Email news@13onyourside.com, visit our Facebook page or Twitter. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. On April 24, a trail camera caught a cougar in Delta County, about 45 miles from where the tracks were found on Feb. 20. They might cover them up with a bucket or something like that, and we physically had to go out there and try to be out there quick enough before some of that evidence disappeared. Volunteer Opportunities; DNA analysis of two cougars poached in the U.P., for example, showed the animals likely dispersed from their established populations in South Dakota, Wyoming and Nebraska, said Cody Norton, large carnivore specialist with the DNR, earlier this year. Raise your arms. In addition to full time positions, we also hire many seasonal positions including park workers, interpreters, rangers, wildlife workers and more. Find cross-country ski, ice fishing , snowmobiling info and much more. Despite the occasional reported sightings, wildlife experts say theres no evidence of a breeding population in the state. Subscribe to our YouTube channel. Fish and Wildlife Service. Its also important to note that the reports could be multiple sightings of the same animal, the DNR said. Eleven confirmed panther sightings were made in 2019, 15 mountain lions were spotted in Michigan in 2020. If this trend continues, the Upper Peninsula appears poised to have a modern record for cougar sightings in 2021, topping 15 in 2020. Since then, the big cats have occasionally been spotted by residents wandering in from states like the Dakotas. Also known as pumas, panthers, mountain lions, cougar sightings remain extremely rare in Michigan. And yeah, if anything like that happened, you'd want to report it to the local authorities or the DNR as soon as possible. So, if you look at just kind of basic cougar biology, typically, the males will disperse or leave their natal home ranges more often and go farther distances than females. This Ones for Sale in Lake Superior, Former Michigan GOP Lawmaker Who Lobbied Against Lobbyists is Now a Lobbyist, Whitmer Signs Historic New Legislation to Curb Gun Violence in Michigan. About a month later, a trail camera captured a cougar in Delta County, more than 150 miles from the photo taken in Chippewa County on June 6. This is about 95 miles from where a November 12 photo was captured in Baraga County. For a full listing of help desk numbers, field offices, and other ways we can help, please visit our contact page. Michigan now has confirmation of no less than 74 mountain lion sightings in the state over the last 14 years. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources reports 14 confirmed cougar sightings in 2020, all located in the Upper Peninsula. In 2020 alone, there were 13 confirmed sightings - the most in the team's history. WKAR Public Media | A wolverine was once spotted in the county, Hanson said, and a black bear was sighted multiple times in the Upper Thumb about 20 years ago. So, if you look at kind of the habitat between the Great Lakes region and the Black Hills or Badlands, it's a lot of agriculture. Today, the Cougar Fund says, viable breeding populations are found in only 16 states after centuries of attempts to exterminate them that began during the European colonization of North America. On April 24, 2020, a trail camera photo was captured of a cougar in Delta County, on the Stonington Peninsula. This is about 120 miles from where a November 7 photo was captured in Baraga County. The DNR is reporting 10 confirmed. Copyright 2023 ClickOnDetroit.com is managed by Graham Digital and published by Graham Media Group, a division of Graham Holdings. DNR educators provide classroom lessons, field trip opportunities, professional development and experiential programs to teachers around the state. On May 24, 2021, a trail camera photo was captured of a cougar in western Marquette County. Calendars: By. Is there a population of wild cougars in Michigan? There have been 62 cougar sightings in Michigan since 2008. Since 2008 there have been 55 confirmed reports of cougars in Michigan and . Morning 4: A look at recent confirmed cougar sightings in Michigan -- and more news Here are the top stories for the morning of Aug. 18, 2022 On Nov. 15, 2019, a trail camera captured a photo. All . In a state where animals like deer dominate . This is about 180 miles from where the July 17 photo was captured in Ontonagon County. February 20, 2020 Cougars are an endangered species in Michigan and are protected by law. Most of the reports Ive seen have been in the Western Upper Peninsula, Pepin continued. USE THE BUTTON ABOVE TO VISIT THE CAMPING HOMEPAGE or go directly to you area of interest below: Get all your fishing information here, including rules and regulations, license info, the weekly fishing report and much more. (DNR). If youre shopping for top products on the market, here are the best 14 products the BestReviews Testing Lab loved in March. So, we'll go out and actually do a site investigation, we'll go to that location where, you know, if there's a trail camera where that trail camera was. They're getting cheaper [and] easier for people to use. But a rise in sightings does not necessarily mean more of the animals are reclaiming Michigan as their home. These photos provided by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources show cougars in the wild.Michigan DNR. Calendars: So, a lot of times, you'll have trees in the background or possibly a building or some other feature. Nick Meyer This is about 12 miles from the Schoolcraft County trail camera photo taken on November 15, 2019. So, that helps if the animal is in a field or you know, without something as a size or scale reference. Ten mountain lion sightings have now been confirmed in Michigans Upper Peninsula in 2021, according to the DNR. Michigan trail cam photo from the Upper Peninsula. No new permits are being issued. This is about 50 miles from where the May 13 photo was captured in Dickinson County. Im Sophia Saliby. This is about 160 miles from where October 13 photos were captured in Mackinac County. Or, they could be transient or dispersing cougars from the nearest known breeding populations in North and South Dakota. July 12, Delta County: A trail camera photo was