Cougar takes down deer in Michigan's Upper Peninsula
2024 ж. 8 Қаң.
353 154 Рет қаралды
The trail cam footage of the cougar taking down it's prey was captured in Toivola, Michigan in the Upper Peninsula on December 30th 2023. Video provided by Eli Schaefer
Read more: l.mlive.com/Gp4ggJ
I was deer hunting in north Idaho when I was a 15 year old kid. Sitting on a ridge with my back against a big larch tree, I watched a small antlered 3 point whitetail walk into an opening on the hillside below me. I shouldered my rifle to shoot when suddenly a lion came out of nowhere, latched onto his throat like a vise and anchored him right where he stood. Within a minute the buck was dead and the lion dragged him down the hill and disappeared. I was absolutely dumbfounded and spent hours wondering if what I just witnessed was real. I had never seen a lion before and haven’t seen one since but was very fortunate to have watched such an amazing thing happen.
I knew those ads weren't lying! See! There are cougars in my area!
I’m shocked. Cougar’s in Michigan were extirpated years ago.
😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
This happened about 20 miles from where I live and I’ve deer hunted this area many times starting in 1978. I’ve seen cougars in many areas up here as well as wolves. Saw one big cat near the elementary school in South Range, Mi which isn’t very far from Toivola. Not for a cougar, anyway. They can cover huge areas.
just be careful out there
We've had sightings over here in Ontonagon county also S.S.S ....
They are in the lower peninsula also. We saw one at our camp just south of Alpena.
My dad saw them when he was a kid in Newberry. He passed in 2000 He was 99. Yup that long age they were up there
Wow thats a once in a life time capture on film!
@@elainehope6527 I'm sorry,that's not even comparable in this instance...this is 1 guys trail cam capturing a deer kill by a cougar. Not a team of researchers,analysts,who canvass an area with known feedback of wildlife sightings. Set up endless cameras where locals have known sightings etc. Endless money to give photographers opportunities to be in the field for months to get 1 shot. U make it sound like this is an everyday occurrence,when in fact there's alot of time, money,research put into getting that 1 photo or video...
Isn't the story line, "There are no cougars in Michigan"? Must be a house cat!😂
Not a "Breeding" population lol
They usually don’t acknowledge them because they would need to use money from the budget to do studies and research. Easier to say that it’s someone’s pet that got out of
@@blainesturtevant so funny that they say this. It's obvious that a hundred cats or more just wandered over from the Rockies.
Yes just ask the mdnr. Oh and wolves don't eat deer either according to them.
Those S.O.B.s usually deny everything... Here's one for you - Here in Ohio, the O.D.N.R. has actually acknowledged the existence of what's called "Ohio Grass Man" here... Aka Sasquatch. Finally, after thousands of people have reported strange activity, or have seen one or more of them running around. Which also reminds me of Florida and their famous "non-existent" Black Panthers. About 25 years ago, my band was touring around the coast of Florida. One show after Fort Lauderdale was directly across the state, so we decided to head west through the Big Swamp... My drummer was driving our bus and as he rounded a curve, he saw what looked like a giant, dead black cat lying at the side of the road. So he went about a half mile more to where he could turn the bus around and we went back to look at this dead cat. Just as we stopped and got out of the bus, a Florida Fish and Game truck came around the bend and stopped. The Warden questioned us about if we ran it over for nearly a half hour. Finally, he accepted that we had just SEEN it there, dead already and had turned around to take a closer look. He asked us to move along and TOLD us that we weren't to mention the scene to anyone 🙄
Cool nature at its finest.
This isn't news to most Michiganders that know the woods here. 😸
I’ve seen one on the seney stretch, just a year ago. “They’re not up here”
Thank you for sharing this with us Eli!!!
There has been cougars up here for along time I watched one chase down a doe in Newberry area that was 12 yrs ago
Dear folks over twenty years ago my friends and I all were witnesses to a cougar and a babie near Douglas lake in Cheboygan Mi.
