Re(2): Michigan Confirmations IP: 50.241.112.193 Posted on December 19, 2013 at 01:06:53 AM by weather01089
To answer the expected response from grasshopper that this study was found to be "invalid", the grounds for challenging this were that they didn't filter domestic cat from cougar scat, and some other picky silly points like assuming there is a population. Well the participants have indicated they only collected scat in remote areas that was at least 1.5 inches long. Not likely someone's house cat went way out and pooped 10 miles from nowhere, and that is certainly too big for a domestic cat. After considerable public outcry about this "invalidation" of the above conclusion, the Michigan DNR went out and collected scat by the methods more suitable to the critics. 83% of the samples collected were DNA verified to be cougar. Based on location, scat size, and other parameters, they estimated about 20 individual cougars presence were found. The critics also stated they made assumptions based on the fact that there was a population in Michigan, not a transient or two. Well, the evidence now shows there IS a population of cougars in Michigan. A decent number. And like the Northeast, people don't see them very often, and it was hard to find the evidence until the Michigan Wildlife Conservancy stepped in. The study I quoted above has again now been vindicated after the attack by the ones denying the presence of cougars in Michigan. Sound like what's going on here in the Northeast yet?