There's no denying Michigan's wildlife is making a comeback after a century and a half of hunting and habitat destruction. Big game animals like moose & elk have been reintroduced and have herds established in both peninsulas. The white-tailed deer herd is considered to be larger now than before Michigan became a state. Although some sensitive game species are gone or have a tenuous hold, the wild turkey has been reintroduced and is doing quite well. Many small game species have maintained or increased their numbers.
  Of course, people nowadays have a better appreciation for land management than during our State's early years which has helped the comeback of our forests and forest animals. The increase in previously scarce game animals is great for Michigan hunters and the healthier environment is beneficial for everyone. It sounds like 'it's all good' here in Michigan, right? Whether it's good, bad, or indifferent all depends on what side of the fence you're on.
  My point is this; a healthier environment means more game animals and the combination of a healthier environment and an increase in game animals means an increase in predator animals. Ultimately people are increasing in numbers and range at the same time wildlife is rebounding and re-establishing their old ranges. Consequently human and animal interests are coming into conflict more frequently than they have since before settlement.
  The wilderness that was completely tamed by our pioneer ancestors is rallying its forces and retaking its former territories. Despite the State-sanctioned genocide against the white-tailed deer, Michigan has the highest in deer-car collisions than any other state in the U.S. Large deer herds caused an increase in diseases like chronic wasting disease and bovine TB, but our problems are just beginning. The oversized deer herd is bringing our largest predators back to Michigan.
  If you feel uneasy about encountering a porcupine, skunk, or another more or less harmless animal, then stay downstate. There have always been black bears, coyotes, and, bobcats in Michigan, which is all the better to re-establish and strengthen their numbers. These large predators are mostly harmless if handled properly (don't leave kitchen garbage out for bears, etc.) and are shy enough to be rarely seen. Of course, bears can be dangerous and any wild animal will attack if cornered or threatened.
  Coyotes aren't the same as wolves, they are smaller and normally don't pack together, that is unless you are talking about the coyote/wolf hybrid (called 'coydogs' in Canada), which is larger, more aggressive, hunts in packs, and is too wild to tame (unlike the timber wolf which can be mostly tamed). Michigan's present wolves, which are said to only inhabit the upper peninsula, had hybridized with the coyote about 100 years ago. A little more than half our wolves have some coyote blood. It only stands to reason that the coyotes share some of that wolf blood as well.
  A seasoned outdoorsman might say they've been in the woods all their life and avoiding a moose in rut, or a bear and her cubs, and other common sense defensive actions will keep you safe. This is quite true under normal conditions, but things are far from the norm of 150 years ago, in fact, the balance is still way out of whack. The fact that large predators like bears are increasing their population and their range is an indication of an environment in a state of change.
  Perhaps we can handle the bears, coyotes, and bobcats, but what about a large predator that has a track record of recent human attacks? What about two of them? It has finally been proven that there is a breeding population of mountain lions in both peninsulas and the 50 - 60 packs of wolves in the UP are expanding to the south of the straits! Numerous reports of cougars in the UP, and some in the lower, have been proven by DNA analysis of cougar "scat" (cougar poop). Patrick Rusz, the Michigan Wildlife Habitat Foundation's director of wildlife programs, suspects that the UP is home to 20-30 of the big cats and another 10-15 in the northern Lower Peninsula. No wolves have been officially confirmed in the Lower Peninsula, however, several credible witnesses have reported them south of the straits.
  Black bears are known to den in northern Newaygo and a bear was found dead on US-131, near Big Rapids, just a few years ago, however, it won't be long before reports of cougars and wolves start cropping up in southern counties. There was a recent videotaped sighting of a cougar near Mesick (M37 & M42) and considering that they can travel as much as 40 miles in a single night, they are probably already here. The proof will come from the examination of animal kills, scat, and paw prints.
