Bigfoot had better be on the lookout, 'cause there be a bounty on his (or her) head.

Yep, you heard it.

Bushnell (the binocular people) and Field & Stream magazine "have teamed up to offer $1 million to anyone who can provide an unaltered photograph/video, verified and substantiated by a panel of scientific experts [including a zoologist and biologist], the evidence required to prove a Sasquatch/Bigfoot/Yeti exists."

Why, I'm gonna get out there in the Maine woods too-ma-ree and start a-looking round. That dang Bigfoot has goots to be poking around here somewhere, I jez know it.

This old photo of Bigfoot is all I've got to go on when I set out to find him tomorrow and capture the $1 million bounty!
AP photo

I could sure use me that $1 million clams. Been playing the Maine State Lottery for years and never won nothing more than $20 bucks. How the hell am I gonna retire like that? Eh??

Bag me a Bigfoot, right here in the woods of Maine. Hell, maybe even right out here in the wilds of Bowdoin.

I be wicked rich then. Be able to afford some good living, like beer outta a bottle and some of that retaurant-type pizza. Mebbe even take the little woman to a movee.

OK, 'nuff said fer now. Gots to git some good sleep. Up early onto the hunt for Bigfoot and that there prize money...

You gonna be out there looking too? Keep yer distance, you hear. There's room for all of us to a-Bigfoot huntin.

For as long as I can remember sightings of the Sasquatch, the fabled furry behemoth also affectionately known as Bigfoot, have been limited to the western United States and Canada; northern California, Oregon, Washington, British Columbia.

The classic grainy shot of Bigfoot.
AP photo

All that has changed now with a recent sighting of a "primal like animal" reported by a Pennsylvania hunter in the Allegheny Mountains. Bigfoot experts believe it "to be a juvenile Sasquatch."

Whoa. The real thing possibly.

Just 500 miles as the crows flies from Maine. That's uncomfortably close don't you think?

I mean, really, how do you feel about a hairy hunk of beast with a size 22 shoe sculking around the woods and waters of Maine?

Hobbits, gnomes and trolls are one thing. But Bigfoot?

Makes me shutter something wicked.

But it may already be too late. He/she/it may already be among us.

There are rumors of a primal beast living in the wilds of Limington. A sighting of a Sasquatch-like creature down in the Old Port late one Friday night not too long ago. And I'll swear I saw something big and hairy sitting in the back row at a recent MOAC meeting.

Hard tellin'. Who's to say?

Have you any Bigfoot sightings in Maine to share? Might as well get them on the record. Do tell...

The possibility that the eastern mountain lion could be making a comeback here in Maine has gotten the eye of state and federal biologists.

It would be a long time in coming. The last known mountain lion in these parts was killed in 1938.

But there appears to be enough sightings of mountain lions, or cougars, around Maine in recent years so to have officials scratching their heads.

Some aren't so sure, like Maine DIFW biologist Scott Lindsay: "The vast majority of these, for sure, are simply mistakes. I´m very skeptical that we could have any wild population here."

For sure?

I wonder.

After a friend of mine, a seasoned outdoorsman with a couple of sharp eyes, reported seeing a mountain lion near the Maine-NH border in the spring of 2005, more folks came forth with their stories.

Read the comments (at the bottom of the entry) on these cougar sightings for yourself and you've got to think, maybe, just maybe, they really are here.

The reported sightings range throughout the state: Mt. Abram in Greenwood, Monument Hill in Leeds, along I-95 up near Mount Katahdin, Brunswick, Freeport, Hartford, Sanford, Poland, Parkman, Rumford, Starks, Bowdoinham, Thomaston, New Vineyard, North Berwick.

In people's own backyards--homes in both urban and rural areas, a playground, a horse pasture, at camp, along the highway, while out hunting.

They can't all be wrong.

Seems to me there's a good chance we've got a stealthy visitor afoot. One that may be here to stay.

What's your take on these sightings? Have you seen a mountain lion yourself? Where and when?

I went home for lunch today and found a pleasant surprise on my porch steps.

Seems a raccoon had been nosing about and left its prints in the morning's fresh layer of snow.

The prints were perfect, but by the time I rummaged through the house for my camera the sun had swung around the corner of the house and begun to melt them.

Oh well. They're still cool.

I just love visits from my woodsy friends out back!

They must smell the empties...

Tell tale signs of my raccoon neighbors on the porch steps.

"There are now an estimated 30,000 to 60,000 turkeys living all over the state."

Uh, I'm not a biologist or anything, but I'd estimate there's a lot more than that. If you know what I mean.

Happy Thanksgiving all!

I came out to my car the other morning and found a surprise tucked under one of my windshield wipers...

A 4-pack of teef!

Not something you see every day. And certainly not in a handy 4-pack.

Jeez, now I have a set of teef for nearly every day of the week!

Wonder if it was my most recent post that initiated this pleasant little gift?

So, my wisecracker Trailheaders out there, who dun it???

Beavers...

Masters of their domain.

Able to dramatically alter their environment to suit their needs using sharp teeth, ingenuity, muscle, creativity.

