Mountain Lion population by state
| State | Mountain Lion Population |
| Alabama | |
| Alaska | 0, some confirmed sightings |
| Arizona | 2,000 - 2,700 |
| Arkansas | 20-30 |
Can a mountain lion be a pet in New Hampshire?
I had a resident in New Hampshire tell me a story of a mountain lion in the 1960s where a person who would come summer in New Hampshire and then live in a different part of the country in the winter had a trailer that was housing his mount line. So nowadays we think of this in the Northeast as crazy stuff that people have a mountain lion as a pet.
Where do mountain lions live in the US?
The U.S. range today is mainly across the western states with a small population in southern Florida. There is evidence that these western mountain lions are slowly spreading east and may recolonize the middle and eastern states.
How many mountain lions are there in New Mexico?
Mountain Lion population by state State Mountain Lion Population New Jersey New Mexico 3,500 - 4,300 New York 0, some confirmed sightings North Carolina 46 more rows ...
Are there any mountain lions in North Dakota?
Recent confirmed sightings of mountain lions in North Dakota are about 20-40 per year. This article written in 2020 has a good wrap up of the current mountain lion status in North Dakota. While there are many unconfirmed sightings of mountain lions in Ohio, there is not believed to be any living in the state.
What kind of big cats are in New Hampshire?
In New Hampshire, the bobcat population probably numbers in the hundreds. It is the only large cat species still found in any significant numbers in the state.
Do mountain lions live in New England?
The Connecticut mountain lion is the best documented wild Mountain Lion in New England.
Are there any cougars in NH?
Mountain lions remain an enigmatic animal for residents of New Hampshire, with New Hampshire Fish and Game reporting three to five sightings per week. “Of those three to five reports, one or two come with photos,” according to Patrick Tate, a wildlife biologist with New Hampshire Fish and Game.
Does New Hampshire have wild cats?
In New Hampshire, bobcats are thought to historically have had the greatest presence in the southwest corner of the state. Today, sighting data and roadkill recoveries indicate bobcat reside in all New Hampshire counties.
How many mountain lions are in NH?
Despite numerous reports, the NH Fish and Game Department continues to have no physical evidence of mountain lion presence in the state. The species that once inhabited the Northeast, known as the eastern mountain lion, is now extinct.
Are there lynx in NH?
The Canada lynx is an endangered species in New Hampshire. A breeding population was present in the northern part of the state until the 1950s. Since then there have been some sightings of the lynx in the White Mountains. In January of 2006, Canada lynx tracks were confirmed in Jefferson, New Hampshire on U.S. Route 2.
Are there wolves in NH?
Wolves were extirpated from New Hampshire in the early 1800's. Currently, the closest population of eastern wolves exists in Quebec, north of the St. Lawrence River.
How many bobcats are in NH?
approximately 1,400 bobcatsAccording to New Hampshire Fish and Game and UNH researchers, New Hampshire has approximately 1,400 bobcats. Small predators such as bobcats and coyotes are the top “apex” predators in the region.
Are there bears in New Hampshire?
The black bear is the only bear species in New Hampshire. Population estimates range between 4,800 to 5,000 bears statewide. Regional bear densities across the state range between 0.1-1.0 bears/square mile and average 0.5 bears/square mile.
Is there Wolverines in NH?
Its range once included Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, North and South Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Utah, Vermont, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
Are there elk in NH?
Elk are not native to New Hampshire, according to Fish and Game Wildlife Supervisor Kent Gustafson, and, given their vora- cious feeding habits – they consume three times the browse a deer would eat – they don't have a future here.
How big do black bears get in New Hampshire?
50-75 inches longBlack BearKingdomAnimaliaSize50-75 inches long, weight 150-600 poundsOffspringUsually two or three cubsSpeed3 mph walking, up to 30 mph runningStatusCommon in New Hampshire7 more rows
What big cats live in New England?
The largest of the native wild cats of New England is the puma, though a breeding population of this remarkable carnivore no longer exists in the region. A large male (tom) puma may weigh 200 pounds of more and span 8 feet from nose to tail tip; among global felids, only tigers, lions and jaguars average heftier.