Well guess what I live in Indiana but have lake property in southern Michigan near Indiana border. We have seen cougars on more than one occasion down here. Wishing there were many more.
@@wendyhanberg8733 WHY are you WISHING for SoOoOoo MANY MORE??
Do you realize that HUMANS have decimated these animals in so many states and that’s just plain not right!!! Those big cats have been part of this countries landscape way before humans started to destroy the forests and DESERVE to be here. It seems like some humans have absolutely no respect whatsoever for wildlife and that’s how animals go extinct.
@wendyhanberg8733 you must not know much about these big cats. As a resident in the area you are speaking about. No we don't want them
Actually I do know a lot about those cats. The fact that you don’t want them there is completely selfish and stems from ignorance regarding these beautiful creatures. Do you realize that they these animals could become extinct very easily? Sadly, people like you have no idea of the consequences of extinction. Oh and yes I do live in an area where they have been spotted. Humans are more of a danger than any animal is.
Obviously a male cat wandering through the UP since our AMAZING DNR are certain that there are no female cougars and no breeding population in the UP....rrrriiiiigggghhhttt
Lololol
I wonder why there are not more cougars then there are. With all the deer eat, you would think they were everywhere.
Highways, suburbs, and ranchers, that’s why.
I spotted a cougar this summer at our camp property, then got it on trail cam a month later. 5 wolves, 1 cat, 3 deer. Sheesh.
Sheeesh
uffda
Cougars are considered native to Michigan but the state's population was essentially killed off by the early 20th century. The last legal wild cougar kill was taken in 1906 in Newberry. According to the DNR, there have been two illegal kills in the Upper Peninsula since 2008.Jun 1, 2023
I found cougar prints in gladwin in 2021. Theyre everywhere you arent looking
I was camping near Fox River east... someone I went with saw one leap across the road. We later ran into a DNR officer, yeah they'll admit it in person but for the mass public... "nothing to see here". Lol yeah, they've been up there forever. Check out the displays at pictured rocks :)
Has DNR admitted the state has cougars after another video. When I called in 09 about a cougar in Mecosta County I was told there aren't cougar in Michigan.
If the DNR admits to having cougars, they have to manage them. That just isn't in their budget. So it's easier and cheaper to just deny the existence of cougars.
@@jk-kr8jt less work for the lazy butts
Does your state biologists deny there's mountain lions like here in Oklahoma? Our deer numbers are way down and we've seen at least 4 different cats and have them on trail cameras but there's no mountain lion here...😅
They only recently (last couple years) publicly recognize cougar populations. And this is after years of trail cam evidence.
That's exactly what happens
Nope, they acknowledge they're here. In fact, I know a guy whose pet mountain lion escaped from him. That was before the exotic animal laws... In fact, he might be the reason for it lmao
@@zbruh7268 Well it took an extremely long time for them to acknowledge it at least
@@benderidder2091 back in 2009 they called him every other month because they kept having sightings. He had to go or face a felony lol.
😊there are cats in the Land o Lakes area of Wisconsin and i had a doe that showed up before gun seaseon with a chunk missing out of her back and her hind quarter had claw and bite marks. She made it for 9 days before dippin of my trail cam where i hunt. Not a car hit, not a bear...was told by 2 separate local hunters that it was a cat hit
Could very well have been a cougar, but it doesn't sound like the way a cougar kills. May very well have been a young cat learning it's skills or was taken down by a female allowing her cubs to have a go at it.
that sounds more like a coyote or wolf attack if anything. cougars go for the neck, not hindquarters.
@@agathar7115 coyotes, depending on the deer, bite from underneath. Cougars go for the head or neck, usually the brain. Wolves and bears, anywhere they can get.
Nature as it should be
Ive read the feasibility study the Feds gave to some of the people who lived off hwy 13 , near the island lakes area that was titled " feasibility study of the reintroduction of cougars in the Island lake wilderness area" in the mid 90s...
I've seen two cougars off the rapid river truck trail
Am happy that there are cougars in the UP, I thought there was only a bunch of old ladies.