But beavers may have met their match. Because there's another creature in the woods that can compete with them toe-to-toe, or tooth-for-tooth as the case may be...

Hikers!

Especially those who've been out on the trail for awhile. That odd-ball, slighlty off-kilter variety. The kind that carries a pair of "teef" in their backpack!

You might think that this was the work of busy beavers...

...but you'd be wrong!

A hiker with "teef" can do just about anything a beaver can!

The Portland City Council apparently has something against owls.

Great Horned Owls in particular it seems.

I don't get it.

I thought we were a green city. Progressive. Into the environment and wildlife and all that.

Great Horned Owls are wildlife. They're feathery and cute. With nice eyes. And they make cool sounds. Like "hoot." Guess that's why they're also known as hoot owls. Makes sense to me.

But call the pretty little nocturnal creatures "hooters" and city officials get all up in arms. Can't have none of that they say. So they pass a moratorium against our owl friends.

Sticks in the mud.

Killjoys.

Guess it wasn't the beer troll after all.

Some stories are just impossible to pass up.

So it was with the "hybrid mutant of something" which caught my news eye this morning.

"It was evil, evil looking. And it had a horrible stench I will never forget," said Michelle O´Donnell of Turner, describing the horrible creature she'd seen in her yard a week ago.

The mysterious beast was found dead last weekend, apparently hit by a passing car.

And now folks in the Turner area are wondering whether this thing is the same thing that's been wandering around the local woods mauling dogs and cats and scaring the bejeezus out of people for more than a decade.

It's a tale that has grown to legendary proportions. But alas, this one may now be over.

For friends, I'm sorry to say, I believe I know the answer to this mystery.

The bushy tail, short snout, short ears and curled fangs hanging over its lips are an almost certain giveaway.

Seems to me that your shadowy creature of horror may be none other than...

The Beer Troll.

Yes, I fear.

The Beer Troll has met its demise.

Likely hit by that unsuspecting car on Route 4 after pilfering a six-pack of beer and a can of beans (hence the terrible odor) from a convenience store along the highway.

Nasty teeth and wild eyes displayed to a horrified counter clerk, it must have run off into the night. And was fatally nicked while wobbling unsteadily back to its lair to consume its ill-gotten brew.

Looks like the Beer Troll will terrorize beer stores and patrons no more. And the woods of Androscoggin County will be safe once again!

Just behind my house there's a footpath leading into the dark hemlock groves of Baxter Woods. When I want a little bit of "woods time" to relax, clear my head, and get some exercise, it's an easy decision to just head out there.

Most times I'm gone a lot longer than planned. Winding through the pleasant forest and imagining myself in some far off place. That's the real beauty and benefit of urban green spaces.

Baxter's Woods connects to Evergreen Cemetery, just across Stevens Avenue. For an extended walk (and most are as I said) I will head that way, meandering through the mounded graves on the gravel paths, pausing now and then to read a particular headstone that has caught my eye.

Invariably I end up at the duck pond in a quiet corner of Evergreen. Seems that many other folks do the same. And why not? It's beautiful spot. But more so, we all have many friends there: The ducks and geese.

I can lay in the pondside grass for hours (and often have) watching our feathered friends swim and splash about, honk and squawk, shuffling from pond to shore and back, preening, feeding, socializing. It's pure and natural therapy for the human soul, it is.

Sadly, today's news tells of a city plan to demolish the shed that houses our duck and goose friends through the winter. And then to move them to another location where they can be cared for.

The pond will be a decidedly empty place without them.

Our fine feathered friends at Evergreen Cemetery in Portland may soon be gone.

A new shed will be constructed, but it doesn't include a lean-to addition where the birds can shelter themselves. I'm not sure why. Seems an easy and relatively inexpensive fix.

But dig a bit further and you find that the city can't afford to pony up the money--some $5,000 to $8,000 annually--to care for the birds. That seems a real shame. I know municipal funds are tight, but I suspect Portland wastes that much money on less important stuff on a regular basis.

So what to do?

Scream and yell at the city? Take up a collection among local residents? Find a private donor or two with a big heart and pocketbook?

Dunno.

You got any ideas?

... that chickens could fly?

But according to Wendy Almeida's blog today, I guess it's true!

I've said it all along. Never say you've seen it all. Because you ain't!

The whole chicken flying thing reminds of the famous flying turkey episode from "WKRP in Cincinnati", when Herb Tarlek dropped live turkeys out of an airplane over a busy shopping center as a Thanksgiving promotion for the radio station.

On the ground it was pure chaos as a horrified Les Nessman reported that "the turkeys are hitting the ground like bags of wet cement!"

The gruesome scene ended with Arthur Carlson, the station manager, mumbling something like, "On my honor, I thought turkeys could fly."

And that's where I think I peed myself.

Yes, it's true.

There really is a Maine Black Fly Report.

Black fly activity is recorded weekly by volunteers from around the state. You could be one of them if you're interested.

You've gotta love the simple rating system: 1 = none or few, 2 = some, but tolerable and 3 = many, a royal pain (my favorite).

