“Based on documented evidence, cougars observed in Michigan could be escaped or released pets. Or, they could be transient or dispersing cougars from the nearest known breeding populations in North and South Dakota,” stated the DNR on its website. “These populations are over 900 miles from Michigan.”

This 60 second clip contains footage from a trail cam that was setup by hunters from Remus who discovered a deer kill site. The footage revealed a male cougar who repeatedly returned to the site to consume the deer. The footage was verified and confirmed by DNR Wildlife Division staff. The Michigan DNR has now confirmed nearly 30 UP cougar sightings.

Website – http://www.michigan.gov/dnr
Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/midnr
Twitter – http://www.twitter.com/michigandnr

LINCOLN – A record 146 bald eagle nests were surveyed in 2014 by the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission and its partners, with 111 of the nests being active.

Bald eagles were on federal and state endangered species lists as late as 2007 and 2008, respectively. In less than a quarter century the species has gone from a nonexistent breeding species in the state to one that is relatively numerous, according to Joel Jorgensen, Game and Parks’ nongame bird program manager.

In the early 1980s, when federal recovery plans were written to save populations in the lower 48 states, the recovery goal for Nebraska was set at 10 breeding pairs. In 1991, Nebraska recorded its first active and successful bald eagle nest in approximately a century. In 2007, the number of nests had grown to 54 active nests. In 2014, there were 111 active nests. Read more

Beat cabin fever and help wildlife by tackling habitat improvement projects this winter.

Late winter is the best time to pursue many wildlife habitat projects. The ground is often dry or frozen, the timing prevents conflicts with nesting wildlife in spring, and managing wooded and shrubby areas is easier to do before leaves emerge and sap flows.

Some winter habitat management suggestions follow. Read more

The Quality Deer Management Association (QDMA) will award deserving students with scholarships to attend a Deer Steward course in 2015.

Applications will be accepted from high school juniors and seniors or college students who are interested in a career in wildlife management. For each of the in-person Deer Steward Certification Courses offered this year, QDMA will present at least one student with a scholarship to attend free-of-charge.

QDMA’s individual Certification Program includes three levels of potential achievement: Deer Steward I, II, and III. Level I provides students with a comprehensive understanding of the four cornerstones of QDM: herd management, habitat management, hunter management, and herd monitoring. Level II focuses on the application of these principles through hands-on field experience. Level III must be earned through an individual’s long-term service to QDMA and/or the white-tailed deer. Courses must be taken in succession. Read more

The U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance Foundation has filed an appeal of the ruling handed down by U.S. District Court Judge Beryl A. Howell on Dec. 20 concerning management of gray wolves in the western Great Lakes area.

The Feb. 13 notice of appeal seeks to overturn the ruling that forced the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to return a population of wolves found in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan to the protections afforded by the Endangered Species Act – with ramifications that affect the entire scope of managing the apex predator. The decision stemmed from a lawsuit brought by Humane Society of the United States; Born Free, USA; Help Our Wolves Live; and Friends of Animals and Their Environment. Read more

Population survey shows a 31 percent increase in the population

The Mexican Wolf Interagency Field Team (IFT) has completed its annual year-end population survey for endangered Mexican wolves and documented a minimum of 109 animals in the wild in Arizona and New Mexico at the end of 2014. This is a 31 percent increase over the previous year and the fourth consecutive year with at least a 10 percent increase in the known population. There were a minimum of 83 wild wolves identified in the 2013 survey.

“In 1982, the Mexican wolf recovery team recommended a population of at least 100 animals in the wild as a hedge against extinction; until we initiated the first releases in 1998, there had been no Mexican wolves in the wild in the United States since the 1970s,” said Southwest Regional Director Benjamin Tuggle. “Although there is still much to be done, reaching this milestone is monumental!”

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“This survey demonstrates a major accomplishment in Mexican wolf recovery. In 2010, there were 50 Mexican wolves in the wild; today there are 109, a more than doubling of the population in Arizona and New Mexico. With our Mexican wolf population consisting of wild-born wolves, we expect the growth rates observed this year to continue into the future. In spite of considerable naysaying, our 10(j) program has been a success because of on-the-ground partnerships. We have every reason to believe that our efforts at reintroduction will continue to be successful,” said Arizona Game and Fish Director Larry Voyles. Read more