlier life I was a helicopter pilot and saw a Florida Panther on 2 occasions, one south east of Orlando on the St Johns river and another just south of Green Swamp near Lakeland. Florida Game Commission assured me I was wrong and that they only existed in extreme south Florida. Fifteen years later they finally acknowledged that they are now in central Florida. Big cats are so recluse that I suspect they could be in an area for many years without anyone sighting them. The rarity of sightings on the AT indicate to me that they have not lost their fear of humans and that means an attack would be very highly unlikely.
evo8dude
04-07-2012, 10:57
They definitely do exist in the Appalachians. I live in NW corner of NC and I've personally seen mountain lines at least a half dozen times. Including a mother with a baby, clearly from about 150 yards, watched them for about 2 minutes on the other side of a field. The local game warden says that even though the state says they don't exist, they do, and he's seen them personally. Same with wolves (I haven't seen them, but a few of my hunting buddies have seen them DEEP in the mountains, as has the game warden)
BlackCloud
04-08-2012, 17:54
In the 21st Century, a pic won't even do anymore: Photoshop is king.
Entirely possible the guy saw a mtn lion.....
vamelungeon
04-08-2012, 18:02
In the 21st Century, a pic won't even do anymore: Photoshop is king.
Entirely possible the guy saw a mtn lion.....
Unfortunately you are correct and the only way to prove it would have been if I had been hiking with a .30-06 and killed it.
Mr. Bumpy
04-08-2012, 18:07
a few of my hunting buddies have seen them DEEP in the mountains, as has the game warden)
Wow! That is a rare sighting. Hunters are rarely found more than a few hundred yards from their vehicles. Only seldom can they be seen deep in the woods.
vamelungeon
04-08-2012, 21:35
Wow! That is a rare sighting. Hunters are rarely found more than a few hundred yards from their vehicles. Only seldom can they be seen deep in the woods.
That isn't true, but thanks for showing your ignorance.
Half Note
04-08-2012, 21:43
^---I'm pretty sure he was making a joke sir.
Wise Old Owl
04-08-2012, 22:31
Sarcasm is doled out free here at WB..... Out of my mind. Back in five minutes.
Sarcasm the elf
04-08-2012, 23:23
Sarcasm is doled out free here at WB..... Out of my mind. Back in five minutes.
Since when have I been doled out for free? :datz
HansenBurke
04-10-2012, 02:32
It would have been nice if there were pictures, seeing an animal in the wild is a very exiting experience and you are very lucky to spot a mountain lion and next time don’t forget your camera.
Kerosene
04-10-2012, 09:52
It would have been nice if there were pictures, seeing an animal in the wild is a very exiting experience and you are very lucky to spot a mountain lion and next time don’t forget your camera.Yes, it would have been great to take a picture, and a movie would've been even better, but I just didn't expect to see a big animal in the middle of the AT south of Harpers Ferry 40 yards away from me. For some reason my first reaction was to clap my hands to scare it off rather than try to pull my camera out of my pack.It glanced at me before rapidly loping off the trail and eventually across a low ridge. I kicked myself for scaring it, and then I kept looking over my shoulder for the next two miles hoping it wasn't stalking me.
vamelungeon
04-10-2012, 12:55
^---I'm pretty sure he was making a joke sir.
And how is one to tell? Some people use smiley face icons, some people will add an "LOL" or some other indication...
Feral Bill
04-10-2012, 12:55
It would have been nice if there were pictures, seeing an animal in the wild is a very exiting experience and you are very lucky to spot a mountain lion and next time don’t forget your camera.The one time I saw a mountain lion, and they are quite common out here, it was crossing a road in Idaho. We had about 5 minutes to watch it as it walked slowly into the woods. I was so busy watching that I totaly forgot to get out my camera. Pity.
vamelungeon
04-10-2012, 12:58
The one time I saw a mountain lion, and they are quite common oout here, it was crossing a road in Idaho. We had about 5 minutes to watch it as it walked slowly into the woods. I was so busy watching that I totaly forgot to get out my camera. Pity.
