Cougar in Northern MI park?

[srconnell22]

Anybody know anything about the cougar video taped in a northern MI park that is on Channel 4 news tonight at 11p?

[GIDEON]

Wait till 11 and see

[tjstebb]

Anybody know anything about the cougar video taped in a northern MI park that is on Channel 4 news tonight at 11p?


Well i WAS headed to bed but guess i will be up for a little bit now....:lol:

tjstebb

[srconnell22]

Well i WAS headed to bed but guess i will be up for a little bit now....:lol:

tjstebb

I don't think we have the same channel 4 Terry! :lol:

[tjstebb]

I don't think we have the same channel 4 Terry! :lol:


You said northern Michigan.....I figured you would'nt be watching it :lol:


Terry

[srconnell22]

You said northern Michigan.....I figured you would'nt be watching it :lol:


Terry

nope...channel 4 down here, wdiv, is reporting live pictures (not a video as they originally stated) from a "favorite vacation spot" up north.

[tjstebb]

nope...channel 4 down here, wdiv, is reporting live pictures (not a video as they originally stated) from a "favorite vacation spot" up north.


Well i guess no need to stay up and watch the news cause none of the good stuff is aired up here :lol:

tjstebb

[srconnell22]

well...they showed the pic...it's definitely a cougar. Just waiting to find out where it was...

What was that guy's name that told me I was full of it when I said my mom's horse was attacked by one again?!? :lol:

[tjstebb]

Well i guess no need to stay up and watch the news cause none of the good stuff is aired up here :lol:

tjstebb


I just seen this on 9&10 news .....all i can say so far is WOW! I have been a skeptic for years! And my wife SWEARS she has seen one before but i have told her she is nuts! BUUUUUT just maybe:sad:

tjstebb

[autumnlovr]

I find it incredible that the SE MI media got ahold of a legitimate picture before someone on here heard about it. I'm waiting to hear where they say it is too.

[tjstebb]

on 9& 10 they said in Leelanau county and they mentioned the area the DNR posted out by sleeping bear dunes


tjstebb

[srconnell22]

Sleeping Bear Dunes Park...south side of Glen Lake.

Pics were taken over labor day weekend.

Sighting confirmed by the Michigan Wildlife Conservancy (whoever that is).

Dang I love it when I'm right. :D

[mike the pike]

I just dropped my brother off at the Novi Sheraton. we stopped at the hotel bar b4 i went home ...Holy Crap ........there had to be 15 to 19 cougars in there. What a pick up joint for divorced peeps.
Hope the dnr doesnt step in there, might set a trap!

[GIDEON]

Sleeping Bear Dunes Park...south side of Glen Lake.

Pics were taken over labor day weekend.

Sighting confirmed by the Michigan Wildlife Conservancy (whoever that is).

Dang I love it when I'm right. :D


:lol::lol::lol: I love it because of all the people that will be eating crow now. This thread will be really interesting come the morning.

[srconnell22]

2 reasons...

1- it was a doctor from down here who took the pics.

2- everybody up there already knows they are there and don't care anymore so its probably not newsworthy... Its the silly flatlanders from down here (don't get mad, I'm one too now) who are too closed minded to think its possible.

I find it incredible that the SE MI media got ahold of a legitimate picture before someone on here heard about it. I'm waiting to hear where they say it is too.

[tjstebb]

:lol::lol::lol: I love it because of all the people that will be eating crow now. This thread will be really interesting come the morning.

Yeah better get your comments in now i only give it 2 maybe 3 pages before it is over:coolgleam Looks like crow maybe on the menu for me as well!

tjstebb

[Skinner 2]

Anybody have a link? I just looked over on WDIV Det and could find nothing.

Skinner

[wyldkat49766]

well google cougar northern michigan and this thread is the 7th entry...

[PaleRider]

Anybody have a link? I just looked over on WDIV Det and could find nothing.

Skinner

Well if it's not in print it just can't be true .:rolleyes:

Where's that picture of the Wahoo in Ludington. :lol::lol:

[GIDEON]

Anybody have a link? I just looked over on WDIV Det and could find nothing.

SkinnerIt was on last nites news, (11pm). Decent picture, they estimated its body length at over 36".

[srconnell22]

Well if it's not in print it just can't be true .:rolleyes:

Where's that picture of the Wahoo in Ludington. :lol::lol:

keep your pictures out of this one... unless you're the guy that took the pictures of this cat.

Here is the story...

http://www.miwildlife.org/c_adtlinfo.asp

http://www.prlog.org/10353546-cougar-photographed-in-leelanau-county-mi.html

http://www.northernexpress.com/editorial/features.asp?id=4110

[swampbuck]

2- everybody up there already knows they are there and don't care anymore so its probably not newsworthy... Its the silly flatlanders from down here (don't get mad, I'm one too now) who are too closed minded to think its possible.

:yeahthat:

[Tracker83]

Color me a skeptic. I try to believe. I do. I really do. But when I see the names Michigan Wildlife Conservancy... or Patrick Rusz... or Dennis Fijalkowski... my B.S. meter goes on high alert and I automatically assume that it is yet another one of their manufactured fundraising shams.

That being said, I must admit that the pictures are pretty convincing. Much more so than the house cats in Monroe county that the conservancy promoted as cougars a few years back.

