On December 22, 2021, a security camera captured video of a cougar in southwestern Delta County. There's only been one sighting outside the Upper Peninsula, and that was in Clinton County in 2017. Local 4 News every morning. He clarified that doesnt mean there are 40 animals but it is 40 different reports the DNR has been able to confirm. Find camping and overnight lodging options, reservation info, rules and regulations and more. For a full listing of help desk numbers, field offices, and other ways we can help, please visit our contact page. In the early 2000's, many big cat sightings were . One of the things the DNR is trying to find out is whether cougars are going to establish themselves here. The cougar typically weighs between 90 and 180 lbs, with a few large males topping 200 lbs. Sophia Saliby: This is All Things Considered on WKAR. DNR forest resources professionals maintain healthy forests, manage wildfire, maintain responsible harvesting certifications and improve wildlife habitat. Norton: Yeah, and it's really similar to most of our large carnivore species in Michigan and like you said, very, very, very unlikely that it will happen with a cougar, but if you did encounter a cougar or other large carnivores, it's best to, you know, face the animal [and] make yourself look big and as intimidating as possible. Click the box above to see all our offerings, or click the program below. On July 13, 2020, a trail camera photo was captured of a cougar in Ontonagon County. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. This is about 40 miles from where tracks were found in Schoolcraft County on February 20, 2020. What else does your team do once you have that information? Use the button above to visit the fishing home page, or go directly to your area of interest below: Get all your hunting information here, including hunting season dates, rules and regulations, and much more. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement (updated 4/4/2023), Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (each updated 1/26/2023). When the young are born, they sort of spread out from beyond that area. Since then, the big cats have occasionally been spotted by residents wandering in from states like the Dakotas. State park, historic sites and visitor center events. After an increase of sightings around 2008, the state Department of Natural Resources created a team to keep track of animals. What should I do if I encounter a cougar? 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. | The six confirmed reports of cougar sightings in Michigan have all been recorded in the Upper Peninsula for 2020: one each in Chippewa, Ontonagon and Schoolcraft Counties and three in Delta County. This is about 95 miles from where a November 12 photo was captured in Baraga County. WKARs Sophia Saliby spoke with DNR large carnivore specialist, Cody Norton. 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. Ten mountain lion sightings have now been confirmed in Michigans Upper Peninsula in 2021, according to the DNR. No new permits are being issued. A record 11 sightings came from the Upper Peninsula in 2019. Use the button above to visit the fishing home page, or go directly to your area of interest below: Get all your hunting information here, including hunting season dates, rules and regulations, and much more. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. On January 26, 2021, a trail camera photo was captured of a cougar in central Delta County. So basically, we do, you know, everything we can to make sure that when we get a photo or evidence from a cougar that it did take place in Michigan, and that everything lines up. having been a result of poached cougar carcasses. Weve received numerous cougar or mountain lion reports from folks across Michigan, said John Pepin, Deputy Public Information Officer for the DNR. If this trend continues, the Upper Peninsula appears poised to have a modern record for cougar sightings in 2021, topping 15 in 2020. This is about 10 miles from where August 30 photos were captured in Luce County. At least 6 cougars have been spotted in Michigan so far this year. Is there a population of wild cougars in Michigan? The highest number of Michigan cougar sightings has occurred during the past three years. In 2020, the DNR says it has six confirmed reports of cougars in Michigan, all in the Upper Peninsula: one each in Chippewa, Ontonagon and Schoolcraft counties and three in Delta County. It is possible that escaped or released pet cougars account for at least a portion of the sightings in Michigan. So, we do, especially with trail cameras, it makes it pretty convenient because you have background. USE THE BUTTON ABOVE TO VISIT THE WINTER FUN HOMEPAGE or go directly to you area of interest below: Find facility info, overnight info, an event calendar and much more. They can do that by checking tracks, testing fur, or by monitoring trail cameras. There's not a lot of trees [and] not a lot of great habitat for cougars. On January 12, 2021, a security camera captured and tracks were found from a cougar in Southwestern Schoolcraft County. More than a 100 years ago, native cougars, or mountain lions, disappeared from Michigan. Every so often we have numerous verifications due to a similar situation., (Find a complete rundown of the 12 sightings in 2020 right here), From 2018: Cougar captured on DNR camera in Michigans Upper Peninsula. 