# Sighting of Big Cat - South Branch, MI



## Wolfkat (Jul 22, 2012)

Today we had a Big Cat sighting at approximately 9:30pm in South Branch, MI. It was sleek and about 4 times larger than your average house or domestic cat. It was dark in color with large paws and resembled a panther/cougar. As soon as we reached for our camera it was making its way to the front of our house through the dense trees we have here. I followed the cat in the direction it went. It walked between our cabin and truck and off it went into the thick brush. It was definitely not an ordinary cat as I am an avid special interest reader in Big Cats and their history. If you have sighted something of this nature please reply to this forum post as this could be a big research project for me as I finish my degree in Fish and Wildlife Management. If you could give details to the size, color, look, approximate time when sighting occurred, and county it was seen in please list it here. Thank you.

:yikes:


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## MEL (Jul 17, 2005)

Welcome to the site. Nice first post!!!


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## Petronius (Oct 13, 2010)

Get ready for the onslaught. :lol::yikes::lol:


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## MEL (Jul 17, 2005)

How close where you to the animal? 
Did you take any pictures of the tracks?
Did you call the DNR for assistance?
Can you give location please with some degree of exactness?


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## Fishndude (Feb 22, 2003)

MEL said:


> Can you give location please with some degree of exactness?


South Branch is pretty exact. It is a _*small*_ town. :lol:


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## cedarlkDJ (Sep 2, 2002)

petronius said:


> Get ready for the onslaught. :lol::yikes::lol:


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## MEL (Jul 17, 2005)

Fishndude said:


> South Branch is pretty exact. It is a _*small*_ town. :lol:



I know exacty how small it is. Im looking for EXACT location. For example:
County line and Wickert Rd. 1/2 Mile west of Mack Lake and 100ft north of F-17. Chain and S. Branch rds. 
Big difference.


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## Boardman Brookies (Dec 20, 2007)

I would be interested as well if the location. We have a place off Taber Rd.


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## DonP (Nov 15, 2000)

.... please pass the popcorn!!









Remember... this thread is intended for entertainment purposes only!! 










I think I might have to contact our beloved "Big Cat Expert" Uncle Miltie (Whit1) himself about this thread!!











MEL said:


> Welcome to the site. Nice first post!!!


This guy does not mind diving into the deep end... and that is with a "few" sharks swimming around too! :lol:

This one may end up ranking up there in M-S history as to "making some pretty good waves" with ones 1st post!! :yikes:

Let's see if he is going to be brave enough to make a 2nd post?!!! :lol:


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## Swamp Monster (Jan 11, 2002)

Love the screen name, love it!

It doesn't get much funnier than this.

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## MEL (Jul 17, 2005)

Swamp Monster said:


> Love the screen name, love it!
> 
> _*It doesn't get much funnier than this.*_



Surely, you dont think he's up to something do ya? First post by someone named Wolfkat? Cougars?:evil:


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## Crayfish Trapper (Dec 19, 2010)




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## Robert Holmes (Oct 13, 2008)

It is only a short hike to the NLP in the winter from the UP. We hate to lose all of our top predators to the LP but if a few get away so be it.


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## Petronius (Oct 13, 2010)

Crayfish Trapper said:


>


I love this picture.


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## Petronius (Oct 13, 2010)

Robert Holmes said:


> It is only a short hike to the NLP in the winter from the UP. We hate to lose all of our top predators to the LP but if a few get away so be it.


Well, what about them Bigfoots?


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## Outdoorsman17 (Dec 28, 2005)

petronius said:


> Well, what about them Bigfoots?



Oh they're alive and well but no documented cases of a breeding pair as of yet


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## Wolfkat (Jul 22, 2012)

I know that you all must think this is a joke, but, I don't joke around when it comes to wildlife or fishing for that matter. It's funny that if I told you that there were Big Cats in Southern Missouri, I guess you would think that is a joke too. Unfortunately, I lived there and we do have Big Cats there too. They are around people. The sighting of the Big Cat was around Jose Lake Road and Jose Lake Drive if that is specific enough for you. Any other questions for me?

:coolgleam


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## Wolfkat (Jul 22, 2012)

MEL said:


> How close where you to the animal?
> Did you take any pictures of the tracks?
> Did you call the DNR for assistance?
> Can you give location please with some degree of exactness?


Oh I almost forgot, it was 9:30pm at night and the ground was bone dry. Pictures of tracks really?
Let's see did I call the DNR for assistance? At 9:30pm at night, sure I got right on that. 
How close was I to the animal, really? How close would you get to a big cat at night unless you were trying to shoot it?
Oh and I already answered your location exactness question in the last reply I made. 

Anything else? :lol:


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## Petronius (Oct 13, 2010)

Wolfkat said:


> I know that you all must think this is a joke, but, I don't joke around when it comes to wildlife or fishing for that matter. It's funny that if I told you that there were Big Cats in Southern Missouri, I guess you would think that is a joke too. Unfortunately, I lived there and we do have Big Cats there too. They are around people. The sighting of the Big Cat was around Jose Lake Road and Jose Lake Drive if that is specific enough for you. Any other questions for me?
> 
> :coolgleam


Just having a little fun. Actually I saw one south of Milford around 1988, but nobody believed me.