Coming soon to small communities throughout Leelanau County will be the Conservancy's famous "Living with Cougars" seminars (i.e. fundraising events). You can bet the bank on it.

One last thing about us skeptics. It's not that we think that cougars couldn't be in Michigan, it's just that the evidence to this point has been laughable at best (Me-Sick :dizzy:). Without a doubt the Michigan Wildlife Conservancy is the #1 cause of skepticism throughout the state with their endless lies and fabrications.

[Neal]

One last thing about us skeptics. It's not that we think that cougars couldn't be in Michigan, it's just that the evidence to this point has been laughable at best (Me-Sick :dizzy:). Without a doubt the Michigan Wildlife Conservancy is the #1 cause of Skepticism throughout the state with their endless lies and fabrications.

I agree....I don't think anyone who is reasonable could make the arguement that are are no cougars (or a chance of cougars) in Michigan. Just like other exotic animals, they get released or escape from private owners. I think the main question is if there's is a breeding population in the state, in which there has been no evidence that I'm aware of.

[Airoh]

1. Sighting confirmed by the Michigan Wildlife Conservancy (whoever that is).

2.Confirmation has also come in from two Martians and a homeless man from Hoboken New jersey.

I'll take sighting confirmation No. 2 as every bit a reliable source as No.1. :rolleyes:

[Swamp Monster]

Michigan Wildlife Conservancy.......:lol::lol::lol: The Ambulance Chasers of the cougar world. Liars too, but that is for another thread.

[Swamp Monster]

I can't seem to find a link to anything on the web, either channel 4 Detroit or 9&10 in Cadillac. Anybody got a link?

Or could this be the link? :evil:
http://www.clickondetroit.com/slideshow/news/20987783/detail.html

[Tracker83]

Michigan Wildlife Conservancy.......:lol::lol::lol: The Ambulance Chasers of the cougar world. Liars too, but that is for another thread.4 or 5 years ago someone from this forum sent an email to the Conservancy with a picture of a track in the snow made by their dog and asked the conservancy if it was a cougar track. Either Rusz or Fijalkowski replied and said that it was a positive cougar track and asked where it was so they could come and investigate.:lol::lol::lol: Was that you? I can't remember...

[Swamp Monster]

4 or 5 years ago someone from this forum sent an email to the Conservancy with a picture of a track in the snow made by their dog and asked the conservancy if it was a cougar track. Either Rusz or Fijalkowski replied and said that it was a positive cougar track and asked where it was so they could come and investigate.:lol::lol::lol: Was that you? I can't remember...


Wasn't me....only because I didn't think of it!! Unfortunately, the MWC does more harm than good when it comes to proving that Cougars are in fact in Michigan. Me, I'm a skeptic, but I don't discount the possibility. I do discount about 95% of the stories and sightings however. Looking at past claims its easy to understand why. The MWC are scammers plain and simple.

[Swamp Monster]

keep your pictures out of this one... unless you're the guy that took the pictures of this cat.

Here is the story...

http://www.miwildlife.org/c_adtlinfo.asp

http://www.prlog.org/10353546-cougar-photographed-in-leelanau-county-mi.html

http://www.northernexpress.com/editorial/features.asp?id=4110

None of these link show a picture on my system? The refer to pictures but they don't show up? Are they with those articles and I just can't see them?

[WeimGuy88]

None of these link show a picture on my system? The refer to pictures but they don't show up? Are they with those articles and I just can't see them?

Look at the first link, under the Cougar picture on the right you will see a link to the Zip file with the photos.
They could have picked more photogenic models....

[srconnell22]

I can't seem to find a link to anything on the web, either channel 4 Detroit or 9&10 in Cadillac. Anybody got a link?

I watched it on Channel 4 last night...it was just about their last news story and only about a 30 second clip which gave the info I gave above, along with pictures, so I'm sure it's less than headline worthy for their website.

[Tracker83]

From our "friends" at the MWC:
http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/photopost/data/500/180.jpg
http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/photopost/data/500/340.jpg
http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/photopost/data/500/256.jpg
http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/photopost/data/500/425.jpg
http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/photopost/data/500/517.jpg
http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/photopost/data/500/104.jpg

[Swamp Monster]

Thanks for the pics.

Looks like one. Albeit it a very small one.

Were they walking when they took the pics? The forground in both pics is completely different, yet the angle to the cat is the same... although one looks like it was telephoto just a little bit (not the blown up pic) so that may be the case. But no overhanging branch in one pic and no telephone pole so I assume the photograher was walking paralel to the cat? Didn't read all the links, so maybe they cover those questions.

[mdad]

great documentation of the photo. looks like the real thing. Did anybody notice that it has a brand on the rear haunch (much like a cattle brand) that says MDNR . proof positive of the cougar stocking program.

[mdad]

They were on the grassy knoll:lol:

[Swamp Monster]

great documentation of the photo. looks like the real thing. Did anybody notice that it has a brand on the rear haunch (much like a cattle brand) that says MDNR . proof positive of the cougar stocking program.

My monitor is not that good, I assumed it said, "property of MWC" but i could be wrong.



J/K!

[Freestone]

If these end up being legitimate pics of a cougar near sleeping bear dunes...
A lot of naysayers on here will be eating crow.

