maybe 35 years ago or so my brother-in-law and I backpacked into the Sierra Nevada's on a deer hunting expedition. This was about 10 miles east of Wishon Lake in the central Sierra's.
I got sick on the trip, raging fever.... so I couldn't move around much after we made camp. One afternoon I walked maybe 50' from my tent and was watching a rocky ridge when I noticed something moving in the rocks. It was a Wolverine. No doubt about it... I could see it VERY well, perfectly, right down to the individual colors from nose to tail.
On the way out of the mountains we saw a ranger, (checking us for a hunting license), and I mentioned it... he told me no, I couldn't have seen a Wolverine as they were known to be extinct in this area for decades. But I knew what I saw.
I became VERY interested in this and did some research.... (this was some time back so bear with me).... and yes, indeed, the last Wolverine seen in that area was in the early 1900's, I believe... I want to say in the 20's, maybe?
I kept following the news about Wolverine's after that and I think maybe 20 years AFTER my spotting I read a report confirming a sighting of a Wolverine very near where I saw one. VERY near... about 5 miles away... north, nearer Courtright Reservoir. I felt vindicated...BUT... I never heard, read, any followup regarding the sighting.
There is a confirmed Wolverine living up near Tahoe, (today)... but other than that one I'm not aware of any confirmed reports of Wolverine's anywhere else in the Sierra Nevada's south of Tahoe.
Wolverine's are quite elusive anyway... even in areas they habitat sightings are rare. So I actually consider this a badge of honor... I'm quite proud of the fact that I saw one. - JamesJM
