Drummond Island

[S.R.Patch]

Thought you'd fallen off the map...
I got Steve, Marshall and Bud... Reddog, ChuckR and J. Campbell already up there. They should hav'um stirred up pretty good already...
I'll be listening for that 12 hound pack again...see ya'll soon.

[ROCKYTOP]

I enjoyed the poem, buck. fellows i ran a lot with the two dogs buck mentioned and when you tangled with those two, your dogs had better be in shape, no matter where you were running. crowder was probably the best dog buck ever owned and he kept him until he departed this earth, mighty mite was owned by mr. steve allen. the godfather of topith road, since passed on. i think he sold mighty just before he died. oh the memories of these two. dogs like that are hard to find.

[S.R.Patch]

Foul weather took it's toll on the hunt this year , rain and a constant gale force of wind ushered us on our way home.
The fellowship with good friends is always the case when reuniting on the Rock, no matter how kind or climatic the weather may be...
There's always something new to see or learn while hunting the wood, the luxury some put into their deer huts, one we found complete with heater, radio and even a recliner, definitely an all day hunter I assumed...
Enjoyed a number of days with Reddog and Bud, wondering the trails and searching the wood for hounds(another story). Reddog pointed out the numbers of beech trees with scars on the bark, left from the bear climbing up to eat the beech nut before the shell had time to harden.
One beaver swamp proved overwhelmingly entertaining this year, which brings me to the amendment of the subject title, "cats on the Island".
While tracking the collar of a hound this year, we ventured a couple of mile into an area of remote wood. Following the signal of the tracker, it lead us to the opening of a beaver swamp, this is where it became "all too interesting". Upon just entering the beaver swamp, we heard a "huffing" sound of about 4 or 5 good huffs, then!, the squall of a big cat!!! well, I don't mind telling you...the hair on my neck stood erect and every nerve that touched the surface of my skin tingled(shows how much experience I've had with big cats eh... ). We froze in our tracks. After looking fore and aft at my two hunting partners and their surprised faces(funny now, once your safely home and reflection paints them as they were... ), we immediately went into a whisper of discussion about just what make and model of "kitty"(as Bud called it ) this might be? Well, this is where I need to call upon my "cat expert" friends to dispel any misgivings about our disagreed conclusions. We couldn't see the cat, only Bud got a brief look as the cat circled us to get down wind and figure out what intruders had entered his portion of real estate. My belief was, we were in the kitchen area of a cougar, Bud seemed more incline to think it was a lynx, as he saw a much bigger outline than that of a bobcat, and Chuck had the biggest caliber gun, so I was willing to go along with anything he said, or also where ever he went...
Does a Lynx or bobcat have or give such a great cry when intruded upon?... We have bobcat, and I've only known them to make a hasty retreat from any noise and it's always hard to slip in on them, usually, I only get a look while on stand and they happen upon the area I'm hunting on. I've no experience with Lynx,...and the cougar mostly comes from Hollywood and nature shows.
I truly believe we were in the presence of a cougar, a true majestic dominant cat with deeper cry and not afraid to announce it''s presence and dominion over any intruder.
What's your opinion?

[dave g]

s.r. patch, sounds like you guys had a good time even though mother nature didnt want you too. now a lot of michiganders believe we have some cougars in this state but i believe if we do they are released pets, but who knows. some coyote hunters actually treed a wolverine in the thumb a few years back. and there has been some lynx accidentally caught by trappers in the past few years. while i was bear hunting a few years back we were standing up on a hill overlooking a big nasty valley of blowdowns and thickets when i heard the wildest sounds i have ever heard before. it was definately a coon and a cat making fur fly. it lasted for a few minutes only with the last sound being the cat. that was the first time i had heard a bobcat and it was loud and i would of guessed it to be a cougar if my buddy, who also ran bobcats, would not have told me otherwise. i have heard of some big bobcats being taken in the u.p. some being in the 50+ pound class.
hopefully next year i will be able to get my butt up there.

later, dave

[S.R.Patch]

Hi Dave,
Yes, we had a great time! I was missing one buddy in the truck tho... ...but I'm gonna hog-tie him up and throw him in next time.
They were logging north of Bass Cove a few miles, between is where we had all the action.
Also, we had the pleasure of tracking a moose around the logging/skidder roads, never got to see it, but droppings the size of silver dollars and the fresh elongated hoof tracks told us we were moving one around with our presence...that was also a first for me... ...I told my wife, "it was more likened to a big game safari, than a rabbit hunt in the wood...

