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Driftless Area

  • Near Hillsboro, Wisconsin, black wildcats have become part of local lore after decades of reported sightings. (credit: Patrick Shea / Points North)
    Between Myth and Migration
    Patrick Shea
    Cougars are making a comeback. The iconic wildcat hasn’t had a breeding population in the Great Lakes states since the early 1900s, but now they’re moving east. Experts say they could be back soon. Some people swear they already are.
  • On November 11, 2023 Wisconsin bowhunter Ben Karasch found himself being stalked by a cougar like this one. (credit: Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks)
    Not Always the Apex Predator
    Daniel Wanschura
    When hunter Ben Karasch sees something move out of the corner of his eye, he assumes it’s a deer. But as Karasch gets a better look, he realizes it’s not a deer, it’s a cougar. And it’s slowly creeping towards him.
  • Near Hillsboro, Wisconsin, black wildcats have become part of local lore after decades of reported sightings. (credit: Patrick Shea / Interlochen Public Radio)
    The Cougar Conclusion
    Cougars are making a comeback. The iconic wildcat hasn’t had a breeding population in the Great Lakes states since the early 1900s, but now they’re moving east. Experts say they could be back soon. Some people swear they already are.
  • Near Hillsboro, Wisconsin, black wildcats have become part of local lore after decades of reported sightings. (credit: Patrick Shea / Interlochen Public Radio)
    The Cougar Conclusion
    Patrick Shea
    Cougars are making a comeback. The iconic wildcat hasn’t had a breeding population in the Great Lakes states since the early 1900s, but now they’re moving east. Experts say they could be back soon. Some people swear they already are.