A Michigan Passport is required for entry to the park and may be purchased there. Keep in mind during hunting season to be aware of hunters in the area. Hunting is allowed from September 15 until April 1st each year.
Felis concolor
Cougar
Key Characteristics
The cougar is a large tan cat averaging 6.5 feet (2 m) (females) to 7.5 feet (2.3 m) (males) in length with a long tail (one third its body length), often held low with the tip curved upward. Tracks are rounded and are 3 to 3.5 inches (7.6 - 8.9 cm) in length and width, with a forwardly raised, flat, three-lobed heal pad which is abruptly squared off in the front. Unlike canids (dogs), all felid (cat) tracks generally have no claw marks.
Habitat
Cougars historically inhabited nearly every major habitat in the state, but they preferred forested or semi-forested landscapes near streams and rivers with minimal human impacts. A great deal of controversy surrounds the status of cougars in Michigan, though native wild, reproducing populations are known from northern Minnesota and parts of Canada. The Upper Peninsula would likely provide similarly suitable habitat conditions and prey base, and would be a logical location to survey for this species.