The Time is Now

By A. Sayward Lamb

Fall is here and again it is time for all of us sportsmen to make preparations for what has to be done to be ready for hunting season. As a matter of fact, here in Maine we have already had our opening of bear season earlier this month, allowing hunters to hunt over bait.

In a few days lucky Moose Hunting Lottery winners will be heading to their assigned areas, hoping to fill their tags for either a cow or bull moose. This means that the time is now here when all of us, who plan to participate in these outdoor activities, should be “out and about”.

By that I mean we should have been making advance preparations for late summer and early fall trips that will involve several days away from home, as well as for day trips nearby our respective homes. Whatever the case, if we haven’t already been doing our “homework”, time is getting short.

Here in Maine it is quite common for sportsmen to take in a few days of fishing in more remote areas of the state during the last week of September and then make the transition to bird hunting starting the first of October.

I know it is sometimes really hard to think about fall activities, especially during a year like this when we have been fortunate to enjoy such fine, warm and sunny weather here in the northeast. Usually we are subjected to some very cool nights in early September, when we can get frost heavy enough to cover the low lying spots with a coating of white. So far, at least in this part of Maine where I live, it has not happened and we are already through two thirds of the month.

Just the same, we all know that the cooler weather will be here soon enough. I hope that most of you have been spending some of your spare time enjoying nature walks and taking note of the many signs that nature provides. This will give you some insight to what lies ahead with respect to feed and locations of wildlife you will hunt later.

In my own case, I try to take a daily walk of at least two miles and during these walks I am continually looking for tracks of any game that may be traveling the same area. I often see deer tracks, moose tracks, turkey tracks, etc., and if I am lucky, I sometimes see some of the game that are making those tracks.

Not only am I looking for tracks, but I am also taking note of the mast crops, such as acorns and beechnuts, that are beginning to drop to the ground. This year, in the area near my home, I have noted a heavy crop of acorns, while beechnuts seem to be rather scarce. To me, this means that no doubt it will be more productive to hunt for deer and bear, on oak ridges rather than in beech groves.

Many times those of us who have hunted the same areas for many years are well acquainted with the game trails. We should also take mental notes of brooks, streams, springs and any other possible watering holes where wildlife will go to drink. Doing this will help us initiate our plans prior to entering the woods in search of game.

Once you locate an area that you want to hunt, be sure to find out who owns the property and seek permission to hunt on that land. This alone, can go a long way toward improved relationships between both the hunters and landowners. If we are going to continue this long time tradition, we as sportsmen have to observe the rules by respecting private property and if we gain permission to access that land, then we must treat it with care. By the way, don’t forget to give a big “Thank You” to the landowner for allowing you to hunt on their property.

I know that some of you have already been scouting areas where you plan to hunt and are noting important observations that will make for interesting hunts.

A few days ago, my wife and I visited with our oldest son, Jim, who lives in Oxford, Maine. He handed me a photograph that was recently taken by a neighbor who was walking along a graveled portion of a trail on my son’s property. Jim asked me what I thought might have made such a huge track? I studied the photo for a few moments and when I didn’t give a definitive answer, he told me that he thought a cougar made it. (Locally called: mountain lion.)

Then Jim went on to tell me that this animal was seen behind a local lumber dealer’s place of business located less than a quarter mile from where the photo was taken. Since then, I have conversed with other residents of the town of Oxford and was told that this animal has been seen in that area for the past two years.

Of course, I cannot confirm these statements, as I was not given the names of the person or persons who may have seen this animal. However, the fact remains that some sort of unusual animal is frequenting this area. I believe sooner or later, an actual photograph will be taken to establish a more positive identification.

I have included a copy of the photograph taken by Paul Stevens. I hope that in doing this, some of you readers may be able to help identify the track. You will note that Mr. Stevens placed a quarter coin adjacent to the track to provide a comparative reference, which he hoped will give the viewer a better idea of the size of the huge foot imprint in the gravel. If any of you feel you can provide some insight, don’t hesitate to contact me at: Sayward@mainehuntingtoday.com.

Stories of cougar sightings (mountain lions) in Maine have been around for many years. During the 1950’s and early 1960’s, I lived in South Woodstock, Maine. About a quarter mile easterly of where I lived was an area where wildlife was often seen crossing the rural highway. Several times over those years, I had friends (some of whom I have hunted with) who told me of seeing a mountain lion cross the highway in front of their automobile. Most of the time this occurred either just before, or shortly after dark, so they really didn’t have the opportunity to study the animal closely. Yet all of them mentioned about seeing a huge cat-like animal, with a long tail and they noted the tawny color of the fur. I have other friends who also have told me of seeing a mountain lion cross another road at a point about a half-mile beyond where my other friends saw this animal.

A few years ago another friend saw what he called a mountain lion, when it crossed Route 26, just south of Cooper Farms roadside stand - about a quarter mile south of Snow Falls. This sighting was during a snowstorm and was during the daytime. Unfortunately, it was

snowing too hard for any imprints to be

Photo by Lorna Letourneau

 

photographed.

