First cougar cubs verified in Michigan in more than a century

For the first time in more than 100 years, cougar cubs have been discovered living in the Michigan wild.

State biologists on Wednesday confirmed the existence of two cougar cubs on private land in Ontonagon County in the western Upper Peninsula. The spotted cubs, believed to be 7 to 9 weeks old, were verified from photographic evidence of the cubs taken March 6 by a local resident.

This is the first time cougar cubs have been verified since the big cats were hunted out of existence in Michigan in the early 1900s, said Brian Roell, large carnivore specialist for the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Roell, a wildlife biologist for 26 years, led the team that verified the cubs.

“It’s pretty exciting, considering this could be the first known cougar reproduction in modern times in the western Great Lakes states,” said Roell, referring to Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota. “It really shows that we have a unique place in Michigan where someone has a chance to see a wolf, a moose and a cougar in the wild. It’s something that should be celebrated, that we have the habitat to support an elusive animal like this.” Read more

Wildlife

2025 State of the Birds Report Reveals Alarming Decline of Bird Populations in Almost Every Habitat

Washington D.C. – Thursday, the North American Bird Conservation Initiative (NABCI) published the 2025 State of Birds Report during the 90th annual North American Wildlife and Natural Resources Conference in Louisville, Kentucky. Key findings in the new report shows that more than one-third of U.S. bird species are of high or moderate conservation concern, including 112 Tipping Point species that have lost more than 50% of their populations in the last 50 years.

The report also reveals that bird populations in almost every habitat are declining. Most notably, duck populations, which have been a bright spot in past State of the Birds reports, have trended downward in recent years. Despite the concerning trends, the report emphasizes that conservation efforts can succeed when adequately supported. Read more

Wildlife

DNR’s Muskegon River walleye egg collection starting soon

Fishing the Muskegon River this spring? Be on the lookout for Michigan Department of Natural Resources personnel collecting walleye eggs below Croton Dam. Egg collections with electrofishing boats will start as early as the week of March 24 and conclude by April 12.

Four days of egg collections are planned this spring. The date those collections will begin depends on water temperatures and the presence of ripe fish (fish that are ready to spawn), and the schedule may change based on conditions.

The egg-take zone runs from Croton Dam downstream to the Pine Street Access Site, so anglers who wish to avoid the walleye collection activities should fish downstream from the Pine Street Access Site. Anyone fishing near the egg-collection zone should use caution when fishing near the electrofishing boats. For safety, anyone wading will be asked to exit the water when electrofishing boats approach.

Electrofishing usually begins at Croton Dam each day at 8 a.m. and proceeds downstream to the Pine Street Access Site. If more eggs are needed, additional collections may occur downstream to the Thornapple Avenue (High Rollway) Access Site. Read more

Fishing

SK Custom’s Introduces The Lost State of Montezuma, Honoring James Gadsden

SK Guns® is proud to announce the next installment of its “Lost States of America” Series. The fourth edition will feature imagery of James Gadsden and the proposal for the state of Montezuma, which now makes up the southern regions of Arizona and New Mexico. This tribute to Gadsden and Montezuma will be a limited-production run of only 200 Colt 1911 Full-Size Government Models, chambered in .45 ACP.

The “Lost State of Montezuma” is derived from a territorial purchase that led to a failed proposal to create a U.S. state. This idea emerged during the mid-19th century during a period marked by territorial expansion and debates over the organization of newly acquired lands.

James Gadsden played a significant role in this era of American expansion. Born May 15, 1788 in Charleston, South Carolina, Gadsden was most notably a soldier, diplomat and railroad executive. Gadsden is best known for negotiating the Gadsden Purchase in 1853, wherein the United States acquired approximately 30,000 square miles of territory from Mexico. This land was intended to facilitate a southern transcontinental railroad and now forms the southernmost regions of Arizona and New Mexico. Read more

Firearms

North Dakota Elk, Moose, Bighorn Sheep Applications Online

Watch the lottery preview webcast with wildlife chief Casey Anderson.

Elk, moose and bighorn sheep applications are available online at the North Dakota Game and Fish Department’s website, gf.nd.gov. The application deadline is March 26.

A total of 960 elk licenses are available to hunters this fall, an increase of 127 from last year.

Unit E7 was created after discussions with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, landowners and hunters to manage a growing elk herd in and surrounding the J. Clark Salyer National Wildlife Refuge. Nontoxic ammunition is required while hunting on the refuge. General lottery license holders from E7 will be able to hunt in unit E1W beginning Nov. 24.

Licenses in units E2 and E3 increased due to a stable to increasing elk population. Licenses in elk units E1W, E4 and E6 remain the same. Licenses in unit E1E will have the same number of any licenses but fewer antlerless licenses than 2024.

A total of 296 moose licenses are available, an increase of 54 from last year. Read more

Hunting

Puerto Rico Lawsuit Against SIG Dismissed

United States District Court for Puerto Rico has dismissed Berrios v. Sig Sauer. Police officer Elvis Ramon Green Berrios claimed his P320 service weapon discharged without the trigger being pulled. Mr. Berrios voluntarily withdrew his suit after “admitting in court that his P320 pistol has no defects and does not discharge without a trigger pull.” For three years, SIG says it “has vigorously defended the safety, quality and dependability of their P320 pistol” continuing that Berrios’ admission came after “scientific evidence showing that the P320 cannot fire without a trigger pull and contains no manufacturing defects.” This suit is the eighteenth time SIG has successfully defended the P320 in court.