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. If youre shopping for top products on the market, here are the best 14 products the BestReviews Testing Lab loved in March. Since 2008, the DNR has confirmed 61 cougar sightings, with only one of those coming in the Lower Peninsula, in 2017. READ: This Beloved Ann Arbor Farm Is Surviving the Pandemic Without PPP. Thoseare relatively new devices that trigger themselves when there is movement in the frame, andarestrapped to trees and left there. This is about 160 miles from where October 13 photos were captured in Mackinac County. What to do, Wyoming police investigate body found in Grand River, Student to face charges for threat to school district, $1 million grant supports mental health at Davenport, Reports: Man drinking before crashing into lake, Amish family grateful for support after buggy crash, Cedar Point dropped its gate price this season, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. According to Cody Norton, DNA analysis confirms cats have dispersed into the state from Nebraska, South Dakota, and Wyoming (likely traveling through Minnesota and northern Wisconsin). On August 30, 2020, a trail camera photo was captured of a cougar in southcentral Luce County. But if you do see a cougar, Skeldon asks that you try and . The Michigan DNR has confirmed 12 cougar sightings in 2020, all in the Upper Peninsula. Have a news tip? This was about 120 miles from where the July 12 photo was captured in Delta County. Although sightings are rare in Michigan, they have been on the rise in recent years. Cougar sightings are on the rise in Michigan. UPPER PENINSULA, Mich. (WJMN) - The Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) released trail camera photos and other pictures as evidence of cougar sightings in the Upper Peninsula from 2020. USE THE BUTTON ABOVE TO VISIT THE WINTER FUN HOMEPAGE or go directly to you area of interest below: Find facility info, overnight info, an event calendar and much more. When a DNR trail camera in 2018 captured a photo of a cougar in Gogebic County, Pepin added, "it marked the first time the department had caught a cougar on more than 3 million game camera images collected since 2009.". Published Oct 21, 2021 10:35 AM EDT. Michigan trail cam photo from the Upper Peninsula. You wouldn't want to play dead, like you might with like a brown bear. Also known as pumas, panthers, mountain lions, cougar sightings remain extremely rare in Michigan. DNR officials say the greater use of cameras by hunters and others is adding to the increased number of cougar reports. About a month later, a DNR trail camera caught a photo in southcentral Luce County, which was about 72 miles from the last sighting in April. The animalswere trapped and hunted from the state around the turn of the 20th century, said Pepin, andare now listed as an endangeredspecies andprotected under state law. A trail camera captured this photo of a cougar on May 24 in western Marquette County. The media . And also, everybody has a cell phone in their pocket, so if they come across tracks or scat, they can record it immediately. Sophia Saliby is the local producer and host of All Things Considered, airing 4pm-7pm weekdays on 90.5 FM WKAR. 2023 www.detroitnews.com. Ever Wanted to Own an Island? If attacked, fight back with whatever is available. In February, DNR Wildlife Division staff confirmed two of those reports after finding cougar tracks while conducting the U.P. Subscribe to OL+ for our best feature stories and photography. On October 13, 2020, a trail camera photo was captured of a cougar in western Mackinac County. In addition to full time positions, we also hire many seasonal positions including park workers, interpreters, rangers, wildlife workers and more. Please update to a modern browser such as Chrome, Firefox or Edge to experience all features Michigan.gov has to offer. Minnesota Minnesota does not have an established breeding population of mountain lions. At least one confirmed sighting of a Michigan mountain lion has been made in the Lower Peninsula. A second trail camera photo caught a cougar on Aug. 30 in southcentral Luce County, about 1 mile from the first photo taken on the same day. About a month and a half later, a trail camera caught a cougar in northern Mackinac County. 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