[Wrinkle]

I dont know if this covers wildlife, but a nice area in addition to U.P, is the stretch from Manistee to Cadillac MI. You have several thousand acres of Federal forests. This area also boasts premier blue ribbon trout streams some of the best in the country for outdoor enthusiasts ranging from the Big Manistee River, Little Manistte, and a watershed that has many beautiful coldwater streams feeding those river systems such as the Pine River.

Other areas boasting great fishing is the Muskegon River system further to the South. The Au Sable, boardman and Jordan.

This area has a major ski lodge, golf resort, and also has year around snowmobile trails, some groomed I believe.

Also there are miles of extensive Federal trail systems for hiking and rough camping.

There is kayaking, canoeing and premier trout fishing as well.

A little something for everyone

[Rapunzll]

Coyotes, wolves, fox, elk, no wolverines though!

[Coldjensens]

We live in Grosse Ile near Detroit. We regularly see bald eagles, hawks, egrets, Blue herons, swans, ducks, geese, rabbits, raccoons, giant salamanders (Detroit River mud dogs or something like that) and tons of deer. We occasionally see foxes, coyotes, muskrats, and something that is larger than a muskrat but swims like a muskrat and I do not know what it is.

In the UP we saw the same as above plus a bear and a really big deer thing (moose? elk? I do not know). We also saw a stuffed wolf at a rest stop. It got hit by a car and was taxidermied.
I think that it would be really unusual to actually see a wolf even in areas where they reside in numbers.

[New_Horizon]

A good friend I ride with has a cougar (mountain lion) that passes through her property at the same time each day heading south across the road, in the late evening it returns. Shes had the DNR out and they have documented it. This is Cross Village / Levering Road area (NW Emmet Co.)
We have seen coyote, black bear, eagles, whitetail deer and wolves while out riding around the Wycamp Lake area too.

[Great Lakes Pirate]

Up here in the UP, we do have procupines, fox, wild turkeys, bear, coyote, wolves, and boars (or pigs gone wild - near Skanee). We also have fishers Fisher (animal - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia), that are around but incredibly shy and hard to just spot.

The Keweenaw Peninula, in the Western UP, provides a kind of "bridge" from Canada for migratory birds. Springtime, we do get some interesting visitors for a week or two.

Bear or wolf encounters are exceptionally rare up here, but I have heard rumor-type reports of wolves becoming more aggressive toward humans.

Wolves and moose co-exist on Isle Royale. Check it out:
Isle Royale Wolf/Moose Study: Celebrating Fifty Years of Research

[kaypurdue]

Originally Posted by Rapunzll

Coyotes, wolves, fox, elk, no wolverines though!

Wasn't there a wolverine sighting reported in the Thumb region a few years ago?

[Rapunzll]

Not that I ever heard of!

[us2indaup]

I'm not sure if the OP was hoping there is or isn't much wildlife in Michigan, but I can attest to the fact that, while they're here, they rarely bother anyone. In almost 20 years of living in the U.P. we've only seen two black bear, half a dozen coyotes, no wolves or moose, and no wolverines or badgers. Black bears are somewhat of a problem in Ironwood in the summer, they are becoming "town bear" much the same as the "town deer" who raid our gardens constantly. There have been reports of wolves attacking dogs here in the western U.P. and northern Wisconsin, but I think if a person exercises common sense there is little to worry about. I'll take the bear and wolves over gangs and thugs any day!!

[bryan61]

Ive seen a cougar here in the UP about 15 miles up forest highway 13. Saw a beautiful healthy red fox not long ago, coyote sightings are pretty common and about 5 times Ive seen black bears. Saw a wolf crossing US 2 close to the bridge. See deer and turkey everyday. Bald Eagles are becoming more common and last summer a couple of swans with four cygnets made their home on the shores of Little Bay De Noc between Escanaba and Gladstone, saw them almost everyday.

[Michgoner]

Originally Posted by kaypurdue

Wasn't there a wolverine sighting reported in the Thumb region a few years ago?

The report of the Wolverine , is acurate . It came into Michigan , from Canada . We were buying the garbage from them , and it was somehow caught and transported in the trash truck . That is how they believe it made it here .