Have you seen a Michigan Mountain Kitty?

hldeerhunter · 12-09-2006, 03:14 PM

For the last several years there have been rumors and sightings of Mountain Kittys (aka mountain lion or cougar) in Michigan. I saw skeptical at first untill I saw one.

I was working the afternoon shift and came home late at night. About an hour after I got home (3:00am) I looked out my side window and saw something run across my neighbors yard. There was snow on the ground and he had a flood light on so it was easy to see into the yard. I first thought it was a deer, then the animal jumped out of the woods and landed in the yard. What I saw was something I didn't expect to see. The animal was a cat about the size of a small deer. It pounced like a cat when it jumped, and when it walked away I saw the long tube tail. There are no house cats that size that I have ever seen...plus we had a sighting about a mile from my house the next week. I think they are here. Tell me if any of you have ever seen a Mountain Kitty in your area.

Oh yeah, I live in Roscommon County.

RDHunter · 12-09-2006, 07:47 PM

For the last two maybe three years now people have reported shightngs of mountain lions from Roscommon to Kalkaska Countys.
Although the D N R won't ackowndage thereports, there has been proof to back these shightings such as tracks , scat , and damage done to local livestock.

Icedragon · 12-09-2006, 09:25 PM

What would be the biggest significant downside to an upgrowth of lions? Land destroyed? Multiple deer killed?

buckhunter14 · 12-09-2006, 10:02 PM

In the U.P., Marquette county region. A good friend of ours has had 2 encounters with these animals. Said it is a magnificent sight, but a weird one.

9th tine · 12-10-2006, 04:48 AM

I live in Menominee county,It's in the upper peninsula.
Yes i have seen cougar's on numerous occasion's over the year's
as far back as thirty years ago.
Most time's i'll see one cross the road thru a certain area about two mile's from my house. Most time's it's just one bound across the road,Other time's it's still in the ditch area.
There is no mistaking it,Their tail is just about as long as their body
It is a rush when you spot one.
I'm thinking of setting up a trail camera in that area just to see if possibley I might catch one on film,The camera might have to set out there for a month or more seeing how they do have a large roaming area.

Wolfhound76 · 12-10-2006, 05:49 AM

Quote:

ORIGINAL: RDHunter

For the last two maybe three years now people have reported shightngs of mountain lions from Roscommon to Kalkaska Countys.
Although the D N R won't ackowndage thereports, there has been proof to back these shightings such as tracks , scat , and damage done to local livestock.

Illinois DNR is the same way. We've got them here as well. I seen one the weekend before Thanksgiving while going back into the woods after lunch. I tried to get a picture but it ran off before I could.

IllinoisShotgunDeer · 12-10-2006, 08:23 AM

which county in illinois?,im in knox...

Wolfhound76 · 12-10-2006, 08:29 AM

Northern Pike. If you look at a map there have been sightings from Valley City to Chambersburg (that I know of, there may be other sightings elsewhere). I saw it almost halfway between both towns.