MICHIGAN CITIZENS for COUGAR RECOGNITION
ST. JOSEPH County Sightings



1/23/1875South of Three Oaks and creating a sensation
1969Two black cats chasing deer, SturgisBLACK, PAIR
1999Black cat near White PigeonBLACK
10/20/02County Line Road at Corey Lake Road near Camp Eberheart
05/03Observed by Carrol K. of Sturgis
10/04/03S and W of Three Rivers off US60 and Youngs Prairie Road by the old railroad grade, Attacked a deer and observed by hunters from a tree standBLACK
12/05Observed by John K. of Constantine
2006Tracks behind house in Mendon
07/06Observed by Garth K. of Constantine
06/06/06Null and River Road, Three Rivers
06/15/06Off Baer Road and WakemanRoad
07/06Observed by Garth K. of Constantine
07/30/06½ mile E of US-131 on Cotherman Lake Road on private airstrip
08/29/06½ mile from Route 60, Pony has claw marks
Fall, 2006Constantine Area; Rob R. and family observed cougars near Three Rivers State Game area over 10 times in the last 11 years; Observed mother an kittens in FallKITTENS
2007/06Two experienced hunters observe cougar at Rockys Hideaway Campground on banks of Harwood Lake. Segmented scat found close to sighting location
12/05/07Lutz Road by Sauganash Golf Course sitting alongside the road
06/22/08Heimbach Road. 6:30 a.m. Cougar crossed in front of vehicle. Stalking something because it jumped straight up like a kangaroo and pounced on something
10/10/08Cougar ran across front yard and neighbor nearly hit it with his truck. Saw tracks in snow last winter
10/18/08Travis B observes cougar at 10 yards of his tree stand in Three Rivers while hunting
04/27/09Jodie S, her husband, and daughter see a cougar in the hay field in front of their house; also observed by a farmer down the road early one morning last summer


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