Firearms, Gun Control

Federal’s All-New Master Class Sporting Clay Shotshell Now Shipping

Federal Ammunition recently launched an all-new shotshell product line: Federal Master Class. This competition-level sporting clay load features a customized Podium wad that extracts peak performance from utilizing Federal’s straight-wall hull, reliable primers, high-antimony lead shot, and select propellant. Federal Master Class loads are currently being delivered to retailers nationwide.

Master Class | Federal Ammunition

“Master Class gives shooters competitively priced loads with top-quality internal components needed to break the most challenging targets in sporting clays and FITASC,” said Federal’s Shotshell Product Line Manager Josh Vickers. “From the unique and attractive blue hull to a new shot sorting process utilized in its loading, this new product line is built to exceed the expectations of all Sporting Clay shooters.”

Master Class features two top-tier components, a one-piece Podium wad and high-antimony lead shot that balances hardness and density. It’s constructed with a straight-wall hull, inserted plastic base wad and striated tube for optimum performance. Read more

Ammunition

Outdoor Edge Introduces New RAZOR HTX Replaceable Blade Knives

DENVER – Outdoor enthusiasts and hunting aficionados, get ready to elevate your outdoor experience. Outdoor Edge has unveiled its latest innovation in multi-functional knives with the RAZOR HTXä line of folding and fixed-blade knives. With an impressive array of blade assortments and new SawSafeä feature, this new collection is designed to enhance its beloved legacy models of RAZOR hunting knives. Whether you are skinning game or tackling tasks around the camp, RAZOR HTX knives promise versatility and reliability like never before

The RAZOR HTX collection includes three folding and two fixed blade knives, each equipped with an assortment of six blades tailored for different hunting applications, a replaceable wood/bone saw, a blade storage pod, and a blade holder micro clean-out tool. All knives also feature the new cutting-edge SawSafeÔ technology. This is an added security device integrated into the blade locking mechanism that provides reinforcement during the push and pull of the saw blade and ensures that you can tackle tough tasks.

The folding knives are available in 3.0”, 3.5”, and 5.0” blade lengths and feature a sturdy steel frame construction, ensuring durability during demanding outdoor tasks. The rubberized TPR scales provide an excellent grip, making it easier to handle even in challenging conditions. The inclusion of a pocket clip on the 3.0” and 3.5” models enhances portability, making carrying the RAZOR HTX folders effortless wherever your adventures take you.

The RAZOR HTX fixed blades are available in two sizes, a 3.0” and a 3.5, and come standard with a durable drop-point compatible sheath to ensure safe transport. Read more

Cutlery

DNR reports Washtenaw County’s first CWD-positive wild deer

March 12, 2025

Washtenaw is now the 15th Michigan county where chronic wasting disease has been identified in the wild deer population, according to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. An adult buck found acting ill in Salem Township recently tested positive for CWD.

The Michigan State University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, which works with the DNR to identify CWD in Michigan’s wild deer herd, confirmed the CWD finding. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Veterinary Services Laboratory, in Ames, Iowa, also confirmed the test result.

CWD is a fatal neurological disease that affects white-tailed deer, elk and moose. The disease is chronic, slow developing, and spreads slowly across the landscape. To date, CWD has also been detected in wild deer in the following Michigan counties: Clinton, Dickinson, Eaton, Gratiot, Hillsdale, Ingham, Ionia, Isabella, Jackson, Kent, Mecosta, Midland, Montcalm and Ogemaw.

Prior to focused CWD surveillance in Washtenaw County, voluntary sampling between 2016 and 2019 resulted in 824 deer tested. In 2021 and 2022, focused CWD surveillance efforts were conducted to gather additional samples, and 875 more deer were tested. While this is the first positive in Washtenaw County, 39 deer in neighboring Jackson County have tested positive for CWD, through combined DNR collections and direct hunter submissions to the MSU Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory.

“The expansion of chronic wasting disease to Washtenaw County is consistent with the slow spread we’ve seen throughout Michigan,” said Chad Fedewa, acting DNR deer, elk and moose management specialist. “This case was identified thanks to a resident who saw a deer that appeared ill and reported it to us. Every piece of data is valuable in helping us make science-based decisions to support Michigan’s wildlife. We are grateful that Michigan residents value deer and stay engaged in this way.” Read more

Wildlife

Big Nest Boxes for Owls, Kestrels, & Ducks

Who wouldn’t enjoy seeing young Eastern Screech Owls peering out of the entrance to a nest box they provided (photo by Judy Fairchild).
A male American Kestrel surveys the area outside a big nest box that a pair has adopted for the nesting season. Big nest boxes supplement the lack of safe, natural nesting cavities and help to reduce competition for nest sites.
A female Wood Duck perches atop a big nest box during an incubation break. You can position a big nest box for ducks near a wetland, or in the midst of a marsh.

For another level of birding fun, consider adding a big nest box to your property, or to a nearby park or nature center – with permission of course. Big nest boxes provide additional, safer nesting locations for large cavity nesting birds, including such impressive birds as Screech Owls, American Kestrels, Wood Ducks, and Hooded Mergansers. Large natural cavities suitable for these nesting birds are in especially short supply, and we can provide safer nesting options for larger cavity nesting birds by providing Big Nest Boxes with all the right features.

The larger cavity nesting birds – owls, kestrels, and ducks – primarily rely on large natural holes in tree trunks and large cavities in branches, but these are not always safe from predators like raccoons, large snakes, and tree squirrels. Large woodpecker cavities can be used by small owls and kestrels, but ducks can only use larger natural cavities that have a bigger entrance hole. Read more

Wildlife
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