Let the backpeddling begin!:lol:

[BVW]

:lol: eh...? Cougar's tails are not solid black, just the tip. Infact the whole cat looks too dark to be a Cougar.
Cougars do not come in very many color variations.. No Melanistic Cougars have Ever been found. The sun does not apprear to have any effect on any of the area around the animal in the second photo no shadows like the first and the cat is still black. So why is the cat so dark? I am just asking? The head is a different color then the rest of the animal.


.. Look at the guy's knees in the photo, they are standing down in the ditch.. look where the housecat is walking, it's up on the edge of the road.. The size comparison is complete garbage. These photos are directly from the MWC website: The MWC used the same size comparison demo to prove these cats in the below photo are cougars also. Read the article below the photo to see what real experts had to say about the photo.
How anyone could believe these people (MWC) is beyond me.
http://www.miwildlife.org/images/vc_cvt_full.jpg

http://www.easterncougarnet.org/michigan8-23-04.htm

On a side note.. The son is a Los Angeles based film maker and screenwritter:lol: It's in the Northern Express article.

Here is some good reading about the Cougar Hysteria:

http://www.cougarnet.org/Assets/CougarHysteria.pdf

[Tracker83]

If these end up being legitimate pics of a cougar near sleeping bear dunes...
A lot of naysayers on here will be eating crow.

Let the backpeddling begin!:lol:And if it ends up being yet another hoax then a lot of folks who are quick to believe every Michigan cougar story will be eating crow for the 17,462nd time.:lol:

[k9wernet]

That's no cougar. That's a Bengal Tiger -- I bet my life on it!

[jackbob42]

Just what I thought , another housecat.
Some folks should really go and study some pictures of real cougars.

[Swamp Monster]

If these end up being legitimate pics of a cougar near sleeping bear dunes...
A lot of naysayers on here will be eating crow.

Let the backpeddling begin!:lol:


No crow, no backpeddling. No proof of origin from a photo so it's a bit hard to tell. Origin is the important aspect...who cares if a stray cat or two are out there...where are they from is what makes em' legit. Even with the Wolverine that people always use as an example...turned out to be from a different region of the continent based on dna samples....certainly wasn't a Wolverine that got here on it's own. People will see and believe what they want, thats understood.

[PaleRider]

keep your pictures out of this one... unless you're the guy that took the pictures of this cat.

Here is the story...

http://www.miwildlife.org/c_adtlinfo.asp

http://www.prlog.org/10353546-cougar-photographed-in-leelanau-county-mi.html

http://www.northernexpress.com/editorial/features.asp?id=4110

Don't tell me what to do, and I mean this in a nice way :gaga:.

I agree....I don't think anyone who is reasonable could make the arguement that are are no cougars (or a chance of cougars) in Michigan. Just like other exotic animals, they get released or escape from private owners. I think the main question is if there's is a breeding population in the state, in which there has been no evidence that I'm aware of.

:yeahthat:



I like my Crow well done with a nice tossed salad. :lol:

[MAttt]

Thanks for posting the pics Tracker
and that was a good read on cougar hysteria BVW!

Looking at these 2 pics, it looks like they took
the cardboard picture much closer to make it appear bigger.

http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/photopost/data/500/256.jpg (http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/photopost/data/500/256.jpg)
http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/photopost/data/500/104.jpg (http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/photopost/data/500/104.jpg)

Looks like they could have called in the Warren Police
to handle this wild beast.

The best picture of all time is definitely the wild cougars of Monroe
that BVW posted.
Cougars in the cornfield.
Could have lured them in with Kibble & Bits for sure.

http://www.miwildlife.org/images/vc_cvt_full.jpg (http://www.miwildlife.org/images/vc_cvt_full.jpg)

[Tracker83]

:lol::lol::lol: I love it because of all the people that will be eating crow now. This thread will be really interesting come the morning.Is it interesting yet? Lots of yawning and crickets chirping from what I can see. The pictures are here for the entire world to see, but I'm not observing any crow eating. Apparently those who were giddy with excitement last night have disappeared... I guess the pictures speak for themselves...

[Lunker]

Thats no cougar ..its a jaguar! If that kid is out of film school, I wonder how long before the movie comes out. "The Cougar ate my Baybea!!!...Traverse City edition. " Better luck next time Roger Moore Junior.


How much money do you think they raise like this? Maybe I can pay off all my debt after all... I declare we need fundraising for the native cougar population rehab program in Toledo OHIO ! YEAH starting with my property ...just look at the tracks I found!.........

[tgafish]

House cat

[FIJI]

http://www.easternpumaresearch.com/


dont ask how I've known of John Lutz for several years now. I'm not telling :SHOCKED: (although with a bit of sleuthing ya might find it)

http://www.easternpumaresearch.com/reports.htm

[MEL]

If these end up being legitimate pics of a cougar near sleeping bear dunes...
A lot of naysayers on here will be eating crow.

Let the backpeddling begin!:lol:


I got a feeling that this is another kitty cat.
Just another reason why not many believes we have them.. To many false claims. To much BS from MWC

[MEL]

Sleeping Bear Dunes Park...south side of Glen Lake.

Pics were taken over labor day weekend.

Sighting confirmed by the Michigan Wildlife Conservancy (whoever that is).

Dang I love it when I'm right. :D

MWC is a bunch of nuts who have been confirning all the cougars sightings over the past few years. Notice i said "confirming".

