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Showing posts with the label wildlife

Life in the North Woods - moose on the loose

 Despite the drop in Northern New Hampshire moose sightings over the past several years, encounters with the huge creatures on the roads are still inevitable. Here are some of my experiences: Moose in my driveway - photo by Linda Lane 1.) Have you ever talked to a moose? I have! My wife, Linda and I were walking along interstate route 26 in Northern New Hampshire when an infuriated. bellowing cow moose came crashing out of the woods and headed right at us. The ears were back and the hackles were up - not good signs for our welfare. We slowly backed away as I verbally assured the enraged animal, in a clear-but- calm voice, that we meant no harm. It worked! The ears went up - the hackles came down, and the attack (either real or bluff) ceased. We continued our walk. 2.) Moose calls sound a bit like flatulence. It's true, and I have proof . I was sitting on my deck lakeside in Western Maine and having a few bouts of flatulence, with each episode resulting in chiding from my wif...

Life in the Northwoods - nightly mouse patrol

Late August is when deer mice start to set up housekeeping in our home in Northern New Hampshire. Old fashion mousetraps and glue traps keep them in check, but we welcome the assistance of the foxes and coyotes that roam our yard on a nightly basis. The photo below is one such sentinel - a red fox. Photo via Tactacam Reveal trail camera In years past, foxes could be seen frequently during daylight hours on our lot, but it is rare to see one during the day anymore . The population of our town hovers just below only 400 residents, but visitors and vacationers have multiplied in recent years. Red foxes (and most other wild animals) r eact to increased human activity and vehicular traffic by becoming more nocturnal.  Coyotes , on the other hand, stick consistently to nighttime activities - and since they can be hunted year-round in New Hampshire, they avoid human contact as much as possible. We get an occasional photo on our trail camera, but coyotes don't frequent our lot nearly...