Is there mountain lions in Maine?
Cougar. This large exhibit features 3 cougars. These large cats are otherwise called mountain lion, puma, catamount, panther or painter. There are no known cougar populations in Maine at this time, however they were here as a native animal up until the late 1800s.
Are there Pumas in New England?
Today, every state in the Northeast reports the puma as extirpated. In New England, only Maine and Vermont list even the possibility of suitable habitat.
Are there any mountain lions in Vermont?
The last wild mountain lion known to be killed in Vermont was taken in Barnard in 1881. Its taxidermied body is on display at the Vermont History Museum in Montpelier. As Vermont began to restart its forests, some animals started to make a comeback, beavers and deer among them.
Do you have to have a license to own a mountain lion?
You know you have to have a license and it's hard to get that license a license to own a mountain lion. Yes. So so it is possible in Maine to still to to to have one but you have to be sort of professional handler as it were. Patrick Tate: Same here in New Hampshire too.
Do mountain lions leave deer carcasses in trees?
And the second question is this a behavior mountain lions exhibit. Peter Biello: Rick I believe you did mention that that they do leave carcasses up in the tree from time to time but are there any other species known in New Hampshire to do this on a regular basis. Pat humans people leave deer carcasses up in trees.
Do mountain lions live in New Hampshire?
The big cat has been extinct here since the mid-1800s. N.H.'s Fish and Game department says there's no proof mountain lions live in the state, yet residents from Bedford to Berlin have been reporting sightings for years.
Is the mountain lion extinct?
The big cat has been extinct at least the eastern mountain lion has been extinct here since the mid 80s hundreds. New Hampshire Fish and Game Department says there's no proof. Mountain lions live in the state. Residents from Bedford to Berlin have been reporting sightings for years.
How to send a mountain line photo to a NHPR?
If you’d like to submit a question (or send a mountain line photo) you can record it as a voice memo on your smart phone and send it to [email protected], OR call our hotline, 1-844-GO-OTTER (1-844-466-8837) and leave a message.
Where are cougars found?
There’s a project called the Cougar Network that tracks verified sightings, and they are all around us: Massachusetts, Connecticut, Maine, New York and New Brunswick have all had verified sightings over the past 20 years or so.
Has there been a mountain lion killed in New Hampshire?
The best documentation we have in New Hampshire suggests there hasn’t been a mountain lion killed by a hunter in this state since 1885.
Is there a conspiracy to cover up cougars in the Granite State?
However, as far as I can tell there’s no Deep State Conspiracy to cover up a breeding population of cougars in the Granite State. BUT THAT SAID, I’d love to be proven wrong. If you’ve got photo trap evidence of a Mountain Lion, send it in, and we'll send it along to the appropriate state or federal agency! We’d love to be part of the first verified sighting.
Do mountain lions live in Maine?
It’s actually fairly reasonable to believe that mountain lions do, at least, pass through occasionally. There’s a project called the Cougar Network that tracks verified sightings, and they are all around us: Massachusetts, Connecticut, Maine, New York and New Brunswick have all had verified sightings over the past 20 years or so. As recently as 2011 there was one young male mountain lion that cruised all the way from the black hills of South Dakota, up over the Great Lakes, down through New York—getting spotted all along the way—killed a beaver near the Quabbin Reservoir in Central Massachusetts, left behind prints and DNA at that site, and then was hit by a car in Connecticut.
Where do mountain lions live in North Dakota?
While much of North Dakota is open prairie habitat that will not support many mountain lions, they do reside in the more mountainous western parts of the state. As of 2020 the state does not estimate population numbers, but rather looks at overall trends, and feels the population has been fairly stable.
How many mountain lions are there in Montana?