What are you right about???

[Airoh]

http://www.9and10news.com/category/story/?id=172888

DNR: Pic of Alleged Cougar is Actually a Kitty Cat
Posted: 9/25/2009

» View Picture » Play Video » Feedback (0)



Hide Video

We have an update to pass along on a story we reported Thursday on our newscast about a private conservancy group claiming it had confirmed the sighting of a cougar in Leelanau County.

Friday, the Department of Natural Resources spoke out and adamantly denies the claim.

A team of state conservation officers and biologists spent hours investigating the alleged sighting and says this so called "cougar" is actually a harmless house cat.

"We would absolutely notify people if there were cougars in this area," says Sgt. Michael Borkovich, who works with the DNR in Leelanau County.

Borkovich says the department has been bombarded with phone calls ever since talk of a cougar sighting began a couple weeks ago.

To make matters worse, this was around the same time an e-mail with several pictures was being sent around in the area that claimed a Mesick business owner had shot a cougar in Wexford County.

The DNR found out that was practical joke.

The cougar in the pictures was actually shot in New Mexico earlier this year.

"We have literally received hundreds of phone calls at our Cadillac district office, our local field offices, and especially here at our TC field office of people who are concerned the fact that they think cougars are out there," he says.

Although the DNR has done a thorough analysis to refute the claim of a sighting in Leelanau County, the private conservancy group is still not convinced.

"I still feel strongly it's a cougar," says Patrick Rusz, Director of Wildlife Programs for the Michigan Wildlife Conservancy. "I used an analysis method that's tried and true... And I see an animal that looks much bigger than a house cat, and I stand by my analysis."

The state experts disagree, and say they're frustrated with the concern and fear this situation has created.

They say there's nothing to be concerned about.

9&10's Ryan Raiche and Photojournalist Josh Strand have more on the alleged sighting.

[the roofer]

House cat

people are blind sighted!!!!And most probably couldnt tell ya what a raccoon looked like:lol::lol::lol: and last pics house cats;)

[GIDEON]

MWC is a bunch of nuts who have been confirning all the cougars sightings over the past few years. Notice i said "confirming".

What are you right about???

Actually you said confirning. :lol:

[JBIV]

I love cougar threads.:lol::lol::lol:

[Linda G.]

Steve must really be tired of all the bandwidth wasted to these cougar threads...that never seem to go away, along with all the stray tabby cats, yellow labradors, and foggy eyeglasses steamed up from alcohol...:lol:

I am increasingly amazed at how naiive the human race has become. What happened to survival of the fittest when it came to the human race...:p

[MEL]

:lol::lol::lol: I love it because of all the people that will be eating crow now. This thread will be really interesting come the morning.


Yes, this thread did get interesting... Now lets hope that this foolishness will stop. Cougars in Michigan? Please!!!

No dead cougars in Alpena
No dead cougars in Mesic
No cougars in Leeaneau.
No cougars in Michigan
(ok, ill give you a very slight chance of one in the western UP. VERY SLIGHT)

[PaleRider]

Ok should I bring out the Wahoo picture now? Just Kidding! :lol:

[GIDEON]

Yes, this thread did get interesting... Now lets hope that this foolishness will stop. Cougars in Michigan? Please!!!

No dead cougars in Alpena
No dead cougars in Mesic
No cougars in Leeaneau.
No cougars in Michigan
(ok, ill give you a very slight chance of one in the western UP. VERY SLIGHT)

Yeah, the say-sayers said that there weren't any Wolverines in Michigan either.

Remember how that one turned out.?

[MEL]

Yeah, the say-sayers said that there weren't any Wolverines in Michigan either.

Remember how that one turned out.?


This isnt about wolverines. Its about the cougar. And the people who
"think" we have them:dizzy:

[Linda G.]

We have one wolverine...and it was found, it is believed, almost immediately after it arrived, by a pack of houndsmen. It was confirmed by a DNR wildlife biologist who rode out there on a snowmobile to confirm it after the houndsmen reported it. He could have ignored it, he didn't. The houndsmen could have ignored it, they didn't.

Which to me is even more proof of a lack of cougars in the Lower Peninsula...if they were here, they would be found, and confirmed.

[DFJISH]

Ignorance is curable but stupidity goes on forever. Therefore, this urban legend will perpetuate itself ad nauseum. http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w259/Mifox/deadhorse.gif

[MAttt]

And the one who started it all originally!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AdVBU-gS2xo&NR=1 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AdVBU-gS2xo&NR=1)

[GIDEON]

We have one wolverine...and it was found, it is believed, almost immediately after it arrived, by a pack of houndsmen. It was confirmed by a DNR wildlife biologist who rode out there on a snowmobile to confirm it after the houndsmen reported it. He could have ignored it, he didn't. The houndsmen could have ignored it, they didn't.

Which to me is even more proof of a lack of cougars in the Lower Peninsula...if they were here, they would be found, and confirmed.

How do you know that there is only one, how do you know that it was found almost imediently after it arrived, where did it come from, how did it get to where it was found with out being seen, photographed, or hit by a car.



Always remember that the world is not flat.

[jimbo]

so, my question is, do we spend any of our tax dollars on protecting them?
i say NO
maybe a bounty on them
i believe they may be a few around, but don't really care.
there's reports of them in the sw corner of the state too

[Ultra]

Someone needs to call Monster Quest!!!!!! L.O.L.

