"As the light grows dimmer and the trail begins to fade, my sweetest dreams are those of yesteryear, at deer camp."
BuckTail Recreation & Sportsmen's Association
Tioga County Pa.
We are members
To date, the Game Commission has been unable to scientifically authenticate the current existence of mountain lions living and breeding in the wilds of Pennsylvania, therefore, the agency continues to presume the mountain lion’s extirpation or extinction within the state. The mountain lion currently is listed as an endangered species in its entire former range (including Pennsylvania) by the federal Endangered Species Act and has maintained this endangered status since June 4, 1973. The mountain lion also is classified as a protected mammal under the Pennsylvania Game and Wildlife Code. Therefore, to the extent that any mountain lion(s) were found to exist in the wilds of Pennsylvania, both the federal ESA and state laws would provide a variety of protections to them, including substantial civil and/or criminal penalties, for anyone responsible for, among other acts, the unlawful taking or possession of this species.
However, state law does permit the killing of any wildlife for the protection of personal safety. Here is the section directly from Title 34:
2141. Killing game or wildlife to protect person.
(a) General rule. - It is unlawful for a person to kill any game or wildlife as a means of protection unless it is clearly evident from all the facts that a human is endangered to a degree that the immediate destruction of the game or wildlife is necessary.
(b) Report, safekeeping and investigation. - A person killing any game or wildlife under this subchapter shall report the event to an officer as soon as possible following the incident but in no case later than 24 hours, provide for safekeeping of the game or wildlife intact at the place where it was killed and be available for interview by the officer. The person killing the game or wildlife shall answer, without evasion, any pertinent questions of the officer making the investigation.
(c) Exoneration. - At the conclusion of any investigation when any game or wildlife is allegedly killed as protection to a person, the officer may exonerate the person for the otherwise unlawful killing of the game or wildlife. In all cases the officer shall seize and dispose of the game or wildlife as required by this title or upon instructions of the director.
(d) Prosecution. - Any officer making an investigation when game or wildlife was allegedly killed as a protection to a person shall proceed with prosecution as though the game or wildlife was unlawfully killed if the officer is dissatisfied with the explanation of the person killing the game or wildlife or if the physical facts of the killing do not support and sustain the facts alleged by the person killing the game or wildlife.
(e) Penalties. - A violation of this section relating to:
(1) Threatened or endangered species is a misdemeanor of the third degree.
(2) Elk or bear is a summary offense of the first degree.
(3) Deer is a summary offense of the second degree.
(4) Bobcat or otter is a summary offense of the third degree.
(5) Wild turkey or beaver is a summary offense of the fourth degree.
(6) Any other game or wildlife is a summary offense of the fifth degree.
Mountain Lions In Pa.
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Taken 2 weeks ago with a black and white game camera near Plumer (between Titusville and Oil City ) Pa.