Beautiful wildlife having good luck getting groceries.
Neighbors saw one north of Cadillac 8-9 years ago
Home range of cougars was everywhere in the Americas and still is where they are not wiped out by humans.
What's your point? Are we supposed to cede territory to Mountain Lions now?
@@bobmoe9221 I was stating a fact. It is up to you!
We have cougars in the upper peninsula?
i bet theyre baitin the herbivores to these trail camers with feed. smh
I live in republic off of M95 I have had 2 on my trail cams
I've asked Conservation Officers about big cats in Michigan. Off the record, they are very aware the cats are in Michigan, but deny because then they have develop litigation/funding.
I think these cats are being forced out of their habitats by encroaching development and they'll simply move wherever a food source exists. They are very comfortable in the UP forests and the cold winters don't bother them.
Did the cougar report its harvest?
No cell service in that area
They are in the lower as well. In 2009 we were traveling north on m-22 near the Manitou restaurant when one ran across across the road in front of us. It came from a house and only one bound in the road and it was gone.
No they aren't, and wolves don't eat deer. Just ask the mdnr
Cashier at Roy's in TC showed me trail cam videos from his property near Lake Leelanau of cougars, I definitely believe they are here like you have said.
Mountain lions/cougars can have huge territories. You might see the same cat 100 miles from where it was last spotted. Between these big cats and the wolves and hunters taking small bucks or more than 1 each it’s no wonder deer hunting sucks up here anymore. It’s cheaper to buy meat from the grocery store these days.
They've also been picked up below the bridge on those cameras that hunters attach to trees
My friend got pics of one from her tree stand in Lowell Michigan
Our #1 top predator in America and we have no idea the extent of the range and what states hold breeding populations. Shows how little we know about our wildlife.
The DNR KNOWS. They just don't want US to know.
What county
@@shawnduncan7846County not country
If this cougar was born in Michigan then shouldn’t be on the in danger list here in Michigan and illegal to kill it ?
What county is this
I saw one 2 months ago in Oakland County.
Near Toivola
We hunt in Autrin, Michigan. We've seen the wolves and have only heard the cougars screaming in the morning walking to our blinds. That makes the hair on your neck stand up.
is the deer ok?
Cougars are all over the dating sites also.
and there are still people who insist we don’t have them here 🙄
Where in the UP?
Toivola
@wwisaacson4807 that's not far from my land. I have 40 acres in mass city. When was this video takin?
There has been many sighting in southern Wisconsin and northern Illinois. If I remember correctly, they caught one Chicago!
At Misery Bay a black cougar ran in front of my car. Very close!
Did it have a permit...?
Every year I put about 40 miles on quad in luce County around the two hearted River mouth area. I see wolf tracks in sand every year for past 5 years. Haven't seen cougar yet
I live in Bessemer michigan haven't been allowed to hunt a doe in the 7 yrs I have been here even though the majority of what I see is does seen 3 bucks in that time been seeing stuff about big cats in up
Incredible.
That deer ain’t gonna be in rush hour three. Homie was reppin the wrong colors that day.
I live near Menomonie/Marinette and almost hit a cougar with my car. I had no clue they were in this area until then.
A guy a few years ago put a cam behind his trailer next to the paper mill in marinette, between the river and hall ave because he thought a big cat was there.He got pics of a cat in marinette. Very rare and just moving through. When the 141/64 overpass was being constructed ,one of my co workers seen one on his way up to the job. Seen in Lena. Peshtigo times ran 2 different pics of the same cat 3 days later w of middle inlet, moonshine hill road.
@@getitgotitgreat8667 lol
Where in UP we been seeing one in 49783 too
About 5 years ago we left legs inn restaraunt north petosky heading east to i 75.saw one cross road 50 yards in font car with 4 people in our car.
Leggs Inn that was a Polish Cougarski
Is there video just prior to the attack? This video starts with the deer already felled by the cat.
