MICHIGAN CITIZENS for COUGAR RECOGNITION
OCEANA County Sightings



08/00Observed by Ken W. of Lupton
03/20/04T16NR18W01, Track Photos, Track Cast, Scat
06/14/044 miles E of Walkerville on the county line of Oceana and Newaygo - closest road is Harrison
09/15/041 mile S of Rothbury rest stop, US 31PAIR
11/15/043 miles NW of New Era, 54th Avenue, near Stony Creek Bottom
11/16/04Levitt Township, Squeezing through bridge railing
05/15/05NW of Hesperia on Loop Road, appx 2 miles E of Hightower Lake
09/05Polk Road, Hart
10/05Baker
04/08/06N of McKinley Street, 1/8 mile E of CE Power line
07/25/06Garfield and Maple Island
09/25/06Pike 48th
10/06Stony Lake
01/17/072 miles north of Silver Lake/Mears on B15n Ridge Road. Jumped in front of truck, stopped to look at driver, then moved on. Driver followed tracks for 20' where they met up with even larger tracks. Reported to the Michigan State Police
mid-March, 07Saw cougar four times in 2 years; scat collected 1/2 mile from Lake Michigan on State Land; have cougar sounds on CD; observed by Justin H.
04/07Silver Lake/Mears area - small cougar tracks casted
10/05/07Exit Ramp of 31 and Oceana Drive - Crossed road
07/28/08Hesperia. Observed by binoculars in field for at least 10 minutes. Found tracks in tilled garden last year
08/12/08Pentwater Cemetary. Standing perfectly still and then crouched. Observed from a bicycle in Block 7 of the cemetary
08/22/09Two cougars observed at campsite in Pines Point National Forest Campground near Hesperia. One slightly larger than the other - making loud baby-crying noises to each other. Observed for 30 seconds; observed paw prints in the mud but raining at hte time washed them awayPAIR
11/17/09John C observes cougar from 75 yards from blind on edge of swamp near Hesperia
02/10Chris Larson takes a photograph of what she believes was a cougar at her friend's house in the Village of Rothbury. The DNR is investigating as of 02/05/10 Link to News Article but DNR says it's just a housecat
UnknownUS-31going South
UnknownManistee National Forest


To view a sighting map from the Rothbury Express Feed store, click here


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