Iosco County, Michigan - Cougar sighting.
Reported Sat, Nov 14, 2009 at 7:27 AM
to www.savethecougar.org
Date of Observation: June 13 2009
Time: 7:11 a.m.
County: Iosco
Location Description: Runway Road. A short road leading to a small neighborhood that is flanked by forest behind it. It intersects with US 23.
Sighting Description:
On the morning of June 13 2009, my husband and I decided to go out for breakfast. It was approximately 7:02 a.m when we left the house, this I know as fact because I looked deliberately at the clock questioning if the restaurant was even open yet. My husband assured me it was and we got in the car and drove toward our destination, - E. Tawas, MI. About 4.5 miles from our home the speed limit slows down to 45 miles per hour. We were not moving that fast. There was very little traffic at this time. As we passed Runway Road, I glanced to the east and there it was! Runway is a short road. At its end, there stood the cougar. It was tannish colored but dark tan. It was just standing there, beneath a tall tree, yet it was sort of pacing a bit, with it's front feet, but the back of the animal was more or less stationary. Almost indecisive. It appeared tall, taller than I thought cougars were and to me, it seemed slender. The one thing I made a point to notice was the tail. It was so long! It curved up at the tip. It held an open stance and I could see the tail between the space of the back legs. The tail was at least as thick as the bottom part of its legs. It almost looked like it had five legs! I was so taken by surprise I could barely speak! Finally, I whispered to by husband who was driving, "I just saw a cougar". He did not turn around , he should have, but continued on toward breakfast. Well, when you experience a sighting like this, people are skeptical. Finally, I was rewarded. In one of our local newspapers, the Oscoda Press, Wednesday Oct. 28 2009,(section B page 3) a man, living aproximately two miles north of where I saw the cougar reported his own sighting. On the night of October 9th, 10:30 p.m., he pulled into his driveway and a cougar leaped in front of his headlights. It had been raining, and the soil was soft and damp. The next morning he took pictures of the prints. This is real!!! It was a privilege and a honor to have witnessed this remarkable animal. IF you would like to see this article and a great photo of a cougar footprint, you may obtain a copy at this address The Oscoda Press 311 State Street PO Bx 663 Oscoda MI 48750 (989)739 2054
