Cougar in Michigan's Upper Peninsula

[jdgator]

It was previously assumed that the easternmost breeding population of cougar was the Black Hills of South Dakota. However, that population has doubled since the 1960s and has started pushing east.

Starting in the early 2000s cougars were sighted as far east as Wisconsin. Wisconsin DNR is pretty tight-lipped although it confirms that the cougar's occasional territory includes most of the state. It has this page describing the cougar in Wisconsin and maintains map of verified cougar sightings.

Wisconsin DNR reports that receives hundreds of reports but it only verifies about 20 sightings a year due to lack of resources. One undeniable sighting occurred in November 2023. A bowhunter shot a young male cougar in order to defend himself. No charges were pressed. Article here.

The cougar's expansion has continued. Here is a very recent video of a cougar hunting a Michigan deer. Cougars are now regularly seen in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Michigan DNR indicates that the cougar range has expanding to include the Upper Peninsula. Here is a very interesting article about Michigan's cougar monitoring program.

Those who are not afraid of falling into the rabbit hole should read the meeting minutes of the Michigan Cougar Team. Those reports will indicate that Michigan's cougar team describes the trend as "recolonization" because it has evidence of breeding-age females in the region. However, it does not share any information regarding sightings of cougar cubs. It neither confirms nor denies cougar cubs. Perhaps this is to safeguard dens... The Michigan Cougar Team also notes that many Wisconsin cougar sightings are adjacent to the Upper Peninsula, giving credence to the theory of a new population center.

Why the Upper Peninsula? Deer density. This research article on potential cougar capacity in the Great Lakes region indicates that northern Michigan has a high deer density. Female cougars need close access to food in order to support cubs.

 

[menhadenman]

I spent some time working in the woods up there in early 2000s. They were there then. And I’m not so sure about high deer density. Numbers are way down but many believe it’s a direct result of wolf and cougar expansion.

 

[jdgator]

It is amazing how states deny the presence of cougars up until they are confronted with trail cam footage. And they claim its a released cat. Then they claim its transient.

 

[BeerThirty]

Grew up in Wisco. Never saw one personally, but my best friend did in Central WI. It's about the only creature that I do not want to ever encounter in the woods.

The article is intriguing because it's stating that "mountain lions" prefer higher deer densities, yet it almost contradicts itself with the highlighted areas on the map showing much lower densities. Unless of course the goal of the article is to suggest causation. It is well known that Northern WI and the UP have had dwindling deer populations going back to the early 2000's, if not sooner. But I would argue it's not the lions, it's the rapidly expanding wolf population and other things impacting deer.

Also, the article is not denying presence of mountain lions in Wisco, but rather just suggesting they don't breed there. They are clearly there. It is reasonable to expect that those states simply don't have many data points.

 

[NCHillbilly]

It is amazing how states deny the presence of cougars up until they are confronted with trail cam footage. And they claim its a released cat. Then they claim its transient.

I think what confuses a lot of people is that there is a big difference between a confirmed panther sighting and a population of panthers. Those young males roam for hundreds of thousands of miles. One is likely to show up anywhere. And, if you get a pic of it on your trail cam, it may have been in the next state two days later. A resident population of panthers is a whole different story. That involves breeding females, which are usually the last to roam much distance. You don't "have" panthers until you have a breeding population. Florida is the only state in the east where that is confirmed to be the case, but sounds like MI and WI are getting close if they're not there already. I'd guess they will repopulate most of their original range sooner or later.

 

[jdgator]

Also, the article is not denying presence of mountain lions in Wisco, but rather just suggesting they don't breed there. They are clearly there. It is reasonable to expect that those states simply don't have many data points.

I think what confuses a lot of people is that there is a big difference between a confirmed panther sighting and a population of panthers. Those young males roam for hundreds of thousands of miles.

My comment is directed at a certain state bordering Florida that wont entertain the possibility of interloping puma concolor coryi.

 

[NCHillbilly]

My comment is directed at a certain state bordering Florida that wont entertain the possibility of interloping puma concolor coryi.

It wouldn't surprise me greatly to see one of those coryi critters in my yard in NC. Bet, it wouldn't mean that NC "has panthers." I would guess that the wildlife biologists in that state you speak of would say the same. They already have proof of interlopers more than once that they haven't denied.

 

[jdgator]

I agree.

