MICHIGAN CITIZENS for COUGAR RECOGNITION
MARQUETTE County Sightings



1932-1937Deer Kills and Sightings as recorded by MSU zoologist Richard Manville, in "The Vertebrate Fauna of the Huron Mountains, Michigan", American Midland Naturalist - 1948
1974Skandia, Logger views cougar within logging job accompanied by 2 cubsKITTENS
08/81Huron Mountain Club Area - while in a boat 130' from shore, cougar observed drinking water along the shore for about 3-4 seconds
1984Huron Mountain Club, Cougar with kittens reported by memberKITTENS
Spring, 1984Jim M observes cougar track in Mountain Lake area
1984Kevin T observes tracks near the Upper Falls of the Salmon Trout River, on Salmon Trout Bay, north of Middle Pine Lake, and west of Conway Lake
1984Huron Mountain Club - 150-160# Whitetail Buck kill - surrounded by large feline tracks with cuts on neck and back
09/02/85McFarland
1987Negaunee, 35-40 pound cub seen with motherKITTENS
1989Gwinn, Two cougars seen - one twice as big as the otherKITTENS
1990Gwinn, Half-grown cougarKITTENS
1990Little Lake, Two railroad employees view mother and two cubs from the moving trainKITTENS
03/91DNR Biologist Bob Woods tells Associated Press that there was no mistaking what made the tracks past the Marquette County Airport and onto Kathy Dompierre's farm in March, 1991 - it had to be a cougar. Wood said the other Upper Peninsula cougar sightings - now coming in on the average of one a week - are from sources too credible not to believe." - Reported by Michigan Out-of-Doors Magazine, March, 1993
07/26/93H-28, 10 miles from H123
1994Big Bay, Cabin owner steps out the door onto the porch and comes face-to-face with a young cougar. It ran away. It's tracks were not quite as big as a hockey puckKITTENS
1998.BLACK
05/98Observed by Gene D. of Cheboygan
08/00Observed by Roy and Carol L. of Germfask
11/15/02Near Parkers Spurr Road
11/16/02 W of Republic (7 miles) near Juncob Lake/Michigamme River
11/16/02Tag Alder Swamp on NW 1/4 of NW 14/ of Section 36 Republic Township, Wearing a blue collar with something hanging from it - radio collar?
07/03 Observed by Cheryl G. of Marquette
07/03Observed by John P. of Chelsea
11/15/03½ mile from Escanaba River near Marquette County Road Commission gravel pit, Cedar swamp, Scrapes
2004Gwinn, Cougar approximately 20-30 pounds KITTENS
09/30/043/4 - 1 Mile to railroad tracks, Watson area
04/18/06CR 553 and Olsen Road, Saw twice
08/06Other side of prison entry
12/31/07Black cougar observed by Lisa W and two other passengers on Highway 41 just south of central in the Keweenaw Pensinsula.BLACK
06/19/08Daily Press Escanaba report more tracks confirmed in region and found by USFS employee
09/05/08Ted Carland casts and reports cougar tracks along Conway Bay on Lake Superior. DNR verifies as cougar tracks. Click here for full DNR Field Report with Photos
UnknownTracks in snow on several occasions in the McCormick Tract near Huron Mt Club
UnknownJohn A says caretaker at Huron Mt Club reports tracks and animals seen every yearFAMILY


Using information compiled by the North Dakota Game and Fish Department, it was determined that approximately 50% of anecdotal reports (as listed below), can be classified as probable or verified.
Reports by the public, when carefully screened for reliability, and used in conjunction with other information and evidence, can aid in assessing population status.
Thank you to the Michigan Wildlife Conservancy, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Retired DNR Forester Mike Zuidema, and the media for this valuable research information.




DENISE N. MASSEY