# Wolverines in NE lower?



## grousebaby (Aug 7, 2013)

Curious if any trappers/outdoorsmen have ever come across tracks or sign that we may still have wolverine in the Northeast Lower? I know one was last seen in the thumb, but that was thought to come over on the ice from Canada. I'm more interested in the possibility of a small resident population, like the one reported (but not substantiated) near West Branch.


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## michcats (Jun 2, 2017)

About 10 years ago we had one behind our trailor in kalkaska for 2 years but he moved on and haven't seen one since


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## Rainman68 (Apr 29, 2011)

Here is a quote from the Bay City article on the West Branch wolverine....

"Some wildlife experts think the animals identified as wolverines may be badgers, although that species is very rarely seen in Michigan."

They must not spend much time outdoors, badgers are everywhere in the WB area.


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## sureshot006 (Sep 8, 2010)

Rainman68 said:


> Here is a quote from the Bay City article on the West Branch wolverine....
> 
> "Some wildlife experts think the animals identified as wolverines may be badgers, although that species is very rarely seen in Michigan."
> 
> They must not spend much time outdoors, badgers are everywhere in the WB area.


Or just not around west branch. I've spent a lot of time in the woods and have never in my life seen a badger. Just havent spent enough time in the right areas I guess.


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## Martin Looker (Jul 16, 2015)

I have spent years wandering in the woods and have never seen a live badger. I see lots of sign but no animals. I have seen a couple on the road after they were hit by cars. but no live ones.


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## 9 (Jan 17, 2000)

I've seen a handful alive but they've all been in a coyote trap. Talk about a real rodeo releasing one of them I'm here to testify!!! They have a smell that gets worse when excited, afraid, or just plain PO'ed that gags me badly to the point I've lost my breakfast twice.

I've read on some of the trapping forums that badger catch circles are super coyote calling locations- bs, where I trap my coyotes avoid them like the plague and the entire location goes dead!! I distinctly remember Mark June (former renowned MI canine trapper) stating that a badger catch circle did not work at all in MI.

Concerning identification of tracks. I know as a fact some trappers can't determine a squirrel track from a mink track along a river bank, it's certainly understandable they'ed have a hard time identifing a badger track from a wolverine track


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## Trout King (May 1, 2002)

Saw a badger driving to work a few years ago. It and 2 babies crossed in front of me. I stopped to try to get pics, momma bowed up to the car then followed the babies into the field. Never got the picture I wanted.


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## sureshot006 (Sep 8, 2010)

Trout King said:


> Saw a badger driving to work a few years ago. It and 2 babies crossed in front of me. I stopped to try to get pics, momma bowed up to the car then followed the babies into the field. Never got the picture I wanted.


Didn't show mama who's boss? Wus lol


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## Trout King (May 1, 2002)

sureshot006 said:


> Didn't show mama who's boss? Wus lol


Nope, just fumbled to try to get my phone for a picture unsuccessfully. It would be easier if I was staring at it while driving (jk). I was very surprised that instead of simply getting across the road she stopped, turned towards the parked car and bristled up. First time I had seen a badger in the wild. Pretty cool.


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## sureshot006 (Sep 8, 2010)

Trout King said:


> Nope, just fumbled to try to get my phone for a picture unsuccessfully. It would be easier if I was staring at it while driving (jk). I was very surprised that instead of simply getting across the road she stopped, turned towards the parked car and bristled up. First time I had seen a badger in the wild. Pretty cool.


I've seen a few "out west". Mean critters. Kind of not surprised she was gonna stand her ground.


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## Scout 2 (Dec 31, 2004)

Take a ride up this way. On certain years there are a lot of badgers. Take Fletcher Road from M 66 towards Graying and they have many burrows in the ditch bank all there. I have not seen any on a couple of years but we use to see several by these sand piles. I had never saw one in the wild until I moved up here. Farmers hate them as they make a mess in the hay fields


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## Rainman68 (Apr 29, 2011)

In the past month my driveway has 3 huge holes in it, not on the banks but where the tires roll. A new small kill plot has a nice hole it and all that sand killed a portion of it. 3 holes next to the cabin one weekend. I've had 2 close calls at night and many sightings on the orv trails and along roads going to town.

If you faintly smell skunk it may not be a skunk, just listen for the Tasmanian devil, they don't back down :lol:


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## wicklundrh (Mar 18, 2014)

The last badger I saw was in Wexford county back in 1997. I was home on leave from the Marine Corps and driving to a spot I bow hunted quite a bit. Watched him for about 5 minutes.

In the mid 1980's, there was a wolvorine that used to hang around 26rd just east of M37 in wexford county. He had a den by the railroad tracks just south of Wexford Sand. My dad ran the plant at that time and I remember seeing him on multiple occasions. No mistaken that it was a wolvorine and not a badger. That is for sure. I also recall one being west of South 1 rd in Manistee county around the exact same time. Would be around 5 miles by way of the crow from the above mentioned one.