Well living in the upper peninsula I can tell you they are here. And the Dnr will tell you different. This is a very clear video be interesting to see what they say about this.
That’s pretty metal
That's There Job. I'm sure there are little ones In The Spring,!!👍❤️🍀😎
Best to stay armed when wandering the woods alone. Love nature, but no kitty is gonna make me lunch lol
Not just alone but any time. Not just cats but bear sows with cubs are way more dangerous than lone bears. And wolves, though mostly nocturnal hunters, will kill just for the practice.
wolves have directly killed exactly 0 people in the past century in North America. there were 2 deaths in Alaska in the 1900s from a rabid wolf bite that wasn’t treated. that’s it. wolves and cougars dont hunt humans under normal circumstances. you should be more concerned about moose more than any predator.
@@agathar7115 I'll respectfully disagree Agatha. First it is not true that there were no deaths in the past century (1900 - 2000). I found 9 events though most were in Canada and Alaska. One documented kill was as close as Forest Lake Minnesota. That was a captive "pet" wolf that killed the 3 year old girl so even with attempted domestication they don't stray too far from their personality. Second, have you ever been on a nice quiet walk in the woods and accidentally booted bears from a day den? They were 15 feet away, 2 sows and three cubs. Two cubs went opposite directions and the third went up a tree. Mamas were not happy. They came a little closer, squared off huffing at us. Just a little unsettling. Since I do know that black bear are generally not aggressive unless threatened, I just stood my ground, kept half an eye on the bear and tried to figure out what I would do if it suddenly went sideways. Thankfully one of the cubs returned, the one in the tree came down and they all went off in the direction of that other cub. Yes, there was a sigh of relief and no, I did not require a change of undergarments. Last, and this is wolves. Have you ever sat on a shoreline by a small fire watching your ice fishing tipups in the evening. Ever looked around into the darkness and seen at least five wolves circling you just barely at the edge of the light your little fire throws, eyes glowing? I'm not afraid of one dog. I can still do that unarmed. Maybe on a real good day I could get two but I'm not 26 any more. Now there is a sidearm at my side every time I walk the woods and one in my day pack when I stay into the dark to fish. Always. I'd rather be prepared and never need it than be unprepared. Might not live to regret that. It's easy for folks to sit in their cozy homes, watching Nat Geo and thinking how cute all these animals are. Real life ain't TV and if you're going to play in their world you'd best be mindful of what could happen.
@@michaelotto8696 you should write a book. You have a gift. I could visualize everything you wrote about. I was captivated😍
@@michaelotto8696 .1]
And life go's on
There's a population in the upper peninsula and there likely is one in the lower as well although not as prominent.
There's more in the lower mid section than people think.
No doubt they are there. Probably not many but they are there. Not enough to have impact on deer population in my opinion but the wolves definitely are.
DNR will still tell you there aren't any mountain lions in the UP
Just as they keep saying, its not the wolves and other predators that are responsible for the disaster of a deer population in the u.p.
@davidmorse2149 woah wolves eat!? That's crazy. Also domestic dogs kill more livestock each year than wolves.
oh the poor deer..... I'm pretty sure cars/humans kill more deer than predators.
@@davidmorse2149 I was being sarcastic my friend
@@davidmorse2149 I feel the same way
@@davidmorse2149 I actually miss the days of no internet, when I rode my bike and drove my old beat up car to meet up with people and find out what was happening.
I've seen them on M-117
Yes I go to the ( TRIANGLE RESTAURANT) Between 117 and 77 on M-28. Any Pantry's around or smoke fish?
Yeah, that's just a house cat. It's the camera angle playing tricks...
🤣🤣🤣 that's funny. Spoken like a true MDNR official.
Mio has them as well
I have spotted em near Luling, TX, San Antonio, TX, and Liberal, KS as well
At least Texas Parks and Wildlife doesn't deny the presence of cougars. There is a large population in the Big Bend region of west Texas. One was spotted near Castroville, TX near San Antonio. They are definitely migrating.
Can they be hunted?
