Cougars, bears, lynx...oh my! (Scranton, California: buy, construction, universities)

[Combatbarbie]

Can I hunt the lions? is it a special tag?

[kinpa]

My Husband was part of a group of trappers when he was still a kid, and someone had trapped a panther, that was up on 447 (newfoundland/ Panther area- lol) guess that is why they called it panther, there must have been quite a few of them there. I dont know if they were black or not. I come from the Rowland/ pike co. area and we spot bob cats quite often there.

[gal_in_NEPA]

We've seen bears, red foxes, and a bobcat that was hanging around for a while, just outside Clarks Summit... but this past Spring I saw a gray fox in Forty Fort, just before dusk. The mountain range north of F.F., towards Dallas, has been visibly been getting more developed, so I'm guessing it came down from there.

[BoredInBerwick]

A few years back we went to Camelback to the water park. On the way home( I guess it's interstate 80) I saw an animal on the side of the road in the distance. I'm always looking out for deer, as they run across the road. I told my husband watch out up there. The closer we got it crouched down. I thought that was odd for a deer to lay down, but he slowed down alot as we got near it because I wanted to see what it wwas doing. It was definately a cougar. I know my cats and it was no Bobcat or any large house cat. The kids wanted him to turn around but he wouldn't because the exits are too far spaced apart up that way. He didn't feel like getting off, turn around, get back on....Now I wish I would have talked him into it. I won't probably ever come that close to one again.

On the other hand my daughters boyfriend has family that lives between Millville and Muncy, they have a large farm with cows and hayfields and so on. they found a dead cougar hit with a vehicle I guess. I was told they were bred to be released around these areas. I think its a shame if they are doing that because its no place for them anymore. there are too many homes going up and the animals that once roamed free are finding it hard to make a home. I know there are so many deer and bears around here being pushed from their homes just because the homes and businesses going up. We had a deer in our yard a few times and a blackbear and we live in town in Berwick.

[olbluesguy]

Years ago I had a hunting cabin up near Mountain Springs in the Ricketts Glenn area.
While walking along bowmans creek heading for my bow hunting stand we spotted a bobcat standing on a log that was laying out over the water.
We froze,and watched as he stood there at the end of the log peering into the water.
He was FISHING!
The camera was back at the cabin or I would have caught the shot of a lifetime.
We moved off and went hunting.
On the way back I wanted to stop at the spot we saw him and look for his tracks to see what they looked like.
As I wanderd around in the bushes along the creek searching for tracks my hunting partner wispered FREEZE!.........six feet away in the grass was Mr Bobcat enjoing his meal.
Ever since then I always carry a camera.

[pappawstweety]

We have Coyotes around here that are adonormaly the size they should be. They have killed a dog about a month ago right up the street from us and just yesterday another.... Today we were standing out side letting our dog out and there they were again standing there going after another dog (my dog), but then bang my dad shot all 10 of them........

[pappawstweety]

Originally Posted by Ricnicmea

There is a recent report of a man encountering 3 cougar down closer to me - in the Lancastor area. There are no "confirmed" sightings of any cougars/mountain lions in PA for supposedly years and years.

However, an Eastern USA website for reporting sightings say that there have been many - mostly in central and western PA - and some on the Pocono areas.

Anyone ever see any? Or Lynx? Bobcats? I know there are plenty of bears, etc...what what about some other types of unusual wildlife???

Sara

My family and i live up in the woods and we have seen alot of cougars and my neighbors were going down to there car and the mountain lion came down in between the car about ready to pounce... and the lady they call nan screamed and i guess it spooked it so it ran away....

[varmintblaster]

Originally Posted by pappawstweety

We have Coyotes around here that are adonormaly the size they should be. They have killed a dog about a month ago right up the street from us and just yesterday another.... Today we were standing out side letting our dog out and there they were again standing there going after another dog (my dog), but then bang my dad shot all 10 of them........

Not sure how this thread got resurrected, but your dad is quite the shot is he was able to take out 10 yotes at once.. (Did he use bouncing betty's? ) I'd like to hunt with him...

I will relate a story about coyotes and what they will do with a domestic dog. A buddy of mine lost his cocker spaniel dog last year to coyotes.

He let the dog out to do it's business one night, while he smoked a cig on his deck. The dog started running down his driveway and crossed the country road where it was ambushed and quickly killed by a pack of yotes.

What transpired was that one of the yotes made a play call to the spaniel and lured it away from the house. Once across the street, the rest of the pack lay it waiting for the ambush.

I keep a close eye on my lab dog, but since he is about 85 lbs he would probably hold his own against a yote - not sure how he'd fair against
a pack of them.

I've heard and read lots of stories about cougars. I think they can exist and remain hidden in the more secluded parts of NEPA or especially North Central Pa.

But what makes me doubt their presense is that not a single one was ever found dead or shot by a hunter.

I know if I ever hear one growl at me while in the woods I would dirty my shorts...

Here is a pic of a Pocono Bobcat that I called in one day while Fox Hunting.

[fisheye]

varmintblaster,

About five or ten years ago my wife and I spotted a cougar up by Skytop. We were in our pickup on a long dirt road into our camp. I spotted, what I first thought was a coyote, standing in the road about two hundred yards away. I told my wife to hang on an we chased the animal down the road. The animal ran straight down the road and then sprang off and disappeared into the red brush. We got within 20 yards. I could clearly see the cat’s gait, and long curved tail. I estimated the size at about 100 pounds. I did not tell my wife that I thought it was a large cat - I wanted to hear it from her and she confirmed what we saw.

The speed of the animal was amazing. I took a quick look at the odometer as I was in pursuit. I thought that it said 35 MPH! It was a dirt road and it is possible the odometer was not accurate or I did not look closely.

I called the GC and reported our sighting after we came home. They basically told me we were seeing things. I had asked them if it was ok for me to shoot it if I saw it again? They told me no and that it is endangered. I asked them how it could be endangered if it did not exist? Anyway; I promised not to shoot it and I never saw the animal again.

I have had conversations with people that look for cougars and check out sightings. They do have good arguments to disprove the sightings - no tangible evidence. I have to agree that you would think that a carcass would be found on the sides of our roads. When I was driving truck; I spotted one carcass that could have been a cougar. However; I did not stop and it could have just been a badly mauled deer carcass.

[fisheye]

I also wanted to make one comment about bobcats. They can be a real pain if they live around your house and you have a perch for them to scream. A dog house, boulder or just a fallen tree can act as the perch. The scream sounds as if your next door neighbor’s wife is being butchered with a kitchen knife! Of course; they love to let out this scream in the very middle of the night.