Hours before Monday's CFP National Championship game between the Washington Huskies and Michigan Wolverines, some trash talk centered around nicknames.
“Good morning from the only state playing football today that actually has hops,” said the Washington Department of Natural Resources. X.
Despite the University of Michigan's nickname, the state does not have an established wolf population. The last known sighting of a wild wolf in Michigan occurred in 2004. (Michigan's origin was called the Wolverine State they date to the 1800s.)
Good morning from the only state that plays football today that actually has wolves.
— Washington State Department of Natural Resources (@waDNR) January 8, 2024
In Washington state, however, there are Wolverines throughout the Cascades and Northeast Washington, although sightings are rare. (Wolverines are listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act.)
As well as being elusive, bucks are powerful creatures that have been known to prey on whole deer and hunt bears and wolves from their lands.
They are the largest terrestrial members of the weasel family, growing to around 40kg. Their nicknames include Skunk Bear, Mountain Devil and Evil Spirit.
Washington State DNR's mild insult received the following response from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources:
“What's more QUOTE, the places where werewolves live in Washington State or the Huskies' chances of winning the football game?”
