[Coldjensens]

When my brother was shortly out of high school many years ago, he worked at a lumberyard. For no reason at all, he and co-workers build a black panther our of scrap lumber and then put it out near various freeways for a few minutes here and there. Reports of the wild black panther sightings even made the newspaper.

We had a large 200 pound brindle English mastiff. When she got out and wandered off into the woods once in a while, our township would get calls about a cougar or a bear sited in the woods. Some people were in a panic. They refused to believe it was just a dog on a walkabout.

[jackmichigan]

Originally Posted by michigan lizard

Sorry, should have said West Michigan. The UP, I believe. The intermittent hype about cougar spottings never turn out to be cougars down here.

Funny story, A few years ago on a beach weekend with some Indiana family in South Haven. They insisted that they saw bear tracks in the sand!!! Of course, I was skeptical. Later when I went down there, I showed them how the dry, loose sand makes footprints appear much larger. They were dog tracks.

Well, they've been reported in the Lower Peninsula, too. There were a number of sightings a few years ago in the Sleeping Bear Dunes area. There have been a number of reputable reports in Iosco County (Tawas area) and in Alcona County to the north. My cousin actually saw one a few years ago west of Tawas.

For whatever reason, the DNR has historically been dismissive of cougar reports, even from experienced wildlife professionals. The Michigan Wildlife Conservancy was long involved in pushing the DNR to recognize the presence of cougars in the state, and the DNR has finally acknowledged their presence. Granted, the number of cougars is likely very low, but it's understandable how secretive, nocturnal cougars can avoid widespread detection. (And I agree that a LOT of people simply can't identify wildlife.)

Here's a report from last year of a documented cougar sighting in west Michigan:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nk9u61QVaww

[Pink2018]

As a person looking to retire in Michigan, this scares me. Do they come into town or stay in the wooden areas?

[michigan lizard]

Originally Posted by jackmichigan

Well, they've been reported in the Lower Peninsula, too. There were a number of sightings a few years ago in the Sleeping Bear Dunes area. There have been a number of reputable reports in Iosco County (Tawas area) and in Alcona County to the north. My cousin actually saw one a few years ago west of Tawas.

For whatever reason, the DNR has historically been dismissive of cougar reports, even from experienced wildlife professionals. The Michigan Wildlife Conservancy was long involved in pushing the DNR to recognize the presence of cougars in the state, and the DNR has finally acknowledged their presence. Granted, the number of cougars is likely very low, but it's understandable how secretive, nocturnal cougars can avoid widespread detection. (And I agree that a LOT of people simply can't identify wildlife.)

Here's a report from last year of a documented cougar sighting in west Michigan:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nk9u61QVaww

Is the Lansing area considered West Michigan now?

[michigan lizard]

Originally Posted by Pink2018

As a person looking to retire in Michigan, this scares me. Do they come into town or stay in the wooden areas?

Not sure where in Michigan you're considering, but I would be more concerned about bears than an extremely rare cougar sighting. (And I'm not concerned about bears at all where I live, though 25 years ago, I did once camp near where one was spotted.)

[MikeBear]

Originally Posted by Pink2018

As a person looking to retire in Michigan, this scares me. Do they come into town or stay in the wooden areas?

I've lived in mid-Michigan for just shy of 60 years, and I spend a lot of time back in the state land. I have never seen a bobcat in the wild. I have seen coyotes, feral pigs, bear, and a cougar (panther ONCE 20 years ago in Midland county). I'm far more scared of the feral pigs, than of the rest. Yep, I've watched the movie "Old Yeller", LOL.



NONE of them will EVER attack you in normal circumstances, and are nothing to be scared of.

[Coldjensens]

Originally Posted by Pink2018

As a person looking to retire in Michigan, this scares me. Do they come into town or stay in the wooden areas?

You will never see one.

You will also most likely never see a bear in Michigan unless you are going considerably north.

You will also not see any wolves, poisonous snakes or bugs, hurricanes, earthquakes, wild fires, floods, mud slides, . . .

Michigan is one of the safest places in the world for humans.

Do not buy or sell drugs, guns or sex and avoid the areas of concentrated poverty/crime and you can be safer here than almost anywhere in the world.

[walker46]

Originally Posted by Coldjensens

You will never see one.

You will also most likely never see a bear in Michigan unless you are going considerably north.

You will also not see any wolves, poisonous snakes or bugs, hurricanes, earthquakes, wild fires, floods, mud slides, . . .

Michigan is one of the safest places in the world for humans.

Do not buy or sell drugs, guns or sex and avoid the areas of concentrated poverty/crime and you can be safer here than almost anywhere in the world.

Sounds like a pretty boring place to live then.

[MikeBear]

Originally Posted by walker46

Sounds like a pretty boring place to live then.

Except that the ENTIRE lower peninsula is full of TROLLS! We all live under the bridge. LOL

[michigan lizard]

Originally Posted by walker46

Sounds like a pretty boring place to live then.

I'll take boring over running for my life any day of the week.