I saw a HUGE whale surface very near a boat I was on in Monterey Bay. I was so overwhelmed by the sight of it that I never thought of taking a picture.
turtle fast
04-10-2012, 13:24
I ran into a hiker in 08' who was convinced a Mountain Lion ran across his path just before the Priest in VA. He was quite shaken up about it. He was hiking NOBO focused on making some miles and it crossed the path in front of him close enough for him to see it all...he said their was no doubt it was a Mountain Lion, not a Bobcat...said it was the size of a person and quiet. Crossed the path and went on its way into the woods. I also spoke with a woman at Fontana Village where her home is close by and has a small ornamental pond she said on certain years when the Mountains get really dry she regularly sees a mountain Lion drinking from her pond in the morning..on those years she says her dogs live inside the house. A created story from her who knows, she said she has taken pictures.
tridavis
04-10-2012, 15:10
Friend of mine from Stoneville, NC (30 miles North of Greensboro) shot and killed one on his farm raiding his chicken coup. Caught it coming over the fenece with a couple of chickens in its mouth.
TIDE-HSV
04-10-2012, 18:28
I have a nice photo of 4" pug marks - if I can get it out of my phone... :)
Wise Old Owl
04-10-2012, 22:05
Since when have I been doled out for free? :datzeey
Hey we are friends... I really do not care what they say about you... use a bigger stick....avoid nay sayers...
Kool-Aid
05-10-2012, 00:29
I agree....These cats can travel accross every kind of land, and it seems to me that the wilderness of the east looks like a pretty good place to find a home. I have been all over Gila Wilderness looking for them and I did not see a single one, but I suspect big cats saw me!
rocketsocks
05-10-2012, 00:51
Since when have I been doled out for free? :datz
It's all good!
Montana Mac
05-10-2012, 01:02
I have seen three in Conn and my brother saw one in VA (I believe) during his 07 GAME.
Velvet Gooch
05-10-2012, 01:16
Horse cawks.
Cherokee Bill
05-10-2012, 06:42
NOT hard to believe! Over the past few years hikers & hunters have seen a Mountain Lion/s in the "AT" area in the Long Mtn Wayside area, where the AT crosses Rt 60 in Amherst County VA (a few miles -N- of Brown Mtn Creek Shelter)
samgriffin4
05-17-2012, 12:21
Some friends of mine saw two on the PCT in Washington, and I saw on in California.
I didnt realize they were so common along the AT, but I figured there were a few along the route somewhere.
johnnybgood
05-20-2012, 23:10
While the number of cougar reports have increased , it's still considered a marvel to see one in the wild. I have no doubt that's what I saw bound across the Skyline Drive while driving near Dickey's Ridge in 1990, and have no doubt that other reports of sightings are legit.
I spoke to a section hiker in 2009 that swore he saw a mountain lion in the same area north of the Preist that turtle fast described above .
Velvet Gooch
05-20-2012, 23:39
Horse cawks.
Again, big ol' horse cawks. Prove me wrong
Cherokee Bill
05-21-2012, 19:40
Would not stay off the trail because ofem! 1000's of folks die in auto accidents every year, but we still getin our cars and drivem!
If U ever see one you'll know it, as it's tail is as long as it's body, but still its rare one allows U to seeit! Like a Bear, their sense of smell is awesome!
Oh, they will stalk their prey for a long didtance, before making the kill...........................
"A pine needle fell in the forest: the Eagle saw it, the Deer heard it, and the Bear smelled it"...................
Mountain Mojo
05-21-2012, 20:33
I believe you Vamelungeon, I live in Southwest Virginia (Marion) and we saw one over in Slabtown (Sugar Grove) back in 2000, not far from where the trail crosses. We heard it scream first and that is one sound you'll never forget...
I miss Mtns.
05-21-2012, 21:05
God is imaginary... Mountain Lions are real.
Sarcasm the elf
05-21-2012, 22:37
God is imaginary... Mountain Lions are real.
I see what you did there...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:John_Bauer_1915.jpg