So all of you who follow the ebb and flow of Puma "prospecting" east of their furthermost breeding outposts of South Dakota and Nebraska know that the increased hunting and trapping of those Puma populations has to have an adverse mpact on how many young "cats" will take the journey east to find a mate and a vacant territory of their own.............The fact that an Ohio Wildlife Officer claims to have witnessed with his own eyes a Puma in the Steubenvill Fernwood State Forest has me skeptical of the claim................We know Bobcats are on the comeback in the Buckeye state..............Could the Officer mid-identified his sighting?..................I am glad that the State Wildlife Division is investigating further and of course would love to know that a Puma has either made it from the Prairie region of perhaps even a nearby Michigan or Wisconsin emigree.................When will the female Pumas come east,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,If there are no lady cats, no chance ever of our bachelor cats to start a family

	Ohio mountain lion sighting could signal a comeback Source: dispatch.com A mountain lion reportedly showed up last week in a section of the Fernwood State Forest in eastern Ohio not far from Steubenville.

Ohio mountain lion sighting could signal a comeback

By Dave GolowenskiFor The Columbus Dispatch  •  Sunday August 3, 2014 6:11 AM

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A mountain lion reportedly showed up last week in a section of the Fernwood State Forest in eastern Ohio not far from Steubenville.

An Ohio Division of Wildlife officer said he watched the big cat in the Jefferson County woodland for about 20 seconds until it disappeared in the trees. While the sighting is considered reliable, the origin of the lion was uncertain late in the week.

“They are canvassing the area to determine whether anyone might’ve had a captive lion who escaped,” said biologist Suzie Prange of the Division of Wildlife.

The possibility that the lion comes from wild stock is strong, she said.

Young male lions range far from their home ground in a search for females and have been known to travel across states. The lions will keep moving if they fail to connect with potential mates, Prange said.

“It wouldn’t be a big surprise to me to see young males dispersing from time to time through Ohio,” she said, “maybe once every 10 years or so.”

Mountain lions historically lived in Ohio until they were extirpated some 150 years ago. They continued to survive in Western states, particularly in mountainous regions, and again appear to be expanding their range into the Midwest.

Sightings have increased in Illinois, Missouri and Wisconsin in recent years. The Web-based Cougar Network confirms at least one lion sighting in southern Indiana.