# Cougars in Michigan!!!!!!



## MEL (Jul 17, 2005)

Hartland-Hunter said:


> Because it is true....
> I know of many people who have seen them down here and in northern Michigan. My dad swears over a stack of bibles that he saw one during early bow season a couple years ago in Fenton.



And I firmly do believe that your dad did "see one" in Fenton!!!


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## Hartland-Hunter (Jan 2, 2011)

MEL said:


> And I firmly do believe that your dad did "see one" in Fenton!!!


So do I. Kind of hard to misidentify something like that when it is within 20 yards of your stand.


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## MEL (Jul 17, 2005)

Hartland-Hunter said:


> So do I. Kind of hard to misidentify something like that when it is within 20 yards of your stand.


Kind of like when I saw a spaceship over the Detroit river like 30 years ago. I saw it with my own two eyes, I watched it for several minutes, hell I wasnt even drinking.
Or the woman in Bag Rapids who feeds the family of Bigfoots (or is it Bigfeets) blueberry muffins, she claims them to be 9 ft tall. (google it)

Ever ask yourself with all these dougars sightings why no video/game cams? There are crap loads of them from the couple cougars in the Upper.
But with 10x the number of cams in the lower ZERO on game cams? You do the math and tell me why that is?


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## Unclered (Sep 30, 2010)

Naysayers can say all they want but my brother, myself and my cousin were driving north on M-22 north of Frankfort when a cougar ran across the road right in front of us. It ran from a front yard of a house and with a two bounds it cleared the road and shoulder. It was huge!

None of us drink and it was in the morning so visability was very good.

We stopped at the canoe livery and talked to them about it........it had been reported before.


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## Tron322 (Oct 29, 2011)

Sleeping Bear Sand Dunes had a park employee stalked by a cougar about 10 years ago. 

anyone who doubts that cougars are present here in MI has to know that Cougars with DNA from the north Dakota area have been killed in Chicago and on the east coast, these cats migrate far and wide, anyone who believes that Michigan will remain cougar free do not understand the biology of this animal.

I do not believe we have an established breeding population of cougars in MI, but we do have some migrating thru our state from time to time. In my opinion it is just going to take one female to post up shop here and some males will stick around, it could have already happened.

anyone who wants to argue that "none are seen by cameras" does not get out in the woods of our state much, I know so many areas, counties that have very little private land and almost all public land. these massive public hunting areas are only utilized a few monthes of the year, would be easy to hide a cougar or two.

Only cougar I have ever seen was driving at about 0200 AM, 11-6-2008 or 11-7-2008. crossed in front of my truck about 10 miles north of white cloud. you only have to look at a map of the area and see all the public land. get a chance to park your car and try walking to the next road through the swamps on the south branch of the Pere Marquette, and there is no one who will doubt that a cougar can hide out here no problem.


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## MEL (Jul 17, 2005)

The sleeping bear dunes cougar urban legend has been debunked here several times. Im not gonna go into it but you can search for it on here. 

This state isnt quite as "wild" as people tink it is. Ive been in many areas that people have told me are to unassesable......and seen other people there as well. Ive seen game cams in Michigans most remote wildernesses.


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## DFJISH (Mar 30, 2009)




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## Jimbo 09 (Jan 28, 2013)

MEL said:


> Ever ask yourself with all these dougars sightings why no video/game cams? There are crap loads of them from the couple cougars in the Upper.
> But with 10x the number of cams in the lower ZERO on game cams? You do the math and tell me why that is?


Probably for the same reason that there have been no pictures of the few wolves that are supossedly in the northern lower. The odds of captureing a picture of possibly just one animal across the whole lower are not very high.


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## GVDocHoliday (Sep 5, 2003)

Jimbo 09 said:


> Probably for the same reason that there have been no pictures of the few wolves that are supossedly in the northern lower. The odds of captureing a picture of possibly just one animal across the whole lower are not very high.


You mean like a single, lone, solitaire wolverine? 


The difference between a wolf and cougar in the LP is that there's actual physical evidence of wolves. Tracks, DNA samples from scatt, etc. of all the so called sightings, no physical evidence has been collected. 

I imagine, if this one fella saw a deer get killed by a cougar...that the kill sight would be pretty obvious and loaded with evidence.


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## Swamp Monster (Jan 11, 2002)

GVDocHoliday said:


> of all the so called sightings, no physical evidence has been collected.
> Exactly! Lots of supposed sightingsin the LP, but yet no proof to date. What some claimed to be evidence, turned out to be a lie....ie MWF. Will it be found one day? Very good possibility it will but hasn't happened yet.
> I imagine, if this one fella saw a deer get killed by a cougar...that the kill sight would be pretty obvious and loaded with evidence.


You would think. Adam didn't think the account was even credible enough to go check out the site. That speaks volumes......

The Sleeping Bear Dunes thing is a joke. But some folks think if you put up a sign, it must be true.... Same people that believe every email chain they get as well.


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## CHASINEYES (Jun 3, 2007)

GVDocHoliday said:


> You mean like a single, lone, solitaire wolverine?
> 
> 
> The difference between a wolf and cougar in the LP is that there's actual physical evidence of wolves. Tracks, DNA samples from scatt, etc. of all the so called sightings, no physical evidence has been collected.
> ...


Exactly what I was thinking. I don't understand why the DNR wouldn't investigate the sight and debunk this guy.


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## omega58 (Sep 3, 2003)

Jimbo 09 said:


> Probably for the same reason that there have been no pictures of the few wolves that are supossedly in the northern lower. The odds of captureing a picture of possibly just one animal across the whole lower are not very high.


There are trail cam pictures of wolves in the LP, that and the fact that the DNR tagged a wolf pup a couple years ago in Cheboygan leaves no doubt we have a breeding population of wolves in the lower.

That being said, I don't doubt there could be cougars in the LP. I'm not really looking for them though. 


Posted using Outdoor Hub Campfire


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## MEL (Jul 17, 2005)

Jimbo 09 said:


> Probably for the same reason that there have been no pictures of the few wolves that are supossedly in the northern lower. The odds of captureing a picture of possibly just one animal across the whole lower are not very high.


Thanks, you made this real easy for me.......then why all the game can picts of the 1,2 three cougar's in the UP? plenty of picts from cams in the upper showing the cougars. The dnr even identified one as from being from the Dakotas cause it was filmed there as well. So in the very sparce up plenty of cougar picts. In the extremely populated LP, no picts......why?


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