Mountain Lion sighting

**phill** · December 30th, 2014, 01:47 PM

[QUOTE=wanneroo;2941959]Up here in Tioga County just about everyone I know has a cougar story including some wild stories about black panthers eating people decades ago(black cougars don't exist, never have).

Here in Illinois we have had black cat stories for years around us. Two years ago while mowing at the gun club I had what at first appeared to be a black cat show up. When first seen I was thinking cat until it looked at me, the face and ears were wrong. As it moved across in front of me at about 15yds., it was a dark wet River Otter which we have around here. Later somebody was telling me that he had found a fox(?) den under the bridge on the 200yd range.
In my opinion otters are the black cats we see here.

**keystoneman 85** · December 31st, 2014, 12:57 PM

Originally Posted by wanneroo

With having a large population of outdoorsman here in PA, all the trail cams, all the hunting going on, etc, it would seem strange that for all the cougar stories people tell, where is proof?

Up here in Tioga County just about everyone I know has a cougar story including some wild stories about black panthers eating people decades ago(black cougars don't exist, never have). Yet for all the trail cams, all the people outdoors, all the cell phone cameras, no one has dragged up a road kill, a kill by the cougars, paw prints, anything.

I'm of the same mind set. If we really had a breeding population of Mt. Lion surely someone would be able to produce some scat, hair, tracks, dead lion, etc. Maybe an escaped exotic pet roaming around?

**Pilot321** · December 31st, 2014, 01:09 PM

I have done a lot of backpacking, and canoe camping in the area of Renovo, Keating, Karthaus, (yes reminded me of Deliverance) and in several counties in the northern tier of PA, and I have seen large scat, and dens that look very similar to the ones I saw when I lived in Colorado where mountain lions are plentiful. No, I have never seen one, but where there is abundant food, and open spaces, like much of PA, I would think there could be lions.

**Noah_Zark** · December 31st, 2014, 01:50 PM

Originally Posted by DavidTM

Just show me the fresh lion shit. All I want to see is the shit. Show me the shit. All creatures shit. Shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit. I just want to see it, smell it, touch it, and smear my face in it. Then maybe......just maybe....I will believe.

^^^ PAFOA's resident coprophile . . .

My own cougar / mt. lion story: In 2003 or 2004 I was driving on PA 2004 through the Quehanna Wild Area from the former Piper Aircraft plant there toward Medix Run. It was about 1430 in the afternoon, bright overcast, no shadows. Just a little north of the Lincoln Farm and close to the gas pipeline compressor station about 35-40 yds ahead I saw something "slink" or "lope" across the road on all fours, from right to left. The creature was dun-colored, relatively long and somewhat low to the ground. Its body length was about 2/3 the width of the northbound lane, judging from the space from the white line to the double yellow; maybe ~ 7 ft. The most interesting feature about the creature (creature feature?) was its tail, nearly as long as its body, and dark tipped. This was no bobcat; I know bobcats from living in northern PA. They used to frequent my parents' back yard when I was in late grade school through my time in the Marines and college, and into the late 80s. I've hit a bobcat with a '92 Explorer. This creature was at least twice, maybe 2.5 times the size of a bobcat, and the tail was MUCH longer than that of a bobcat. And no speckling to the fur.

But of course it wasn't a mountain lion, because PA .gov sez we ain't got none of them.

Noah

**God's Country** · December 31st, 2014, 02:00 PM

Nobody saw a mt lion.

If you saw a mt lion you would still be cleaning the shit from your pants.

**Noah_Zark** · December 31st, 2014, 02:09 PM

Originally Posted by God's Country

Nobody saw a mt lion.

If you saw a mt lion you would still be cleaning the shit from your pants.

Not necessarily from the safety and comfort of the driver's seat of a 1992 Bonneville; see post #34 above.

Noah

**God's Country** · December 31st, 2014, 02:21 PM

Originally Posted by Noah_Zark

Not necessarily from the safety and comfort of the driver's seat of a 1992 Bonneville; see post #34 above.

Noah

You didn't see a Mt lion. You think you saw a Mt lion.

IMO the complete lack of evidence versus the uncountable positive sightings means one thing......total bull shit.

The worse part is one day a lion will be positively identified either planted, escaped, or from a natural expansion, and every person that ever saw one will use it as proof they were right.

**ungawa** · December 31st, 2014, 02:27 PM

What you saw was the Planet Venus. Understand? Good.

**mosseater** · December 31st, 2014, 03:26 PM

I don't know if there are "breeding pairs", sustainable populations, released pets, migrating rogues, or guys in mountain lion suits. Those of you who insist there are none have not seen one. Those of us who have...know what we saw. You can deny it for you, but you can't deny it for me. No, I don't have pictures, or shit, or claw marks on trees, or bite marks on carcasses. I can only tell you I have a witness who saw the same thing I did at the same moment. When you see one, there is no question what it is. It's not a "large feral cat". Nothing else looks like that.

I also have a friend who is a timber buyer and has spent almost every day of his career out in the woods of PA for the last 30 years. When I told him my story, he just laughed. He said people who doubt the existence of mountain lions if PA simply don't know. He has stopped trying to convince people because you might as well tell them you saw a space ship. He not only claims to have seen many over the years, he claims he was stalked by one once. There is absolutely no doubt in his mind.

I agree it's strange that no physical evidence has been produced, and I have no explanation for that. I know when I (we) sighted one, the whole thing lasted maybe 10 seconds, so no time for pics unless you have the camera up and ready. I had seen tracks in the mud prior, so it's clear this cat had been there before. All we could do was watch through my 6x scope. I was in position to put hot lead on fur, but the notion never occurred to me. It's honestly shocking to ones brain when it happens.

I believe the OP. Like him, I know what I saw.

**bigandy1966** · December 31st, 2014, 04:35 PM

Originally Posted by ungawa

Nice try

You just tried to slip that in, and think we might believe in Kentucky. With all the Colonels and such I suppose. Right after we find Atlantis populated with mountain lions.

http://www.outdoorhub.com/news/2014/...dlife-officer/

http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/...in-lions_x.htm

What Now? Think I just make this crap up as I go along? I'm WAAAAAYyyy to stoopid to make up unbelievable crap like atlantis or the planet uranus