captured of a cougar. Please update to a modern browser such as Chrome, Firefox or Edge to experience all features Michigan.gov has to offer. The highest number of Michigan cougar sightings has occurred during the past three years. While mountain lions are native to Michigan, their numbers diminished to almost zero by the 1900s. "In 2020, we confirmed actually 14 cougar reports," said Cody Norton from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. There's not a lot of trees [and] not a lot of great habitat for cougars. winter wolf track survey. This is about 30 miles from where the January 26 photo was captured in Delta County. Just five days later, a trail camera caught a cougar in eastern Chippewa County, about 18 miles from the location of the June 1 photo. salad dressing joke knock on fridge. Classes & Workshops; The Iowa DNR confirmed about 16 cougar sightings from 1995 to 2014. Click the box above to see all our offerings, or click the program below. There have been periodic reports of cougar sightings since that time from various locations in Michigan. On July 20, 2021, a trail camera video was captured of a cougar in southeastern Baraga County. Ten sightings of the animal have been confirmed by the agency this year, all in the Upper Peninsula, compared with a peak of 15in 2020. In addition to full time positions, we also hire many seasonal positions including park workers, interpreters, rangers, wildlife workers and more. Visitor Centers across the state provide education programs, field trips, archery, fishing, trails and much more. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. They can do that by checking tracks, testing fur, or by monitoring trail cameras. Icy conditions lead to more than a dozen crashes overnight in Kent County, Ousted Ottawa County administrator becomes Wyoming city manager, 13 On Your Side Forecast: Warming Trend through Mid-Week, Almost 200 Chihuahuas up for adoption at Noah's Ark animal sanctuary, Kalamazoo police use boat to rescue dog stuck in marsh, Financially struggling zoos could be latest pandemic victims. State park, historic sites and visitor center events. USE THE BUTTON ABOVE TO VISIT THE SNOWMOBILE HOMEPAGE or go directly to you area of interest below: Want to find tasty morel mushrooms in the forest? Saliby: Is it a good thing or something that we should be concerned about, seeing more cougars in Michigan? On January 12, 2021, a security camera captured and tracks were found from a cougar in Southwestern Schoolcraft County. Sophia Saliby is the local producer and host of All Things Considered, airing 4pm-7pm weekdays on 90.5 FM WKAR. Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. Four additional sightings were confirmed after residents submitted trail camera photos of cougars. Reports for Michigan State map of individual report locations (requires Adobe SVG Viewer plug-in for your browser) State terrain & political maps with report totals & population density by county Most Recent Reports February 2022, Mackinac County (Class B) - RECENT: Wood knocks at night in UP: Big Manistique Lake, east side of Seney Refuge Notifications can be turned off anytime in the browser settings. If cougars are here, where did they come from? If children are present, pick them up so they cannot run. In the 13 years that the state's cougar team has been searching, they have verified at least 65 reports of a cougar traversing the Michigan wilderness. 0. michigan wolf sightings map. We administer grants that enable our local partners to promote the lifestyles we all enjoy by providing recreational opportunities, enhancing wildlife habitat and ensuring public safety. This is about 40 miles from where tracks were found in Schoolcraft County on February 20, 2020. Despite the occasional reported sightings, wildlife experts say theres no evidence of a breeding population in the state. Zudiema has now documented 1,100 cougar sightings in upper Michigan since the 1950s and believes authorities are trying to hide a growing cougar population. Six separate cougar sightings have been confirmed this year in Michigan, according to a mid season update from the Department of Natural Resources (DNR). The last known wild cougar legally taken in the state occurred in 1906 near Newberry. DO NOT play dead. The photo was taken in Dickinson County in Michigans Upper Peninsula in September. Delta, Luce and Mackinac counties tied for first place, each with three. This is about 165 miles from where the June 6 photo was captured in Chippewa County. Hunting and Fishing; Just $1 per month , There's been an increase in cougar sightings in the Upper Peninsula over the last three years, By State park, historic sites and visitor center events. 0:41. And in 2020, Michiganders reported seeing cougars 14 times, the most since the team formed. The DNR has a ton of information on cougars in the state. So, you look at the reports, now, towards you know, the last couple of years, the vast majority of those come from trail camera photos or cell phone pics of tracks or scat. We're getting better with the new technology at being able to confirm them and find them when they do show up here. That cat was photographed in June, 2017 in the Rose Lake State Wildlife Area in Bath Township, near Lansing. https://dev.michigan.local/som/json?sc_device=json, Go to Ralph A. MacMullan Conference Center, Carl T. Johnson Hunting and Fishing Center, Go to Recreational safety and hunter education, Natural and Historical Education Resources for Home, Cultural & Scientific Collectors Permit (Fisheries), Collaborative Forest Management: The Good Neighbor Authority, Assistance for Private Forest Land Owners, County and Municipal Law Enforcement Information, Fisheries Division Citizens Advisory Committees, Michigan History Center Commissions & Committees, Northern Lake Michigan Islands Collaborative, Pigeon River Country Equestrian Committee, Timber and Forest Products Advisory Council, Upper Peninsula Citizens' Advisory Councils. In Michigan, cougars are an endangered species and protected by law. Local 4 News every morning. Its part of the DNRs effort to monitor cougar populations in the Upper Peninsula and elsewhere in the state when sightings occur. 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