No, thankfully
Since the DNR says they don't exist, I think it's up to you to decide.
That title could be misleading. I was expecting a firearm to be involved.
Sweet! You are lucky.
Ain't no bobcat 😮
We've got panthers in Florida and a lot of "cougars"
Wow!
We have cougars in Michigan? Yikes!!!
Yes! The woods in the U.P. are so thick it's difficult to see through,let alone walk through. Perfect for cougar and bear and deer, elk, moose and wolves. And Mining companies. Enjoy your forests, because once they take hold, they'll be gone.
Stop, the mining companies are better stewards of the land than the general public is!
@@GottaWannaDance Cougar’s in Michigan were extirpated years ago. I’m shocked.
DNR in Michigan did you see the alien 👽 in the news: nothing to see over here
Ya, they are at the bars on Friday night watching what guy cashes the biggest check😂
That's why I don't go in the Woods 😅
You would probably actually be fine. Most of these cats, cougars, bobcats, lynx and even feral cats are more afraid of you then you are of them. I also tell my husband that about rattlesnakes (he doesn’t believe me and chooses to stay out of the woods). I will never stay out of it.
Carried that deer like it was one of those long Slim -Jim's and a Slurpee you get at the 7-11
I don't like seeing any animal being killed.
The deer number are down here in Michigan
Not where I'm at, Washtenaw County. So bad, I'm seeing dead deers on the side of major, heavily populated roads, even downtown Ann Arbor roads. I drive Doordash, and if I'm out late at night lately, I've narrowly missed hitting several. They are all over.
All over in the lower. But the UP has less densely packed farm land.
Deer herd in Manistee National forest is in the toilet. The worst I've seen in 40 years. Nobody even hunts this area much anymore.
Was it a full grown deer? Hard to see
I saw a bunch in a club in Chicago, they looked hungry and were super aggressive.
I married one but she was from the lower Peninsula. She killed deer before , bear too!
Omg amazing
WoW!😮
But I thought there weren’t any cougars up here?
Cougars in Michigan were Extirpated years ago. Seeing one in the state shocks me.
@@phillipsmom6252they've been here I'd argue. Soon as someone got trailcams in the EUP we started seeing them. So I'd imagine they've been crossing the lakes. Definitely are alot more now though. A few people have even gone missing but hard to tell if it's cats.
I was being sarcastic
My dad told me that he spotted a cougar near Republic in 1983.
@phillipsmom6252 Yes they are here! I seen one 2months ago running across the street at lightning speed jumped a huge fence & went into the woods. It was very smart waited for all the traffic to clear. I called DNR they could care less wanted me to go on their website & fill out pages of documentation & submit pictures. I was driving & it was running too fast to get a picture & it was big.
i"ve seen a black bear and a cougar within 20 miles of cape cod MA. people don't want to believe me but I don't blame them. its like a tan shadow. i only saw because it was jumping out of a tree and it was unmistakable. gladly both seemed like they were trying to do nothing but run away as fast as they could. we aren't on the menu.
Why is this news worthy?
Too bad we don't have cougars up there. Just ask the dnr
We got them in Ohio too !
Wow
WOW
Must be the Canadian wild fires drove em' down !!
Someone has to say it, poor Bambi, can't that mean old kitty cat eat a carrot instead!
That's cool got too feed babys
North Americas last large cats…
Imagine seeing a good size buck on your trail camera then next thing you know, a cougar comes out of nowhere and crushes your hopes and dreams
I think this is much cooler to see than harvesting a buck
Made short work of Bambi that's for sure.
Someone should notify D.N.R. Cougars are not native to Michigan they usually reside in More Southern states like California Montana etc
Cali is WEST...
Mountain Lions are/were native too Michigan. It is thought that they were killed of in the state by 1908.
Sorry about the spelling mistakes. Stupid spell check. 🙄
Amazing attack
I had one come past a game cam on my land 20 miles west of Menominee river boardering Of Yooper territory.on Aug 15, 2023
NATURE YOU SCARY!!!