Leelanau County Cougar photos, photo by Dr. Jerome Wiater.
These photos were taken by Dr. Jerome Wiater and appear courtesy the Michigan Wildlife Conservancy.
Check these out bigger, read the report from the Michigan Wildlife Conservancy and read more at Michigan Cougar Confirmation? Leelanau photos seem to say “Yes” on Leelanau.com.
You can read more about the Michigan cougar controversy at Absolute Michigan and read all about cougars (puma concolor) from the UM Animal Diversity Web.
Michigan in Pictures 
LOL. I am from Northern Michigan and we laughed when we heard the DNR had *finally* admitted that there ARE cougars up here. I have some friends in the country who have seen them in backyard.
Liv
http://www.livlovelaugh.wordpress.com
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I SAW
You know I thought the Cougar sightings were just another Bigfoot Hokes. I’m from E.U.P., born and raised, with a shotgun in one hand a buck-call in the other, and never saw a cougar in all my years hunting or anything for that matter.
Until early bow season of 2006. I have shot my share of deer. Put it this way every hunter has experienced the ( THE HEART IN YOUR THROAT). But their comes a time when the excitement is gone your nerves no longer act out, that’s where I’ m at when a buck struts into the bait pile.
Any way I remember going out to my blind and thinking this could be the day my monster with horns shows up, as I’m sure all hunters do. I hunt out of a brush blind and bait approximately 25-30yards out. I remember baiting and waiting like every other day. I sat for about an hour and started to hear the brush move as though a cautious deer was sneaking in, I thought ok heres another doe while staying out of the window for fear of spooking her I thought to myself I’ll hear the corn crunch when she eats then I’ll peak and see what it is for sure. About another half hour went by and just when I thought she was on to me I herd the furmilluar sound that’s right corn was crunching, I leaned into the window and I first thought (What the he**) It’s rear was facing me it was completely black like a bear then it turned and looked straight at me my heart went straight to my throat I actually made a gulp sound no lie. The face of this animal was round about the size of a volleyball with whiskers I then looked it up and down it had a tail about 1 ½ to 2 ft long. I sat back in my chair wondering what just happened grabbed the gun, leaned out again but it was gone just like that. I remember thinking no way we don’t have pumas and since when are they black well no mistake I seen bear, coyotes, bobcat and just about everything the U.P. has to offer with the exception of Bigfoot of course.
I told my story to my dad who never fails to ask if I saw anything in his old hunting blind. He wasn’t too amazed he just said (better start looking up when your walking around out their! I know I do!) huh he’s never told a story of cougars out their. My uncle hunts approximately 1 mile from me when I told him he didn’t seem amazed either. At that point I thought they didn’t believe me then my uncle told me a story of brown huge cats 1 big and 2 smaller in his hunting area just weeks prior, he claimed to empty a whole clip into one while bird hunting .22 cal no wonder he didn’t get it.
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q bonito va!!
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I have some friends in the country here in the midwest. They see all kinds of wildlife, and swear they’ve seen a cougar on several occasions. Scarey!!
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There’s some more comments about this on Flickr too:
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How great to have a photo of a cougar! I live in the Upper Peninsula and years ago a black cougar (panther?)jumped in front of the car and leaped across the road with only one jump. I wouldn’t have had time to even find the camera. Many others have spotted cougars, as well.
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where in E.U.P.? I’m near Sault ste. marie and have seen the black panther.
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No, I’m over by L’Anse in the Western U.P.
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Wow. I didn’t know that cougars were still in Michigan. Cool article and photo.
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I guess it’s time for me to file my much-belated cougar sighting on CO Rd 643 between Cedar and the village of Lake Leelanau to the MI Conservation group now? Heere, kitty kitty!
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I was born and raised in MI but have now lived for many years in Mountain Lion country. I don’t get it. I don’t get what you people are so wound up about. Yes, lions exist. Yes, lions are elusive. Yes, there are thousands of false and mistaken reports of lions all over, all the time.
Where I live there are almost certainly five or ten lions with 20 miles of my house as I write. And I have never seen one. And one has never attacked a human in this area
Your DNR is being appropriately conservative. Many of the rest of you are just rumour-mongering and engaging in unnecessary sensationalism. You almost certainly will have individual lions passing through. Witness the one killed in a Chicago suburb recently.. Hardly a “breeding population.” And they may re-establish themselves over time; they are moving east.
And please, be skeptical of all reports, however much you may trust the “experienced backwoodsman,” the fuzzy photo, or even yourself. The vast, vast majority are not accurate.
And when the real thing emerges, rejoice! You’ve got a great piece of the natural world sharing your space.
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Wooa – I had no clue we had cougars in Michigan! Learn something every day right!? Very cool!
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Regardless of whether these photos are real or not, cougars have been officially confirmed in Michigan. From John Flesher of the Traverse City Record-Eagle:
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View the Cougar photo in the Traverse City Record-Eagle.
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