The Bears And The Moose (moving, land, mosquito)

[nullgeo]

Well, thanks ... but I had just deleted it from the string because I noted the previous few postings, to which I was basically responding, were deleted while I wrote ... I thought someone felt the thread was taking an inappropriate turn? and deleted them to stop the commentary.

Oh well

[Coaster]

I've lived in Maine more than 50 years, traveled all over the state, and never seen a bear. I'm beginning to think they don't really live here; we just import them from New Hampshire for the hunters!

Moose are more common, and not just in northern Maine. They've now spread throughout the state.

[flycessna]

I've been coming to Maine for 30 years during the summer, and have been living in Maine for 13 of those years. I hunt with a friend every fall but I am not an avid hunter. And I hike a lot, but most of the time I spend in the woods is not far off the beaten path and rarley have I done overnight hikes. I have seen many many deere, quite a few moose, and Never, not one single bear . Though I wouldn't necessarily relish the thought of happening upon one during a hike. I do not think bears are a real threat to people in Maine. I am in central souther Maine so that could be the reason to. Moose don't really phase me, Id be more concerned running into one on the highway.

This has been a really neat year. I have seen a Lynx, and have had 2 sightings of a bob cat. The Lynx is a very rare sighting indeed. It was a little nerve racking to see a wild cat like that. With his/her winter coat on it look much bigger than the ones i've seen at the gray animal farm.

I have never worried about wild animals while living in Maine. There has been reports of the Mt Lion making its way back into northern Maine but non of those reports have been confirmed. A Mt lion would be pretty scary. The one at the gray animal farm is HUGE. Would not want run into one of those while on a hike

[Nor'Eastah]

...she need not concern herself with seeing a bear! If she did, she would be lucky! I know that I'd consider myself lucky! But these are black bears, not grizzlies, and unlikely to attack without a good deal of provocation. Anybody here heard of unprovoked bear attacks?

Moose, on the other hand, can be a real problem. Not just running into one on the roads. Some biologists list moose as the most dangerous North American mammal - especially a cow with calf.

I agree - a moose in the freezer is one you don't need to worry about! And those mooseburgers and spicy moose meatballs sound very tempting! Lunch, anybody?

[nullgeo]

Originally Posted by Nor'Eastah

...Lunch, anybody?

... be right over, thanks

[Maineah]

There is a parasite carried by whitetailed deer that can make moose aggressive. It actually gets into the animals brain and affects it's overall senses. It it's final stages the moose will just walk around in circles and won't eat, eventually dying. They call it spinning disease. As the deer population increases so does the exposure of the moose to this parasite. I have been around a good many moose and have only had one make a direct move toward me. I had just shot it so I don't blame it for being pi**ed off at me. We have stopped and taken photos of cows and calves numerous times and even paddled a canoe right up to where a cow and calf were feeding and the cow never made a move. I believe strongly that if you are quiet and non threatning the cow will ignore you or just walk off as will most moose you encounter. I also believe moose that attack are somehow diseased or in the rut and do not have normal control over their faculties. If threatened by a moose put a big tree between you and the moose, you are far more agile at running around a tree than he will be and after he whacks his head on the tree a few times he'll most likely leave.
As far as bear are concerned I have seen several bears in the woods over the years while deer hunting. I have never shot one because I wouldn't eat it.
I don't shoot animals I won't eat. I once watched a bear digging out a bee hive that was in some dirt under a rotten log. I was down wind from him about 100 feet away and he had no clue I was there. I watched him dig and listened to him grunt for about 15 minutes then I went on my way. We used to see bear crossing the road between Greenville Junction and Rockwood at night all the time. As NMLM said they are primarily active at night. A favorite pastime for the locals around Greenville was to go to the Lilly Bay dump at sunset and watch the bears come out. People used to park there like going to a drive in movie and every night out came the bears. It went on for years until one time some flatlander from away showed up with his stupid dog tied up in the back of the pick up. He pulled right over to where the bears were and his dog went nuts barking at the bears. One of the bears reached up and took the dog's head off with one swipe. The moron who took the dog there complained to the state about the aggressive bears killing his dog so they eventually put a fence around the dump and locked the gate.

[AlisonL]

I have been in Maine all my life and have seen 4 bears in the wild and probably 6 moose. Deer I see daily as they herd up in our back woods, and we feed them during the winter. Have yet to see a bob or the elusive lynx, and the only coyote I saw dead on the side of the road.
And I didn't see the Turner Beast either....even though it was found almost in my backyard. LOL

[Bydand]

Originally Posted by AlisonL

And I didn't see the Turner Beast either.

LOL

That reminded me, we have the Carabeast up here, they are mainly found around Houlton Farms Dairy in the Summers, and Pizza Hut or McDonald's in the Winters.




I know, I know... I'll get my shovel and head to my assigned stoking place in the pits of the underworld now.

[forest beekeeper]

Shopping for land in Maine, I did see a handful of bear. I was out walking the property lines of properties that I was considering.

On the back of my SIL's land, I see bear tracks often enough. One of our neighbor's takes a bear each year, from that area.

I have seen moose on my land many times. Once I was lighting a bonfire, and as I was fiddling with the matches, a moose walked right up behind me. My first indication that I was not alone was her breath on my neck. And on a dark night, that was a bit exciting for me. She ran away as soon as she saw that she had spooked me. Crashing through the puddles and forest.

I see moose everytime that I go out harvesting peat moss too.

To me Maine is filled with critters.

[Maineah]

Originally Posted by forest beekeeper

Shopping for land in Maine, I did see a handful of bear. I was out walking the property lines of properties that I was considering.

On the back of my SIL's land, I see bear tracks often enough. One of our neighbor's takes a bear each year, from that area.

I have seen moose on my land many times. Once I was lighting a bonfire, and as I was fiddling with the matches, a moose walked right up behind me. My first indication that I was not alone was her breath on my neck. And on a dark night, that was a bit exciting for me. She ran away as soon as she saw that she had spooked me. Crashing through the puddles and forest.

I see moose everytime that I go out harvesting peat moss too.

To me Maine is filled with critters.

Forest with all of the water on your land how are the black flies and mosquitoes to contend with?