  Of course, if a wolf or cougar kills livestock, it's like pulling teeth to get the DNR to compensate you, that is if they will even admit your stock was killed by one of these predators. Denial has been the standard procedure employed by the DNR whenever increasing cougar sightings were reported (around 1,000 reports since 1981). Now that wolves are doing so well, the DNR is considering limited hunts to control their numbers. A similar method may be used when the cougars start to cause problems. Keep in mind that, on average, mountain lion attacks happen almost once a year in Canada and the States, and the victims are usually women and children. Coyotes are quite comfortable in developed areas and often take dogs and cats from peoples' yards.
  What all this leads me to believe is that people who frequent the northern woods of Michigan should be informed and prepared. Those who live here year-round should take precautions with their pets and livestock. Organic wastes, especially kitchen wastes, should be properly disposed of to prevent animals from becoming a nuisance. Hunting methods may also have to change to avoid contact with these large and dangerous predators. Comment about this article on the Epress Forum Board .

  Many strange tales have been spun by less than sober hunters during hunting season and this tale is one of the strangest. I was told a story about a huge rabbit, as big as a medium-sized dog, that lives in the deep swamps of Newaygo County. Fast and elusive, this monstrous rodent is rarely seen and quickly disappears in its watery habitat. Having heard this story from a friend who heard it from a character whose story got bigger with every drink, I was rather skeptical. The thought of a drunk hunter stumbling across a 50-pound bunny the size of a German Shepard gave me a pretty good laugh though. "Look out Elmer, Bugs is on the hunt, it's Fudd season!"
  The humor faded when I remembered that on a couple of other occasions, hunters have told me about the big swamp rabbits. I had thought they may have been referring to the snowshoe hare in its brown summer coat. However, hares don't grow much larger than rabbits and most hunters know about them. This prompted me to do some web surfing in the hope that I may at least find some obscure comment logged in some paranormal website.
  A little digging brought up references from the forest service and many other reliable sources. I couldn't believe it was true! There are giant rabbits that inhabit swamps and wetlands! Of course, they don't get to be 50-pounders, the swamp rabbit gets to around 10 pounds, and they get no longer than two feet in length. Perhaps the old beer goggles made that rascal appear a lot bigger. Regardless of its smaller-than-reported size, the swamp rabbit is quite a critter and amazing in its own right..
  Swamp Rabbit (Sylvilagus aquaticus) is the largest member of the cottontail family. Unlike the smaller cottontail, the "swamper" or "cane cutter" is a great swimmer and has webbed feet. They swim with just their nose sticking above the surface and will dive underwater to emerge beneath bushes and root tangles. They run faster and farther than cottontails and can leap a distance of over six feet.
  Well, it would seem like that is our monster bunny if it wasn't for one glaring fact, the swamp rabbit is not known as far north as Michigan. It lives in the bottomland habitats of the Lower Mississippi Valley with the Ohio River as its northern limit. Apparently, the closest swamp rabbit to Newaygo is over 500 miles south of here, that's if you're lucky. Illinois and Indiana have them on their state endangered list and sightings in Ohio are considered "accidental" occurrences from Kentucky.
  If I were to believe what sober hunters have told me, it would leave me with only two possible explanations. First, many people come back and forth to this area from Indiana, the story of the giant swamp rabbit may have traveled with them. I've met many people hunting and fishing that came up from Indiana. It seems likely they shared stories with the local hunters who supposed the swampers were here as well. The other explanation would have to be that there is an unknown breeding population of swamp rabbits this far north. If they can survive winters in the states just south of Michigan, they could survive here. Habitat loss is the main factor causing the decrease in their population in the states they are studied in. The swamps and river flood plains of Newaygo are the perfect environment for them if they were here.
  Living in a swamp myself and regularly hiking through a mile and a half of federal swamp land nearby, I've never seen these giant rabbits. Even though my swamp is 3 or 4 miles from the area of the sighting, it doesn't have quite the same habitat. Our report comes from a river valley near a tributary of the Muskegon. A field study could prove the existence of a local population or a few serious interviews could give weight to the Indiana connection theory. That will be in a future follow-up article. Until then, keep your eyes out for a big bunny around the rivers and swamps. Comment about this article on the Epress Forum Board .