Are There Cougars on the Old Mission Peninsula?

Do we have cougars on the Old Mission Peninsula? We know there are bobcats and coyotes and bears, oh my (check out this story and this story), but what about those big cats with the long tails – cougars, a.k.a. mountain lions, pumas or panthers?

An OMPer posted this on Facebook the other day:

“My wife observed what she believes was a cougar crossing Center Road (M-37) just south of the Pelizzari Nature Preserve at approximately 6:20 a.m. It was significantly larger than a dog or coyote, tan in color, and had a long tail. She is confident it was not a dog or coyote. We understand cougar sightings are more common in the Upper Peninsula and rare in the Lower Peninsula, but wanted to report this observation due to the size coloration, tail length and location.”

Tim and I saw a cougar in Leelanau County about ten years ago. We were driving near Cathead Point near Northport, and while it was a little ways ahead of us, we could clearly see that it was a big cat with a long tail slinking across the road.

Of course, I didn’t have my good camera with me, and it disappeared into the forest before I could get even a remedial photo with my phone. Thus, I have no photographic evidence. But there have certainly been cougar sightings reported by other people.

About 25 years ago, I wrote a long, detailed story for the New York Times about the existence of cougars in Michigan. I interviewed experts, DNR staff, and people claiming they’ve seen cougars. Folks sent me photos of cougars in their back yards or on the trail in Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.

My editor worked with me throughout the story as I gathered info, photos and quotes. When I turned the final draft in, he got back to me a few days later and said they decided not to run the story. They paid me what is known as a kill fee — a fee paid to freelancers if a project is killed before it reaches publication.

My editor said when he took it to one of their editorial meetings, the group decided that it was too controversial.

The controversy surrounding cougars in Michigan stems from a long-standing disagreement between residents who report sightings and state officials who have historically been skeptical of a self-sustaining population, claiming the cats had been wiped out in the early 1900s. Some environmental groups believe that small populations of native cougars may have survived in remote areas of Michigan over the past century.

Even though officials now say that cougars exist in Michigan (mostly in the UP, according to this map), the debate continues over whether they are permanent residents or just passing through, perhaps wandering from western states like the Dakotas.

In March of 2025, the DNR confirmed the first sighting of cougar cubs in Michigan in over 100 years — I believe in Ontonagon County — meaning that perhaps we have a breeding population rather than solitary males wandering through. If we do indeed have a resident population, that means the state would need to implement a wildlife management plan for cougars, similar to those for wolves or moose (by the way, I’m almost positive I saw a wolf over near Grayling while driving back from the U.P. a couple years ago).

Cougars are currently listed as an endangered species in Michigan, making it illegal to hunt or harass them.

If there’s a cougar on the Old Mission Peninsula, my first thought is how did it get here? It would either have to come through Traverse City (very possible — has anyone seen a cougar in town?) or perhaps swim here from Leelanau or Antrim County (also possible).

What are your thoughts on this, OMG Readers? Have you seen anything resembling a cougar on the Old Mission Peninsula? Tell us in the comments section below.