The cat sounding off was in no scuffle, that was what bothered me most. It was only our movement and the beeping of the tracker that made him announce his presence, as if sounding a warning to us. Then, only moments later Bud caught his movement as he circled us, moving downwind to catch our scent and have a look. He knew we were there through the dead fall and tangle of head high sapling. but we had the wind in our face. You see, this cat was only something around 50 yds. in front of us and lessened that distance as he circled us and Bud caught a glimpse of him moving through the darkness of the low cedar.
If there had been some kind of scuffle going on, I could understand the vocal cry but it was only a few "huffs" and then one loud deep squall. , then movement off to our side in the cedar that Bud caught a glimpse of the cat. I do believe we were the subject matter of his attention...

Anyway, there is a tracking collar in the 217-150 range lost by my little hound, just north of the beaver swamp above Bass Cove about a mile and a 1/2 that I would give a $50 reward for, to any adventurous soul who enjoys tracking amongst the wild things of Nature...or even if you find it, at least it won't go to waste. The signal is best at the sand parking lot on the left P27, about a 1/2 mile before you hit the end of the Bass Cove road, just track north/east towards 26A ORV trail.

[bucks better beagles]

Talk to anyone north of Clare and they will give first hand information of cougars in Michigan and not released pets. Especially north of the Grayling/Gaylord area. By first hand, I mean that they have seen them and/or unmistakable tracks. There are even DNR signs in the Munising area telling people that cougars may be in the area. Too much smoke for there not to be a little fire somewhere.

Bob-Michigan

[sgc]

Thats funny stuff Patch. Just curious if you could estimate its size/weight. My 2 cents worth would be, if the cat didn't run from you guys then it was probably a cougar. I bought a book a while back called "Stalked by a Mountain Lion" by Jo Deurbrouck. Its all about deadly cougar encounters. The way your cat acted sounds like a cougar. You wouldn't believe all of the deadly encounters & attacks that have taken place that we don't hear about. This is a very good book, I'd recommend it if your interested. By the way which one of you guys was the smallest? Thats who they stalk!

[dave g]

i am guessing but did the smallest have the biggest gun... lol

later, dave

[S.R.Patch]

On that your right, Dave.
Chuck had the 45 and Bud had the 357. I, in the middle, had only my 3" squirrel skinner... ... Sadly, only the day before I had told the others in our party to not go into the wood with out their gun...and there I was..
Even once we were out of the swamp, Bud kept telling me to put my knife away so i didn't fall on it, I in turn said, "then give me your gun". Needless to say, I carried my little knife at the ready, all the way out...

Sgc, I never saw the cat in question...and I'm not sure my weakened knees could have stood it if the chance had arisen...
There was no way to out foot or out climb this devil, my only thought of recourse was to stand my ground and hope my partners aim was true.
A true "rush of a feeling", thoughts of the arena and gladiators spun through my mind, if only I hadn't gotten a hair cut the week before, my strength wouldn't have been so drained...

My, this is turning into quite a yarn to spin...

[reddog1]

Patch, I've witnessed a cougar first hand on the Island a couple of years ago (hence the 45 auto ) Like American Express I don"t leave home without it. The pics from the trailcam at chucks place prove there is a Lynx on the Island and what Bud thought he saw was a Lynx but with all the tension and excitement it could have been a red squirrel. Did you ever Find Bubble Gum ? I truly hope that you did. If not, I have a lot of friends up there that will keep a look out for me.

[mjd]

oh no bubble gum went MIA,whats the scoop charles
i have pics of bubble gum ,do we need to make up some most wanted posters

i lost 2 last year on the island and went to a couple houses near by asking if they had seen them,they hadnt,but the one guy did tell me a cougar got run over up there last year and they were still seeing another,being you guys saw/heard what you did during the day,id say cougar,but thats jmo

patch ,glad you guys had a safe/good time ,weather station looked like it was going to be a wash out about all week while you were there