[tommy-n]

Mr patrick rusz, I know him. He was the the defensive line coach for the st.charles football program for many years. A hell of a good guy and his son mark as well, a great wrestling coach;)

[outdoor junkie]

I truely believe there are more than a few cougars roaming the state somewhere. True there has been a ton of false information, but there has been some pretty hard evindence supporting them also, that the DNR sweeps under the rug. Maybe someone down there will admit it when someone gets attacked by one in the future.

[MEL]

I truely believe there are more than a few cougars roaming the state somewhere. True there has been a ton of false information, but there has been some pretty hard evindence supporting them also, that the DNR sweeps under the rug. Maybe someone down there will admit it when someone gets attacked by one in the future.

Let me ask you this. What would lead you to believe that we have "more that a few" in Mich?
I mean, what HARD evidence is there? No one has been attacked by one, No hunter has shot one (gun or camera) No fisherman has pictures.
no bird watcher has pictures. No campers have picts or evidence.

So the MULTI MILLIONS of people who venture out into Michigans woods, forests, remote rivers, and no one has turned in any hard(good) evidence of a single cougar!!! NOT ONE !!!!

[WhitetailCountryboy]

Lets just put it this way... how do they hunt cougars out west.... they tree them w/ dogs...riiight... dont you think as many people who run dogs for bear or coons in michigan would have ran there dogs acrossed one in all the years... i would think soooo but what do i know.... maybe they are here and i wouldn't doubt it especially in the U.P which is suited alot more for cougar country but i sure want better proof from someone that knows what there talking about....not the guy who swears he seen one driving home from the bar...

[GIDEON]

Let me ask you this. What would lead you to believe that we have "more that a few" in Mich?
I mean, what HARD evidence is there? No one has been attacked by one, No hunter has shot one (gun or camera) No fisherman has pictures.
no bird watcher has pictures. No campers have picts or evidence.

So the MULTI MILLIONS of people who venture out into Michigans woods, forests, remote rivers, and no one has turned in any hard(good) evidence of a single cougar!!! NOT ONE !!!!

What hard evidence did Wisconson have before one was killed ? There was a picture on the News that could be construed as hard evidence, Numerous reported animal attacks that could possibly be called "hard enidence". Hard evidence in many peoples definition is just evidence that they choose to believe. Any thing else will be critized and ridiculed. Of the multimillions of people that venture out into the outdoors, How many have seen an Eagle, badger, a lampree, a baby squirrel, a baby pidgeon, a baby grouse, a snake under 8" long. No- just because millions of people havent seen them, doesnt mean that there not there.

In additition to the pictures posted previously in this thread:

http://www.prlog.org/10353546-cougar...county-mi.html

http://www.northernexpress.com/edito...es.asp?id=4110



A closed mind is like a closed door, it negates the possibility of anything new entering.

[Linda G.]

"How many have seen an Eagle, badger, a lampree, a baby squirrel, a baby pidgeon, a baby grouse, a snake under 8" long. No.."

I think anybody who spends any amount of time outdoors has seen all of the above, many of us all the time...LOL

[MEL]

What hard evidence did Wisconson have before one was killed ? There was a picture on the News that could be construed as hard evidence, Numerous reported animal attacks that could possibly be called "hard enidence". Hard evidence in many peoples definition is just evidence that they choose to believe. Any thing else will be critized and ridiculed. Of the multimillions of people that venture out into the outdoors, How many have seen an Eagle, badger, a lampree, a baby squirrel, a baby pidgeon, a baby grouse, a snake under 8" long. No- just because millions of people havent seen them, doesnt mean that there not there.



The Millions who HAVE seem Eagles, Badgers,Lampree and the others along with PROOF is enough to know for a fact that we do have al the things you listed. Have I seen a Lampree? NO, but the PROOF is undisputable that we have them, UNDISPUTABLE!!!



In additition to the pictures posted previously in this thread:

http://www.prlog.org/10353546-cougar...county-mi.html

http://www.northernexpress.com/edito...es.asp?id=4110

Those pictures will be proven to be false again, for like the 18,000th false cougar sighting.

A closed mind is like a closed door, it negates the possibility of anything new entering.


Thank Goodness I have the right mind that says dont believe in something til its proven true.

[GIDEON]

"How many have seen an Eagle, badger, a lampree, a baby squirrel, a baby pidgeon, a baby grouse, a snake under 8" long. No.."

I think anybody who spends any amount of time outdoors has seen all of the above, many of us all the time...LOL

So you think any body who spends just 50 days a year in the out doors will have seen all of those things. Spending 4 to 5 times that amount of time in the outdoors, and I'm still looking for a couple of them.:16suspect

( a cougar isnt one of them though);)

BTW-------still waiting for your reply to post 64

[Linda G.]

I'm not going to argue with you, if you believe in Bigfoot, you believe in Bigfoot, lots of people do, but I don't know of a lot of people who believe who spend a great deal of time out in the wild, like every day. If you live up north year around, near where most of these supposed cougar sightings are coming from, and you venture out of your backyard once in a while, you know better.

