Are there cougars in the Southwest Michigan?

The person who saw the large cat I mentioned said that it was black. It was crossing a road in a county near here that is predominately rural. This particular area has an abundance of water, old timber, new growth timber and plenty of wildlife, and very few people. At first they thought it was something else, but then they saw its tail - which, as you mentioned, was the deciding factor.

I had heard about the cats in Louisiana, I think I've actually seen a copy of something from a trail cam that definitely was NOT a bobcat.

The American East probably has more forest cover in it than it has had since the first settlers arrived here. I KNOW that is the case in New Jersey. by the 1800’s most of New Jersey and other eastern states had been effectively cleared of forest land for farmlands, the tannin industry and other reasons.

Today a lot of those farms are abandoned, a lot of areas have been set aside for national forests, and local forests and parkland. Further, the white tailed deer population in the east has skyrocketed. A few generations ago there were very few white-tails in Jersey, and, presumably, other adjacent eastern states. A very aggressive re-introduction program by fish and game agencies increased their numbers and they have spread into areas where they either cannot be practicably hunted, OR public opinion creates such opposition to hunting that it is highly limited or even not permitted at all.

Add together the fact that the eastern U.S. now has a tremendous increase in forest cover, a massive increase in the White tailed deer population, AND the fact that there are breeding populations of cougars in Michigan and other midwestern and western states and cougars have large individual ranges, and it would be surprising if they DIDN'T successfully reestablish themselves in the Jersey Pine Barrens, the Appalachians, the Adirondacks and Catskills and other suitable areas in the East.

They’re everywhere on the east coast.

The DNR brought them here and then virulently denied there were any.
[much like the non-existent black bears which sack and pillage our property]

Years ago, up on Sideling Hill, a bowhunter felt himself being “watched” only to turn around and see a cougar perched in a tree above him, ready to pounce.

No one believed him.

The DNR continued their denials in *spite* of the posters in store windows all around the area reminding us dumb hicks we’d be fined $10,000 for shooting the cougars that weren’t here and offering a 24/7 “Cougar sighting hot line” number to call in case we saw one of the non-existent beasts.

I’m fairly certain that the liberal-run DNR thinks we’re all borderline retarded.

I doubt I need to say what’s going to happen should one of these “Schrodinger’s Cats” kill anybody’s live stock or spook a deer hunter.

“I’m fairly certain that the liberal-run DNR thinks we’re all borderline retarded.”

Mediocrity knows nothing better than itself.

Always treat leftards like morons. It drives them crazy. Not just because it’s insulting, but because they assume they are always the smartest person in the room.

SunkenCiv
You said you had a recording of a black panther spotted at a school by maintenance workers.
It was actually at the Baldwin Prairie School located in Union, MI Cass County, MI
Southwest Michigan.
I was about 10 or 12 at the time.
The black panther was stalking around our home in Union the very same year and a few years after.
Both our parents had this article from my home town of Union from Elkhart Truth Newspaper of Elkhart, IN and it has gotten lost over the years!
Had a pic of a chain link fence and a large black mountain lion, puma, jaquar on school playground.
I have literally been looking for this article for years.
Even went to the Elkhart Public library to search micro-film.
Lots of mountain lion and black panther articles of sightings in Cass County, and in Union area but, their index only goes back to 1984.
So, without an exact date or year- it would be impossible for me to find it.
Your post is the only thing I can find that mentions this on the web.
Would you please post the date and the chicago station that reported this on your vhs tape.
I’m hoping you still have it.
This way I can contact the newspaper and pay for a copy of the article.
My family has seen this black panther and also family members have seen a brown mountain lion - cougar in the Union area as well since the 1960’s and not one has reported to DNR because of the disbelief and denial that mountain lions and black leopards are in the Southern Michigan area.
I’ve seen the black panther off US 12 in Union walking East in a bean field and NEVER reported it.
I’ve collected articles on cougars and black panthers for 30 years to educate myself not because I like them but because I don’t want to be a victim.
So, please help me find this article- I emailed the Newspaper also and waiting to hear from them.
Thanks so much for sharing.
Sorry, so long a post to read.
Or you can email me at: teflin@frontier.com

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