Mountain Lion Sightings Near the AT
Has anyone encountered a Mountain Lion along the AT in past or recent thru-hikes? I live near dismal falls/Bland in VA and have seen one; not directly on trail but near the trail.
Be wary of the responses you get here. We had a thread a couple years ago which is posted below where a substantial percentage of people replying misidentified clear photos of a bobcat as a mountain lion.
http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/show...OBCAT-(w-pics)
Colorless green ideas sleep furiously.
The Eastern Mountain Lion according to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has been extinct since 1930. The agency acknowledged the occasional presence of cougars in eastern North America, but believes these are of wanderers from western breeding ranges or escaped captives. I would think that most people seeing them, are actually seeing something else.
I'd be more concerned with mice on the at.Originally Posted by theeulogy
I saw a huge Bobcat once in Southern PA....and it bolted as soon as it saw me....In years past we have had people claim seeing a mountain lion
Have never seen one on the AT but have seen one in northwest North Carolina. It was a stunning and exciting experience that I will never forget.
I can remember in the 1960's the same agencies were in denial about Coyote being in New England. It became harder and harder to deny when they started showing up in everyone's backyard.
I have heard that some of the northeastern states encouraged the coyote's return and in some areas actively reintroduced them. Not sure if this is true, but it's been told to me several times.
When Inwas a kid there were no wild turkeys and almost no hawks in southern Connecticut, now we're flush with both. 120 years ago there were no whitetail deer in Connecticut either, now we can't thin them out fast enough. Nature is cool like that.
Colorless green ideas sleep furiously.
I'm not convinced there is a breeding population, yet... However, I do think that are starting to make a comeback and is a reason for all the sightings.
Although, you always have to factor in the "noise" factor in cases like this and while I believe many of the sightings, I also believe there are even more erroneous sightings as evidenced by below post. The "noise" factor is always present, but it is always more noisy and prominent when dealing with a rare phenomenon.
I think an argument could be made that we are encouraging the return of the cougar, at least in effect. Look at how many animals are making a comeback, including the black bear and the deer is beyond making a comeback, in that their numbers are very much in the overpopulation category. That's an invitation.
Not related to the at but as far as the east- we had one in Kentucky this past year that was chased up a tree by a dog. They say it was an isolated animal but I don't believe so personally. I have seen very clear photos of a mountain lion taken at the red river gorge/ natural bridge area in the clifty wilderness. On a side note- how could a bobcat ever be mistaken for a mtn lion?? Not even close but I guess if you have never seen either it could happen.
October 18, 2001, the last day of my section hike from Front Royal to Harpers Ferry. It was a breezy, clear day. I was about 4 miles south of Harpers Ferry walking at a good clip on a wider part of the trail that turned right to enter a broad straightaway. I saw an animal about 40 yards ahead straddling the trail that didn't hear or smell me because of the strength and direction of the wind. For some reason I instinctively clapped my hands, causing the animal to turn in my direction and then quickly lope away to the treeline perhaps 20 yards to the right. Clearly feline, too large for a bobcat (or even a lynx), long tail, whitish underside with tawny coloring; maybe a bit smaller and thinner than I imagined a mountain lion to be.
Once I got over my shock I chastised myself for scaring it away before getting a picture and then had my head on a swivel for the next two miles.
GA←↕→ME: 1973 to 2014
Cougars have been spotted just south of Nashville, Tennessee in Williamson County & Maury County. I did see one crossing a road in a park in Nashville two years ago and reported it to authorities. From what I have been told by the TWRA is that cougars have bee migrating from Florida into Georgia and are now in Tennessee.
Just to clarify, I do not see the Mtn Lion as a threat or danger. This thread was to simply inquire if anyone else had seen anything resembling a Mtn Lion. Living/growing up here in Southwest VA, there have always been stories about Mtn Lion sightings, with the response of, "we don't have those around here" or "there are no eastern cougars in Appalachia." I am pretty sure I saw one, however, I have no picture and cannot prove the occurrence. However, it was strange that during my thru-hike I never saw anything resembling a Mtn Lion, but did once I got home.
Reintroduction info is uaully readily available through state fish and wildlife agencies. I know in ky the black bear population has grown pretty well since Reintroduction as has the elk population. Deer are everywhere here and can be seen on the roads in all urban communities now. Coyotes do well here due to the deer and elk and I would imagine cougar and mtn lion would too in the eastern part of the state.
Sorry should read cougar and/or mtn lion
This cougar was a road kill in Milford CT in 2011. Milford is about 60 miles from Manhattan. DNA evidence indicated this cougar traveled from South Dakota.
Screen Shot 2015-02-28 at 12.02.15 PM.jpg
And about 15 minutes from my house
Colorless green ideas sleep furiously.
Agree Sarcasm, nature is great. The predators will eventually show up if the banquet is served.
I can remember when the movie 'Jaws' first came out biologist reassuring a nervous public how unlikely it would be for a Great White Shark to ever show up in the frigid waters of New England. Of course now that the seal population has rebounded they are showing up off of Chatham every summer now.
I saw one on the AT south of the Mt Rogers NRA HQ a couple of years ago. I had a clear unobstructed view of it from about 75 yards away as it crossed the trail in front of me apparently stalking some deer I had spooked a little earlier. I have zero doubt about what it was that I saw. That's not all that far from your location.
"You're a nearsighted, bitter old fool."
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