As for my response to post 64, which I hadn't even read until now, I know what I've been told by a wide variety of people in the Thumb who either have seen the wolverine, seen its tracks that led straight from a nearby landfill that takes Canadian trash, talked to the houndsmen who found it, the guy who keeps track of it, or the biologist from the DNR that went out to see it, then with several of his peers contacted a number of wolverine researchers in Ontario.

It is widely believed that it somehow caught a ride on a garbage truck from Canada that did not compact its load prior to entering the States, as is supposedly required. Coons get caught in garbage trucks all the time. Wolverines are also well known for being attracted to trash, there's a proven record of them trashing cabins in Canada and Alaska.

It's been in several outdoor publications, including Woods N Water News.

How do you think it got here? Swam? Walked over the Blue Water? That the DNR has some conspiracy to introduce our "state animal"? LOL

[GIDEON]

I'm not going to argue with you, if you believe in Bigfoot, you believe in Bigfoot, lots of people do, but I don't know of a lot of people who believe who spend a great deal of time out in the wild, like every day. If you live up north year around, near where most of these supposed cougar sightings are coming from, and you venture out of your backyard once in a while, you know better.

As for my response to post 64, which I hadn't even read until now, I know what I've been told by a wide variety of people in the Thumb who either have seen the wolverine, seen its tracks that led straight from a nearby landfill that takes Canadian trash, talked to the houndsmen who found it, the guy who keeps track of it, or the biologist from the DNR that went out to see it, then with several of his peers contacted a number of wolverine researchers in Ontario.

It is widely believed that it somehow caught a ride on a garbage truck from Canada that did not compact its load prior to entering the States, as is supposedly required. Coons get caught in garbage trucks all the time. Wolverines are also well known for being attracted to trash, there's a proven record of them trashing cabins in Canada and Alaska.

It's been in several outdoor publications, including Woods N Water News.

How do you think it got here? Swam? Walked over the Blue Water? That the DNR has some conspiracy to introduce our "state animal"? LOL

So maybe it got caught in a garabage truck, and maybe they didnt compress the garabage in the truck, and maybe it survived the trip over here.........and maybe canada has Wolverines with in driving distance of the thumb :confused: But Michigan defiently cant have a cougar :dizzy:

Sounds like sane logic to me.

[RDS-1025]

GIDEOT. You will never win an intelligent argument as long as you continue to spew your "garabage" all over the place. And 4 or 5 times 50 is a little more than your 150 days afield.

[GIDEON]

GIDEOT. You will never win an intelligent argument as long as you continue to spew your "garabage" all over the place. And 4 or 5 times 50 is a little more than your 150 days afield.

??????????????


And who says that it is an arguement. Seeing as how you have no profile, how about me and you meetin for coffee,

[Swamp Monster]

Yeah, the say-sayers said that there weren't any Wolverines in Michigan either.

Remember how that one turned out.?

And do you remember where the DNA from it claimed it was from? I'll give you a hint...a long long way from Michigan! How'd it get here? Not on it's own!

[Swamp Monster]

Gideon, many of us feel that the possiblility exists in the LP. (the UP, I don't question, I feel we likely have them in the the NW part of the UP). The problem is a lot of the BS stories that get thrown around and the MWC doesn't help their cause, at least with anyone somewhat informed about who they are. Are their some cats here? Maybe. But again, are they wild or were they captive? Many of us won't be that surprised but so far, the majority of reports have been a joke.

[Tracker83]

Anybody from Leelanau county hearing/seeing any advertisements for local "town hall" Living With Cougars meetings? This fits the pattern for the MWC: 1) Release a press release documenting a local cougar discovery, 2) Schedule several Living with Cougars seminars in small communities near the discovery area, 3) Collect fundraising dollars, 4) Wait 6 months and start again at step 1 (in a new area of the state).

[GIDEON]

And do you remember where the DNA from it claimed it was from? I'll give you a hint...a long long way from Michigan! How'd it get here? Not on it's own!

I have no idea as to where it came from. I just think that it is great that it is here now. The possibility that he migrated here on his own, is no more far fetched as the possibility of arriving in a garabage truck. I highly dbout that there is a breeding pair here, but now that there is defiently one, maybe the state could help out a little.

The same holds true for cougars. Now that one has been defiently verified in a neighboring state, shouldn't that add some validity to other sightings. True there will be many prank, and mistaken sightings, but to totally discount the possibility makes no sense at all.

[GIDEON]

Gideon, many of us feel that the possiblility exists in the LP. (the UP, I don't question, I feel we likely have them in the the NW part of the UP). The problem is a lot of the BS stories that get thrown around and the MWC doesn't help their cause, at least with anyone somewhat informed about who they are. Are their some cats here? Maybe. But again, are they wild or were they captive? Many of us won't be that surprised but so far, the majority of reports have been a joke.

The truth is out there.:16suspect

[Swamp Monster]

The truth is out there.:16suspect

It might be....but right now, the truth is muddied with bogus claims and intentionaly falsified reports. Like I said, western UP that actually borders Wisconsin, highly likely, not to mention the human the population density difference. Last I checked, NW Lower Michigan is a long hike....not entirely impossible yes, but really how probable? Atleast on their own accord? I know about ice bridges etc, but again how probable?
If they are their, the probability they had "help" is very likely.

