The Irony of the ‘Wolverine State': Where Are Michigan’s Wolverines?

Recent National Champions in men's basketball and football, as well as one of the top medical schools in the country, the University of Michigan Wolverines. One of Michigan's many nicknames is The Wolverine State. For a state that is supposedly so intertwined with wolverines, one would think wolverines are numerous around the state.

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But the reality is quite the opposite. The truth is, there are no wolverines anywhere in the state of Michigan, and there haven't been for quite some time. Why, then, does Michigan have such an emphasis on the animal, and where did they all go?

What Is A Wolverine?

For much of my life, I pictured a wolverine as a cousin of a wolf. However, that's not the case: wolverines are actually weasels, and according to the National Park Service, they look more like a small bear than a typical weasel.

Read More: Why Michigan Has No Mascot Despite Being The 'Wolverines'

Despite their size, they are strong, aggressive, and very territorial, and can kill animals as large as moose. They are well-suited for winter thanks to their "large snowshoe-like paws" and claws that let them climb. They typically live in frozen and forest-dense regions, and while they are endangered in the Lower 48, they are stable in Alaska.

So, despite being well-suited for living in a state like Michigan, there is no evidence that wolverines were ever native to Michigan. There has been one wolverine sighting in 200 years, back in 2004, and it was later found dead in 2010. In fact, cougar sightings are now more common.

So, again, I ask: why is Michigan the Wolverine state?

Three Running Theories:

There are three theories as to why Michigan earned the nickname, and no, it has nothing to do with football prowess.

• The most commonly held belief is that it comes from the Toledo War that gave Michigan the Upper Peninsula, with Ohioians comparing Michigander's ferociousness to a wild animal like wolverines. It was meant as an insult, but the nickname stuck, according to Bridge Michigan.
• Another theory is that, since Michigan was once a hub for fur trading and the Great Lakes were crucial for trade, wolverine pelts were possibly traded here, and fur traders began associating the fur with the state.
• The other popular theory has the least corroborating evidence, though is still possible. When Americans first made the move into Michigan, Native Americans disliked how the Americans stole their land. As a nickname, Native Americans referred to them as "wolverines", another animal they disliked, and meant it as an insult. Again, the nickname just stuck.

Due to wolverines being largely solitary animals and not common in Michigan, even in those days, the last theory seems like a stretch.

But considering no one truly knows why we're called the Wolverine State, nothing is off the table.