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## Fishndude (Feb 22, 2003)

I just got back from 8 days at Jose Lake ( I found out how the lake got its name, and it is actually pronounced Hoe-zay) and I never saw a big cat. We went right by that corner quite a few times. Maybe another time.


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## Ausable Junkie (Oct 2, 2002)

I never heard a thing about it. Huh.


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## spoikey (Jan 18, 2005)

Fishndude said:


> I just got back from 8 days at Jose Lake ( I found out how the lake got its name, and it is actually pronounced Hoe-zay) and I never saw a big cat. We went right by that corner quite a few times. Maybe another time.


Some one was having fun. It's been Jose (Joes) as long as I can remember!


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## Fishndude (Feb 22, 2003)

spoikey said:


> Some one was having fun. It's been Jose (Joes) as long as I can remember!


Yep, I've been going there for 47 years, and I always understood it was pronounced "Joe's" lake. But a neighbor of ours, who is 81 yrs old (and has been going up there since he was born), told me that the entire area around there used to be owned by a lumber baron - Mr. Thompson. He had a LOT of land, and a cook named Jose. And Jose used to go to "our" lake to catch Walleyes for Mr. T. Hence the name, "Jose's lake." Funny, I have never caught a single Walleye there, in 46 years. Sad-funny. I know they were planted for awhile, and some were caught. We discovered Zebra Mussels in the lake 3 years ago, and they are prevalent now. Minnows have disappeared from the part of the lake our cabin is on, although I saw some at the boat launch, Saturday. 

I will get back to the original thread. I have believed most of the "cougar" reports I have heard, for many years. Michigan is a perfect place for them, with lots of forest, and TONS of deer. It doesn't surprise me a bit that hunters don't shoot them during deer season, because they are quite stealthy. I know people on both sides of the cougar debate can get quite heated about the matter, but I don't see anything to get heated-up about. If they exist, then they aren't hurting anyone, or we would all know about it. If they don't exist, then no-harm/no-foul. I know a couple credible people who claim to have seen big cats. 

I know someone who saw a nice Black Bear not far from Jose Lake, back in July. I know it is a valid claim, because he snapped a picture as it ran across the road he was driving. This was over by South Dease Lake. But there are quite a few bears in that general area. Probably only a few cougars. :lol:


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## johnnie555 (Jan 25, 2005)

I have family thats lives on Michaud rd and they swear theyve seen it before too!

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## Boardman Brookies (Dec 20, 2007)

johnnie555 said:


> I have family thats lives on Michaud rd and they swear theyve seen it before too!
> 
> Outdoor Hub mobile, the outdoor information engine


I have deer hunted off Michaud for years and there some very creepy places back there. I believe they are in NELP and that would be a perfect place for them. I spent a long cold, wet night in those woods tracking a deer and was scared to death the whole time.


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## wyldkat49766 (Apr 21, 2007)

Wolfkat said:


> Oh I almost forgot, it was 9:30pm at night and the ground was bone dry. Pictures of tracks really?
> Let's see did I call the DNR for assistance? At 9:30pm at night, sure I got right on that.
> How close was I to the animal, really? How close would you get to a big cat at night unless you were trying to shoot it?
> Oh and I already answered your location exactness question in the last reply I made.
> ...



If I had a dollar for everytime Ive seen someone post about the 'big cougar killed up by Alpena' I would have enough for a good dinner out. But considering your new to posting here and a number of people have posted about a cougar or what they thought was a cougar and disappeared once they were corrected, you can hopefully understand the questions. Search for cougar on here and you will see what Im talking about. So maybe not be so snarky when guys around here give ya some grief about this posting.


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## johnnie555 (Jan 25, 2005)

Boardman Brookies said:


> I have deer hunted off Michaud for years and there some very creepy places back there. I believe they are in NELP and that would be a perfect place for them. I spent a long cold, wet night in those woods tracking a deer and was scared to death the whole time.
> 
> 
> Outdoor Hub mobile, the outdoor information engine


Your not kidding.. Some of those swamps back in there are pretty freaky at night.. Been going up there for years myself.. Grandparents own 88 acres up there.. My grandma has been telling me for yrs shes got cougars up there. We always thought she was just getting old and couldnt tell the difference between a bobcat and a cougar. lol If theres one spot in the NELP that could harbor them thats definately the spot!

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## Camo1 (Oct 22, 2011)

Mars landing spotted the Michigan cougar on Mars


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## Robert Holmes (Oct 13, 2008)

petronius said:


> Well, what about them Bigfoots?


 I am putting togather a TV show in which I will get a bunch of frat boys from MTU and LSSU to go running through the swamps of the UP looking for the elusive Bigfoot. At the same time I will have a bunch of frat boys from CMU running around the LP looking for the elusive cougar. The first one to bring one back alive wins 5 kegs of Budweiser to drink on a pontoon boat. Casino Sasquatch and Bar Cougars cannot be entered and will be released immediately. The use of heat seeking devices, night vision goggles, high powered spotlights, bigfoot calls are recmmended


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