[GIDEON]

It might be....but right now, the truth is muddied with bogus claims and intentionaly falsified reports. Like I said, western UP that actually borders Wisconsin, highly likely, not to mention the human the population density difference. Last I checked, NW Lower Michigan is a long hike....not entirely impossible yes, but really how probable? Atleast on their own accord? I know about ice bridges etc, but again how probable?
If they are their, the probability they had "help" is very likely.

There are also reported sightings in some states just south, of Mi. One even had a segment on Monster-Quest. There determination was that it was a highly probable true sighting.

I am not preaching about monsters or the booger man. Only that maybe we shouldnt be so quick to critize, and bash all sightings.

[the roofer]

http://www.savethecougar.org/michigancougarsightings.htm

hmmm...

[wartfroggy]

One even had a segment on Monster-Quest.
I wouldn't throw "Monster Quest" around as a reputable source! But then again, I saw in the Weekly World News that they found Bat Boy....again.....in a different cave than last time. So, my thinking is that if Bat Boy could have travelled that far, then you're right. Maybe it isn't out of the question for a cougar to travel that far either!?

[DeerManager]

hahaha, there is no way that that pic is a cougar!!!:lol::lol::lol::lol:
Look at how short it is compared to their legs while sanding in a ditch! HAHAHAHAHHA

[the roofer]

http://dnr.wi.gov/org/land/er/mammals/cougar/media.htm

http://abclocal.go.com/wjrt/story?section=news/local&id=6587140

them photos may be fake but how about these?

[Freestone]

That settles it. With a good dutch name like Van Den Berg he has to be telling the truth.:lol:. I don't know about that picture though. They always seem to be just out of focus enough to create alot of uncertainty. I'll patiently wait for a good photo to come from the UP somewhere. These pics and stories (hoaxes) from southern MI are getting out of hand.

[MEL]

The Lapeer cougar (the BLACK cougar;)) was proven false.

Here kitty...kitty...kitty

[MEL]

GIDEOT. You will never win an intelligent argument as long as you continue to spew your "garabage" all over the place. And 4 or 5 times 50 is a little more than your 150 days afield.


Wow, what brought that on!!! Have anything constructive to add?

[the roofer]

"How many have seen an Eagle, badger, a lampree, a baby squirrel, a baby pidgeon, a baby grouse, a snake under 8" long. No.."

I think anybody who spends any amount of time outdoors has seen all of the above, many of us all the time...LOL

but finally found that badger 2 weeks ago well the kids actually found it and I didnt believe so i locked the dogs up and went with them and there it was we watched it for about 10 minutes within spitting distance...but that was pretty cool..only fault on me was that I left camcorder at the cabin...I thought it was gonna be a ground hog:lol:

[Swamp Monster]

http://www.savethecougar.org/michigancougarsightings.htm

hmmm...

If there is a website, it must be true! Enjoy this real link
http://savebigfoot.org/

[GIDEON]

If there is a website, it must be true! Enjoy this real link
http://savebigfoot.org/

That explains a lot, all those weird noises at night. Who knew it was bigfoot. I always thought it was a cougar

[thill]

Quick quesiton: Doesn't the dnr have signs posted around sleeping bear dunes warning people about cougars?

I haven't seen them and this is a serious question. I have a friend who visits the area a lot and told me about the signs.

[Swamp Monster]

I'm not sure if those signs are from the DNR, can't remember but they are there. The DNR does have info on their website about Cougars. I tend to believe it is to passify those that think we are surrounded by these things.

[Linda G.]

The signs, if they're still there, were posted by the National Park Service, which manages all National Parks.

They were posted several years ago after a volunteer naturalist (with no real scientific training, and very little outdoor experience other than an appreciation of birds, butterflies, etc.) reported seeing a cougar in that end of the park. I believe it was a one time sighting. The media picked it up and went nuts with it, leading the Park Service to post the signs in an effort to "protect" the public...

Now, at the same time, the Park Service was desperate to figure out a way to get their "wilderness" initiative past the public and the people who live in that area who DID NOT want to see large portions of the park literally shut off from the public, with roads closed, or to see coho salmon removed from the Platte River or the whitetailed deer removed from the Fox Islands...both of which were just a small part of that initiative, which is something the NPS has been implementing in all of their parks since a federal mandate in 1982.

Isn't it a coincidence that posting signs warning the public of cougars significantly dropped traffic through that area??? LOL

Btw, several longtime Sleeping Bear employees decided to go elsewhere for work about that time...

After much debate, the initiative was dropped, but recently has come around again, this time without mention of coho, whitetailed deer, and cougars.

A camera study the NPS began right after the cougar sighting revealed bobcats, a lot of raccoons, a few coyotes, and far more stray dogs than the NPS ever thought possible. A standard scientific research study usually comprises 2-3 years, but the camera study was pulled after just six months, and no cougar sightings, with the NPS citing a lack of funds.

Not too long after that, administration at the top of the Sleeping Bear food chain was shuffled, and although the wilderness initiative is back on, there's been no further mention of cougars from representatives of our federal government...

