(WWJ) -- Despite the fact that the wolverine is regarded as Michigan’s state mascot, when was the last time you spotted one in the wild? The short answer is: never.
In fact -- aside from various fur trading accounts from the 1700s -- there’s actually only been one confirmed wolverine sighting in Michigan in the last 200 years.
So where exactly did all of the wolverines go? And why did Michigan become so closely associated with them?
As WWJ’s Brian Fisher discovered on the latest episode of The Daily J podcast, the reason Michigan is known as the “Wolverine State” might not have anything to do with the animal at all.
The largest member of the weasel family, the wolverine is known to be a rather vicious hunter, and can take down prey twice its size such as moose and deer due to its powerful jaw and ability to attack in the snow.
But if the wolverine is such an adept hunter, why have they disappeared from Michigan?
According to Cody Norton from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, there’s a chance the state was never actually a native home to wolverines at all, especially since Michigan's climate and conditions aren’t exactly conducive to its preferred habitat.
The wolverine is more likely to be found in consistently cold climates such as northern Canada and Russia, and in places with high elevations like the Rocky Mountains and Montana.
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Michigan’s relationship with the wolverine may actually be more related to the fur trade, as Sault Ste. Marie in the Upper Peninsula became a hub for shipping furs out east in the 1700s, many of which were of the wolverine variety.
But another theory about how Michigan got its moniker actually pertains to its fighting tactics in battles during the 1800s.
As Charlie Shelton of Huron-Clinton Metroparks explained, the origins of the nickname likely go back to the fight between Michigan and Ohio over Toledo, when Michigan soldiers are said to have been compared to wolverines.
Fast-forward to the Civil War and the name was cemented after it became a rallying cry for the Michigan Brigade during the Battle of Gettysburg, when General George Custer called out, "C’mon you wolverines!" to encourage his cavalry.
The theory then becomes that Michigan was never known as the “Wolverine State” because of the animal, but instead, because of the fierceness and courage of its soldiers -- and by association -- Michiganders themselves.
So the next time someone asks, “Where did all Michigan’s wolverines go?” instruct them to take a look around -- because as long as there are Michiganders, there are wolverines.
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