Would it be plausible that one still lives in some swamp someplace? Very well could be. There are a number of swamps in Michigan that few venture further than a couple hundred yards in to. That said, it would take a decent number of them to actually populate. So the question would always be "how does one get there". Obviously a family group would split up just as other species do so it would explain a 1 or a 2 but they actually need a mate to continue the chain. If it is in fact plausible, then there would be way more out there than we think. Doubtful, but hopeful


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## DirtySteve (Apr 9, 2006)

sureshot006 said:


> Or just not around west branch. I've spent a lot of time in the woods and have never in my life seen a badger. Just havent spent enough time in the right areas I guess.


I have seen two. One was 10 miles from west branch. Was walking a trail coming out of the woods from a duck hunt and one crossed the trail in front of us. Just stopped for a second to look at us then bolted. The other was northern ogemaw county right on county border of roscommon county. Was sitting in my treestand and a badger came up to the base of my tree and started digging holes. Watched him dig 3 different holes over avout a 30 min period and he tunneled them together under ground. Dirt was flying like crazy. Was a cool site to watch it work. One of his holes was 3 feet from my ladder stick that i climbed down on and that was the last hole i saw him enter.

I also knew an old trapper from north branch that trapped one in lapeer county.


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## sureshot006 (Sep 8, 2010)

DirtySteve said:


> I have seen two. One was 10 miles from west branch. Was walking a trail coming out of the woods from a duck hunt and one crossed the trail in front of us. Just stopped for a second to look at us then bolted. The other was northern ogemaw county right on county border of roscommon county. Was sitting in my treestand and a badger came up to the base of my tree and started digging holes. Watched him dig 3 different holes over avout a 30 min period and he tunneled them together under ground. Dirt was flying like crazy. Was a cool site to watch it work. One of his holes was 3 feet from my ladder stick that i climbed down on and that was the last hole i saw him enter.
> 
> I also knew an old trapper from north branch that trapped one in lapeer county.


I have relatives that have seen a couple. Around grayling I think.


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## deepwoods (Nov 18, 2002)

I saw one during rifle season for a couple years in a row about 10 years ago. Thought it was going to climb in my blind with me. This was north of Hale and that area has been burnt several times now. . Talking about a Badger of course.


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## eyetime (May 9, 2008)

I have a place in SE Emmet county and have seen Badgers on my property.


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## James Dymond (Feb 23, 2002)

They are a pain when you are trapping coyotes. I have two wall hanger badgers in my basement that were tanned by Moyles if anyone wants one.

Jim


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## BigBlackBirds (Apr 29, 2019)

i've had my eye on a family of badgers this summer. these are the first i've watched in wild that recall anyway. not really sure how many are there but i think mom and a little one or maybe two. i'd seen sign of them the past couple falls so tracked them down this summer. was contemplating catching one this fall as know someone that wants one tanned. my dads got a pretty cool one that he had made into a hat that he always wore to the fur auctions. that was ages ago before they were put on the protected list thru the 70-80's. Anybody remember when they came back off and could be harvested again? 

i've caught a pile of them over the years; good memories of them chasing after us after release lol. personally there seem to be fewer now than decades ago when i was a kid at least in the southern third of the state across the farmland. we use to catch numerous each fall running lines for reds in late 70's and 80's. in last decade i probably only average one every other year. but maybe its got more to do with trap placement, etc than actual population. 

last fall when i was up in the grayling/atlanta area trapping i did see plenty of sign in that country. must be more to their liking than the actively tilled land


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## CHASINEYES (Jun 3, 2007)

I've only seen one badger. Can't remember if I was turkey hunting or deer hunting. I just remember hearing something approaching from over a hill as I made my way back so I knelt down with only my bow. As it crested the hill I almost panicked. The animal passed by at 10 feet. That was 5 miles north of Attica around 2000. A Friend of mine got one in a yote set 5 years ago a few miles N/W of Imlay City.


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## 22 Chuck (Feb 2, 2006)

Sure those wolverines werent porkies??


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## fordman1 (Dec 12, 2015)

Seen one north of Atlanta about 8 years ago.


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## Liver and Onions (Nov 24, 2000)

James Dymond said:


> They are a pain when you are trapping coyotes. I have two wall hanger badgers in my basement that were tanned by Moyles if anyone wants one.
> 
> Jim


How much ? Would look good in my cabin.

L & O


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## Dom (Sep 19, 2002)

Badgers being nocturnal, no surprise not many are seen -- unless you do a lot of night hunting. I shot several in Germany, all well past dusk when most hunters would have already packed out. They love to eat corn, so sitting by a tornup up cornfield at night would be a good choice to shoot one.


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