LOL

[the roofer]

If there is a website, it must be true! Enjoy this real link
http://savebigfoot.org/

great now I'm gonna start believing that...:lol::lol::lol:

but I started as a none believer and now hell I dont no...
but all the reports cant be false can they?
check out this link and look at the macomb video especially and let me know what you think...plus there is also a picture of the 2 house cats in the previous post that has a different conclusion...

http://www.michigancougar.com/kittens.htm

[Freestone]

Not to sidetrack this thread but I found some youtube video on that site that may be proof that bigfoot exists. They call it a gorrilla but you be the judge.:lol:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sVAP5qWnBek

[the roofer]

:dizzy::dizzy::dizzy:

[Tom Morang]

Latest claim reignites cougar debate

BY Sheri McWhirter
smcwhirter@record-eagle.com

September 25, 2009 11:10 pm

—

MAPLE CITY -- Some say it was more than just a big cat two men saw in Leelanau County on Labor Day.

But state wildlife authorities, who've been reluctant to confirm occasional cougar sightings in northwest Michigan, aren't swayed by the latest report as the debate over their possible existence in the region rages on.

Dr. Jerome Wiater and his son spotted the animal on Sept. 7 as they walked near the south shore of Glen Lake on their way to water ski during a stay at their summer home. They snapped two photos of what they believed was a cougar loping along County Road 675 near the intersection with County Road 616, Wiater said.

"You realize you're looking at something different. Our eyes were locked on each other," he said. "I know what I saw. It was a cougar."

Wiater saw the animal flick its long, black-tipped tail before it disappeared into the woods, he said.

The Michigan Wildlife Conservancy believes him. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources doesn't.

"It looks a lot like a house cat to me," said Russ Mason, DNR wildlife chief.

Conservancy officials investigated the sighting, with additional on-site forensic photographic analysis. They concluded it was a cougar.

"That is no house cat," said Dennis Fijalkowski, the conservancy's executive director. "Anybody who lives in rural areas knows we have cougars."

Mason said Michigan's Lower Peninsula is an unlikely place for endangered cougars, also known as mountain lions. There are a couple of cougars roaming the Upper Peninsula, he said.

"There's no question that cougars are moving east out of the Dakotas and they will eventually make it here," Mason said.

But Lower Michigan is too populated with humans and lacks large wilderness tracts needed to support cougars, he said.

Fijalkowski anticipated the DNR's response. He said it's an animal the DNR wants to ignore and officials paint anyone who reports a cougar sighting as a "crackpot."

"They do not want to spend any of their time and money on the cougar and the easiest way to do that is deny their presence," Fijalkowski said. "They've been discrediting citizens for 40 years who have seen cougars and reported sightings."

Not true, Mason countered.

"They believe for some reason we want to keep this from the public. Why would we do that?" Mason said. "We would be very interested."

And there have been hoaxes.

Recent photographs of a killed cougar circulated on the Internet, purportedly shot in Mesick. The giveaway, however, was a New Mexico conservation officer shown in one of the photos.

The animal photographed this month in Leelanau County was close to Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, where posted signs warn visitors about reported cougar sightings. But federal officials aren't certain the animals are roaming the national park.

"We don't know. We've never been able to establish any physical evidence," said Tom Ulrich, deputy park superintendent. "We do get reports every year of cougar sightings."

Copyright © 1999-2008 cnhi, inc.

[Swamp Monster]

I love the MWC, always make for interesting reading. Like I stated before, they are the ambulance chasers of the cougar sighting world and are more than happy to profit from it. They are more interested in their own motives than they are the actual truth.

[devo024]

I wonder how many people out there who say we don't have cougar's in Michigan because you have never seen one believe in God, because I'm pretty sure you have never seen Him either. I fish all summer and hunt all fall, with deer camp at Drummond Island and I have never seen a badger, fisher or wolf in the wild, and have seen a fox only about 3 times in my life. I'm not saying they are hanging out in the subs of Detroit, but to think they have them in Wisconsin and Minn (both proven by their respective DNR) and not in the U.P. doesn't make sense.

Edit: Just a general statement here, not directed at anyone

[Linda G.]

Get off of Drummond Island and spend some time driving around the rest of the UP. You'll see all three in nothing flat. Let us know if you see any cougars.

[2PawsRiver]

Seven pages and over one hundred posts, just think what would happen if a cougar was actually spotted in Michigan.:lol:

[devo024]

Get off of Drummond Island and spend some time driving around the rest of the UP. You'll see all three in nothing flat. Let us know if you see any cougars.

I have, used to spend 3 weeks every summer in the west end by the Wisc. border and the Keweenaw Peninsula, that was about 10 years ago though. Why would I bother to say I saw anything here, I would just be told I was wrong. :rolleyes:

[Munsterlndr]

I've had deer cams out on my property for the last five years, it's about 4 miles from where the alleged recent sighting took place and about a mile and a half from where a jogger reportedly saw one a few years ago. No sign of any cougars on my cams. ;)

I've gotten pics of bobcat, bear, possum, coyote, coon, hawks, grouse, feral dogs & cats, squirrel, turkey and ten thousand or so of deer but not one cougar, despite being in one of the more remote and inaccessible parts of a county that is generally pretty open with a lot of ag land. Lot's of pics taken over gut piles and deer carcasses but no Cougars. Count me as skeptical! :16suspect:lol:

[MEL]

I have, used to spend 3 weeks every summer in the west end by the Wisc. border and the Keweenaw Peninsula, that was about 10 years ago though. Why would I bother to say I saw anything here, I would just be told I was wrong. :rolleyes:


Who would tell you that you where wrong.