While the Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks department hesitates to give solid numbers because they feel methods for tracking the population need to be improved, their estimate in 2019 was about 4,000 – 4,500 mountain lions. Starting in 1879 and lasting many decades, bounties were paid for killing mountain lions in Montana, severely impacting the population. In 1971 they were classified as “game animals”, and hunting could therefore be controlled by the state. This plus increasing numbers of deer and elk allowed the lion population to slowly recover. View Montana’s “Living with Mountain Lions” page here.
How many mountain lion sightings in Georgia?
Georgia. According to the state wildlife division, there have only been 3 credible mountain lion sightings in the last 25 years. People report sightings in Georgia every year, however the state is not considered to have a population and it is believed most of these sightings are a case of “mistaken identity”.
Do mountain lions breed in Minnesota?
Minnesota does not have an established breeding population of mountain lions. However, it boarders North and South Dakota, both of which do have established mountain lion populations. Therefore roaming cats moving west are expected to sometimes cross into Minnesota. The state department of natural resources says that there is evidence that the prevalence of mountain lions in the state is increasing, however they believe it is still mostly just animals wandering in and out, not staying to breed. For more on cougars in Minnesota, see the MDNR page here.
Does Iowa have mountain lions?
Like many other states we have mentioned, Iowa does not have a breeding population of mountain lions, but still sightings are made every year. A handful of these have been confirmed over the years, but according to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, 95% of reported sightings are mistaken identity. The IDNR does admit that because of the confirmed cases, it is possible there are a few “free ranging mountain lions” present in the state. Read Iowa’s mountain lion pamphlet here.
Is there a mountain lion in Arkansas?
While mountain lions were considered rare in Arkansas after 1920, it seems they are making a comeback. With a few confirmed sightings every year, it is thought there may be about 20-30 in the state currently. Arkansas has a huge feral hog population, and this abundant prey item might be one of the reasons mountain lions populations are slowly increasing.
Is there a mountain lion in Ohio?
While there are many unconfirmed sightings of mountain lions in Ohio, there is not believed to be any living in the state . In fact an article I read noted that a confirmed mountain lion sighting hadn’t happened in 100 years. The cat that is growing in population within Ohio is the bobcat, and many official believe most of the sightings called in are actually people mistakenly seeing bobcats.
What is the top predator in New England?
The region’s top predator, the coyote, is classified by biologists as a mesopredator (a type that in New England includes skunks and raccoons), which feeds primarily on smaller animals. “We need [an apex] predator back on the land,” Sue Morse told me.
Is the cat dead in Vermont?
But no. The cat is dead. The last cata mount in Vermont is finally, officially, certainly dead.
Does New Hampshire have cougars?
Forty years of reporting on New Hampshire cougar sightings has convinced Harrigan that the state is home to at least a handful of breeding animals. Part of this belief is rooted in his journalistic experience, which across the decades has cultivated his nose for sincerity. But perhaps an even larger portion is the product of his enduring faith in the men and woman—loggers, hunters, trappers—whose vocations and avocations have instilled in them a deep familiarity with wild places and the creatures who inhabit them. Because he lives among them, Harrigan understands that no one knows the woods better. And so when they come to him with a sighting, he’s prepared to believe. So long as the tail’s there, that is.
Is there a cougar in New England?
Put bluntly, Morse does not believe that New England is home to cougars. This isn’t to say she believes none of these animals has stepped foot on New England soil over the past century. Indeed, in 2011, a male cougar was hit and killed by a car in Milford, Connecticut; through its DNA, wildlife biologists were able to trace the cat back to South Dakota’s Black Hills, some 2,000 miles distant.
Do cougars breed in New England?
To Betty and Ottmann, the dominant narrative of the occasional itinerant cougar from the West is not particularly relevant to the facts on the ground. In their estimation, the presence of a breeding cougar population in New England would likely stem from our proximity to Canada, where, as they rightly point out, DNA analysis has resulted in 19 positive identifications across Quebec and New Brunswick since 2001 (although some of these were shown to be of South American lineage, suggesting escaped pets). Given the long, shared border between these provinces and New England, along with plentiful evidence that other species cross this border regularly, it seems entirely possible that cougars would also engage in international travel.
