Mountain Lions

[Farm Boy]

Hay Yall,

I aint never seen one around these parts (nc) but I have alot of people telling me they have seen alot of Mountain Lions in the mountains of Va, here in Nc and then a few in wv... I have heard the most outta Va as to there is a huntable amount so someone says.. I dont see anything in wildlife books to as there bein any knowlegde of them... Anyone see any before ??? Anyone hunt them here ?? Thanks

[Emily]

of a breeding population on the East Coast. There have been a few reported sightings. It would probably be illegal to shoot one just about anywhere in the east, so no one who gets one is going to be making a lot of noise about it. If you can stand the anti's on the list, one source of discussion about putative sightings is
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/easterncougar/

another similar group has info at
http://www.cougarnet.org/

[dog chaser]

as far wv goes- I have never seen one
i have never "heard" one
i have never seen a track of one
i have covered tens of thousands of acres "by truck of course" in snow
and still no tracks
I have had a few people swear they saw one- always at night in the vehicle headlights.
Why are there no tracks in the snow.

Probably because there are none around.

[reed]

They don't know how to look both ways before crossing. Just kidding. We have a lot of lions out here in CO but they don't cross the roads everyday. Most of them stay in the back country where no one is, they don't like to be around people at all. Many times big Toms jump out of the tree as soon as they know you are there unless they have had to run quite a ways. So I wouldn't be surprised if they are there.

[bowhunter7]

The cougar network (link above) lists a confirmed lion track found in Wyoming County WV in 1996. I have also seen a picture of a female lion and a little one that were suposedly killed in Wyoming County in the late sixties or early seventies. I've never seen one in person and won't be completely convinced until I do, but I know several people that swear up and down they've seen them here. A few years ago there was a news story about someone around the summersville area that had one walk across their dirveway in broad daylight. I think they even had pictures of the tracks. I also heard somebody say recently that one was killed in the eastern mountains, maybe last year, but I can't remember the details. It was posted on another thread, maybe even on another website. If I can find it I'll post a link.

Jim

[Emily]

They don't know how to look both ways before crossing. Just kidding. We have a lot of lions out here in CO but they don't cross the roads everyday. Most of them stay in the back country where no one is, they don't like to be around people at all. Many times big Toms jump out of the tree as soon as they know you are there unless they have had to run quite a ways. So I wouldn't be surprised if they are there.

they may be there,they may not, but if they are out there, they won't be obvious. Lions are typically shy of people unless overcrowded. If lions are half as wary of people as bobs are, there could easily be a few deep in the woods.
I live in a remote area of the Catskills that has some bobcats, but the bobs aren't plentiful here. I know they're here because I've seen ones that trapper friends have taken, and I've seen evidence of a few when I've been out with my hound--a glimpse at night on foot, a place where one took a turkey that was full of tracks, etc. I've never seen a roadkill bobcat, and only once saw one from the road--it was in a streambed, and I only saw it because I was turning a corner. I've never seen evidence of one near my cabin, even though bears (which are plentiful) regularly cross my yard.
I like to believe that there's at least a possibility that there's still a lion or two out there, but I don't think there's a healthy breeding population that it would make sense to hunt. Maybe some day, when there's been a chance for the western or Florida populations to extend all the way east, but not now.

[Farm Boy]

Thanks for the replies yall !! I appericate all the info and opinions and what not..

Thanks for the links Emily !!

Maybe one day there would be a huntable population but I highly doubt all the other kind of hunters would take to kindly to that but everyone never thought they'd see elk here in the east but there a trickle'n on down from kentucky.. So aint no tellin..

Thanks again yall ..

[treeing walkers]

Even up here in the great NW you don't see cougars and they rarely cross a road. They pretty much stick to the back country or if they are thick in areas is when you start seeing 'em more often than not. The older mature cats that have their area already picked out usually stick to it unless the food goes somewhere else. and we got a lot of big cats here !!!!