Only last evening I was discussing the photograph taken in Oxford with another friend. During our conversation, he told me of an incident a few years ago when a mountain lion was seen crossing the highway between Greenville and Rockwood, Maine. My friend went on to say that people in three separate vehicles saw this animal as they were driving on that section of highway.

Two of the automobiles were traveling in the same direction and the other was approaching from the other direction. The animal crossed the highway and then went a short distance along the highway before entering the woods. One of the parties that made that sighting happened to have a camp next to my friend’s camp that I was talking to. He said he could clearly see the long tail and decided to report the sighting to the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. He was told that what he saw was probably a coyote!. How anyone could make that statement when it did not see the animal, is beyond my comprehension.

I cannot say what the animal is several friends of mine have sighted and I have never had the good fortune of experiencing such a sighting. I am also convinced that because these friends of mine are experienced hunters and outdoorsmen, they would have no reason to mention their sightings, if it were not true.

As a matter of fact, a man and wife who are close friends of mine told me that they kept the sighting of what they felt was a mountain lion to themselves for several years. Why? Because they felt no one would believe them and might even call them crazy!

So, the mystery remains, and yet I feel that all these people are seeing some sort of unusual cat-like animal, and I hope that someday proof of these mysterious sightings will come to light, so we will know what is running around in the wilds of Maine.

If you would like to email me with your comments or share a sighting of this kind you can do this at: Sayward@mainehuntingtoday.com

Posted Oct. 2, 2005

Reader’s Comments:

Dear Mr. Lamb,

The picture of the foot print I received is not very clear, so I cannot make definite conclusion from this photograph.  It appears that the footprint is about 4.4 inches wide by 2.8 inches long.  Cougar tracks are typically, 3 to 4 inches long and 3 1/8 to 3 9/16 wide.  Therefore, the track appears to be a little out of proportion of what would be typical for a cougar.  I do not see any claw marks, which is indicative of a cat.  However, I drew an X between the toes of the print to get an idea of how symmetrical the print was.  Cats typically have an asymmetrical print with the X crossing on the heel pad, while canids (dogs) typically have a symmetrical print with the X crossing above the heel pad.  I was able to draw a symmetrical X with the X crossing above the heel pad on the picture of the print.  Considering all of these factors, my guess is that this is not a cougar print.

Dr. Walter J. Jakubas (Wally)
Mammal Group Leader
Maine Dept. of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife
650 State Street
Bangor, ME 04401
Phone:  (207) 941-4471
Fax:      (207) 941-4450
E-mail:  walter.jakubas@maine.gov

Posted Oct 3, 2005

 

ACTON, MA. – Along the winding drives, in community e-mails and neighbors’ conversations, this town is all abuzz about what police and some residents are calling a mountain lion in their midst.

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Parents keep an eye on children playing outside. Dogs are leashed. Cats are confined indoors. And recess monitors at C.T. Douglas Elementary School stand with their backs to the adjacent marsh, their eyes on the pupils, for fear of the cougar.

Four sightings have been reported over the past nine days: Nov. 3 — large cat reported on Henley Road. Nov. 8 — residents of Mohawk Drive report growling outside their homes; police respond and report seeing a lion (a tan, muscular cat about 5 to 6 feet long). Nov. 9 — paw prints found behind Idylwilde Farms. Nov. 10 — Central Street resident reports seeing the cat.

not in maine but still is a good story.. i live in mass.. near this town but i hunt in brownville junction me. if lions r in mass there in maine–Marc

Click here and read the entire story that came from the Boston Globe on November 12, 2004

Posted Oct 4, 2005

 

Mr. Lamb

 

Your photo has been sent to me to look at, from the picture it appears that the track mat have been made by a large cat.  I am not aware of any other sightings that have been reported from the Oxford area.  We have investigated many reported sightings of Mt Lions in the past and have yet to come up with any supportive info, such as a good photograph, to document that there are Mt Lions in southern ME.  I have looked at two video recordings that people made and were adamant that they saw a Mt Lion but both turned out to be house cats.

Please let me know if there are any future sightings in the Oxford area.  I have also sent this to our Bangor Office for their review.

 

Phil Bozenhard 

Regional Biologist

October 8, 2005

We need to make a correction to the original story that is posted above. The story gave credit for the photograph to Paul Stevens of Oxford when in actuality the photo was taken by Lorna LeTourneau of Schoolhouse Road in Oxford, who claims to have actually seen the animal that made the track and following the sighting, went and photographed the track. This is in fact the photo that is posted here with the story.

Below is an email received by A. Sayward Lamb from Yvonne Roberts a next door neighbor of Lorna Letourneau:

 

I live next door to where the picture of the mountain lion footprint picture

 was taken.
I looked out my bathroom window around 6 one morning (early September) and 

 saw what appeared to be a very large cat with a very long tail.  It
was a very pretty sleek looking tannish yellow cat.
I told my husband that I thought I had just seen a mountain lion and of course

 he didn’t believe me.  I asked the neighbor if she had seen
anything of it, she said no.  A couple days later she said she saw it. 

Then she
went out to where she had seen it and took a picture of the track where it

 had
been.  Since then there have been a few other people see it.
Eventually we will get a chance to get a picture of it I hope so people will

 see
that this is no house cat.

Yvonne Roberts, Oxford Maine