In June, Jottings carried the story of cougar attacks on Richard McGuire’s cattle in Alcona County. We reported one of their pregnant cows being torn up by a cougar, which also bit off said cow’s tail.
Last month I interviewed another cattle herd owner in that general area. He’s had seven cows attacked by cougars. I gathered it was with some reluctance he called the Department of Natural Resources on one killing.
They told him to not touch a thing and call a veterinarian, they’d be right out. Oh, yeah, the farmer told me the DNR said they would pay for everything.
It took a representative an hour to get to the farm, and when they did, it was their conclusion the cow died of old age.
The cattle raiser told me he had a $250 deductible insurance policy on his cows. When the insurance company contacted the DNR for verification they were told they had no knowledge of anyone by that name.
In many parts of Michigan (besides Alcona County), there is little respect for our Department of Natural Resources. Talk continues that the DNR introduced a pair of cougar in Michigan to help rid the state’s deer herd of tb.
The DNR denies it. However, they have come to admit there are cougar in Michigan, and they are in the wild because owners, who bought them as pets, released them.
The Michigan Wildlife Conservancy of Bath, Michigan, has mucho data on cougars in Michigan. The Natural Resources Commission in now involved.
In August and September this body and the DNR were presented with evidence of cougars in Michigan. Citizens and conservation groups presented evidence of over 1,200 sightings, confirmed DNA scat/hair/bone samples, photos, videos, livestock kills and almost 100 sightings that involved evidence of a breeding population.
The DNR currently refuses to implement a management plan because they are waiting for more definite evidence of a breeding population.
The Michigan Wildlife Conservancy emphasizes that the endangered species act does not require evidence of a breeding population.
The DNR seems to hang their cougar decisions on the lack of breeding population proof. There have been sightings in Jackson, Menominee, Alcona and others places, but apparently no one has caught them in the act of breeding with their camera, which just might satisfy the DNR.
Wildlife committee report
October 5, Michigan’s Natural Resources Commission met with their agency, the Department of Natural Resources, to discuss cougar evidence in the state.
First they heard from Missouri’s Dept. of Conservation on cougar sightings there. Among other things, the Missourian said 90-95% of all mountain lion sightings are false.
I’m sure Michigan’s DNR reps nodded their heads in agreement.
Then came Dave Bostick, Furbearer Specialist for the local DNR. He discussed cougar biology, prey, feeding patterns, history and private ownership.
He also discussed past reports, but no immediate situations which some are asking to at least be looked into.
He did confirm the two instances of cougar DNA in Michigan, hair sample from Menominee County and the Michigan Wildlife Conservancy Scat report.
He also reviewed wolf, winter furbearer and bobcat scent surveys that have never indicated cougar presence.
Nothing in the report we have mentions the cougar killings of people we’ve talked to, people who have lost cattle, sheep and at least one horse.
Since those we know won’t even put DNR in a conversation, let alone go to one of their meetings, I didn’t expect to see their experiences in any report.