It is just my opinion, but I think panther range is dynamic and apparently increasing. It's measurement is a complex issue and should be defined using a standard scale with graduated measurements:

1 - "no verified sightings in 20 years"
2 - "a few sightings in 20 years"
3 - "regular sightings"
4 - "annual sightings"
5 - "part of the established male range"
6 - "part of the established female range"
7 - "breeding center"

States could score themselves more accurately,

 

[basstrkr]

I dun tolt ya'll I seen one in middle ga 20 yeers ago.
But he was headed south.

 

[dwhee87]

I've spent a little time in northern Wisconsin and the UP of Michigan. There's a lot of very remote wilderness up that way.

 

[menhadenman]

Nothing is better than the story of El Jefe in Arizona! I worked down that way a little too. Some remote country and huge elk up on Apache lands.

El Jefe (jaguar) - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

 

[BeerThirty]

I agree.

It is just my opinion, but I think panther range is dynamic and apparently increasing. It's measurement is a complex issue and should be defined using a standard scale with graduated measurements:

1 - "no verified sightings in 20 years"
2 - "a few sightings in 20 years"
3 - "regular sightings"
4 - "annual sightings"
5 - "part of the established male range"
6 - "part of the established female range"
7 - "breeding center"

States could score themselves more accurately,

Be curious if one ever got tagged and they monitored a male's travel range.

 

[bullgator]

They’re are lots of them not to far from me,…..in The Villages. I don’t think it’s a breeding population though…..

 

[jdgator]

I think this goes to show that given enough time, some species will adapt to human activity and reclaim their old territory.

 

[menhadenman]

Be curious if one ever got tagged and they monitored a male's travel range.

@NCHillbilly is correct, they can be Rolling Stones!

Long-distance dispersal of a subadult male cougar from South Dakota to Connecticut documented with DNA evidence

Abstract. We report the long-distance dispersal of a subadult male cougar (Puma concolor) from South Dakota to Milford, Connecticut, where it was struck and kil

academic.oup.com

 

[Nicodemus]

https://ecos.fws.gov/ServCat/DownloadFile/27146

 

[Burton]

https://ecos.fws.gov/ServCat/DownloadFile/27146

View attachment 1283554

I'm 100% sure I had a sighting around this time in Abbeville County SC. I don't see any record though of the cats being tracked very far north. My sighting would have been around November 1995.

I'm 100% sure of the ID because I watched the animal for approximately 10 minutes. I was deer hunting on a power line and it eventually sat down on it's back legs directly underneath my stand. I was able to observe it from 100 yards away to within 15-20 feet away. I was frightened to death, shaking, and praying to God to protect me. Of course I couldn't prove it and I told lots of others about what I had seen. But I can pinpoint the exact location.

34.181897508938526, -82.4740737412444

 

[oldfella1962]

I've spent a little time in northern Wisconsin and the UP of Michigan. There's a lot of very remote wilderness up that way.

I lived in northern Wisconsin (Oneida County) for several years in the 70's.
Oneida County still hasn't changed much. That recent ice age-carved part of the state has large areas of boreal swamplands - thick with alder brush, tamarack, black spruce, labrador tea & sphagnum moss are almost impenetrable at times. And plenty of big & delicious snowshoe hares to eat in these areas too. Almost zero housing development and very little farming except for cranberries and potatoes. It seems like suitable habitat for cougars to me. Some of my crazy neighbors claimed to see bigfoot but I think they needed to throttle back on the blackberry brandy myself.

 

[NWS]

I lived in northern Wisconsin (Oneida County) for several years in the 70's.
Oneida County still hasn't changed much. That recent ice age-carved part of the state has large areas of boreal swamplands - thick with alder brush, tamarack, black spruce, labrador tea & sphagnum moss are almost impenetrable at times. And plenty of big & delicious snowshoe hares to eat in these areas too. Almost zero housing development and very little farming except for cranberries and potatoes. It seems like suitable habitat for cougars to me. Some of my crazy neighbors claimed to see bigfoot but I think they needed to throttle back on the blackberry brandy myself.

You are right about Oneida county and the woods just get wilder and wilder as you go north into the upper peninsula.
Deer numbers, however are nowhere near their old highs up there, because of high wolf and bear populations. Cougars could fit in well up there, but there is a lot of competition from other alpha predators.
I used to spend 2 to 3 weeks in early fall in the “Hodag” country of Oneida and Vilas counties fishing with my dad and uncle up there. Great memories and beautiful unspoiled wild country. I haven’t been up there in a number of years and I miss it and I miss the Rhinelander area Supper Clubs too.