MICHIGAN CITIZENS for COUGAR RECOGNITIONSHIAWASSEE County Sightings

1956-1957	Carol P was riding horse when cougar ran in front of her at about 200 yards- horse stopped and started backing up. North side of Beard Road east of Woodberry Road about 1/2 mile
1956-1957	Carol P reports that a couple of days after she observed a cougar while horseback riding, a cougar was spotted near Mason where it ran in front of a kid on a moped; paw prints seen in freshly plowed field; written up in the local paper
07/14/03	Crossed State Road, going E b/w Grand River and I-69
09/30/03	Five minutes outside of Ovid heading W on M21 coming from Owosso
05/26/05	SW corner of Delaney and Mason Road, ½ mile W of Owosso
11/13/05	Grand River Road, 1/4 mile b/f State Road
11/14/05	10 miles from Town
08/28/07	Black cougar came out of woods and started to cross an open area. Observed for 3-4 minutes. found three tracks about the size of a fist. Wooded area between Hopins Lake and Baker College. Observer lived in Florida and observed cougars in the wild there	BLACK

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