Gray Wolf Confirmed Through Genetic Testing to be Present in Michigan

By Vanessa Torres

Testing to be present in the northern Lower Peninsula

Michigan -(Ammoland.com)- The Michigan Department of Natural Resources today announced confirmation of gray wolf occurrence in Emmet County, marking the second confirmation of wolf presence in the Lower Peninsula since 1910.

Late last week, the Little Traverse Bay Band of Odawa Indians received confirmation from Trent University in Peterborough, Ontario, that scat submitted for DNA analysis by the tribe in 2014 was from a male gray wolf.

Genetic testing also confirmed that the wolf was not likely to be an escaped captive, since it closely matched genetic information taken from northeast Ontario wolves.

In March 2014, tribal biologists discovered tracks and collected scat from Emmet County. DNR Wildlife Division staff then visited the site with biologists from the tribe and agreed the tracks appeared to be from two separate wolves.

At that time, trail camera photos also were reviewed by tribal biologists and DNR staff, and an image of what appeared to be a wolf was discovered. The tribe then submitted the collected scat to Trent University for DNA analysis, …read more

Source:: AmmoLand