The latest report indicates some severe black fly activity in Somerset and Penobscot Counties and moderate elsewhere. For now.

But you've gotta know that as we inch toward June, it's all going to be "royal pain" territory.

So, be sure to pack the DEET when heading outdoors, cover up as you can with clothing, and grin and bear it!

Ever stood on the shore of an inviting pond on a hot summer day in Maine, ready to jump in for a cool swim and thought, hmmm, wonder if there's any leeches in there?

Well, if you lived in Florida, leeches would be the least of your worries.

Nine-foot alligators stealthily plying Florida waters have snatched and eaten three people down there just this week!

Florida "state wildlife officials said alligators are generally on the move looking for mates and food this time of year."

That's just no way to go. No thank you.

I'll take Maine leeches any day. A little salt or a quick touch with a match flame and off your leg they go.

Not so with a big honkin' hungry gator.

Further, becoming gator food is one thing, but being grabbed as a gator mate? Now that's where I draw the line...

If you haven't been looking in on the now famous budding eagle family high in a white pine tree somewhere up in Hancock County, then you've been missing a wonderful story of nature unfolding daily.

How, you say?

Well, via a live web cam, of course!

Check it out and watch the two proud parents and their little eaglets up close and personal like.

It's amazing and heartwarming!

Thanks to the BioDiversity Research Institute and its generous supporting partners for bringing us this incredible window into our natural world.

They're coming. One by one. Checking us out.

Stealthily making their way south from Quebec into the Maine woods.

Wolves!

Dozens of reliable sightings confirm it as fact.

One day, say wildlife biologists, Maine may have its very own wolf pack.

Now wouldn't that be cool?!

I've only seen one wolf and that was in the wild and incredibly remote Escalante Canyon country of southern Utah.

Have you ever seen a wolf in Maine? Where and when?

Friday morning I awoke around 5:30 and snapped on the radio to get some news. Ken and Mike of the WGAN Morning News were just getting things rolling with their usual bantering back and forth.

I woke up just enough to hear Mike describe how he'd seen an owl now four mornings in a row. Perched right on top of the dumpster at the Tim Horton's drive-thru in South Portland, which he visits like clockwork each morning at 4:15 on his way into the studio.

A real live owl. Right here in the city. Cool. Nice find.

The dumpster location made sense, I thought. An easy source of human food (owls scavenge, don't they?) and likely small rodents. An owl with a good plan.

And besides, hadn't we heard of coyotes sighted within the city limits just a few days prior? Didn't seem too odd.

And with that thought I fell back asleep (it's usually do to Ken's blathering on, but not always).

I woke about an hour later to find a stunned Mike declaring that the owl was a fake. A plastic owl. I missed the details, but somebody who knew better must have called in during the hour I'd dozed off to say that the owl wasn't a real one.

Mike had been duped big time. And now he and Ken--and me--were laughing our butts off uncontrollably. Mike had been so serious and sure about the initial report, and now everybody was peeing themselves.

Mike, with all due respect, if I had to get up every morning at 3AM and drive into the city from Poland to start work at 5AM, I'd likely be seeing owls too. Or worse.

So thanks for the laugh. And you two keep the good work, or entertainment, or whatever it is that you guys do.

And keep us posted on any other "wildlife" sightings, okay?

Just for yucks, I had to go visit Tim Horton's Saturday to check out the mystery owl for myself. Sure enough, there it was. Swivel head and all. A beautiful thing.

These photos are for you Mike. Enjoy!

Anybody else out there seen any "wildlife" they'd like to share with us??

I think I'm finally returning to a reasonable state of normalcy (that's a relative thing, of course) after last weekend's Big Chill event.

There's nothing quite like 20 or so warped college friends in an enclosed space for two days and nights. As well as an unlimited amount and variety of food 24/7, a regular stream of cocktails, frequent soaks in the hot tub, and painful bouts with uncontrollable belly laughs. And a beautiful day out on the ski slopes at Bretton Woods.

Whew!

Anyway, it was mega fun and I can't wait to do it again in another year. But lemme get some more rest first, okay?!

The movie and music that inspired it all... "oooooo, I heard it through the grapevine..."

The center of our Big Chill universe: The hot tub. 106F in, 2F out!

The skiing at Bretton Woods rocked, with an excellent selection of speedy cruising trails...

...and a killer view of Mount Washington and the Presidential Range. Not too shabby.

Several 22-pound lasagnas (I'm kidding, but they were heavy) formed the basis for this overindulging weekend of food intake.

Big Chill dinnah with some of da gang.

When you think of wildlife in Portland you're probably apt to think of the Old Port.

Understandably so.

Things can get pretty wild and rough and tumble around the Fore Street area on any given night for sure.

But there's some new "wildlife" in town apparently.

Coyotes.

At least one anyway.

Spotted out by the the Jetport near Stroudwater recently.

And images taken at the scene have been confirmed by DIFW folks in the know.

I'm happy to know the critters are around, although I suspect they may not mix well in the city. And neighborhood cats and dogs might not be too excited about it either.

Guess we'll have to be on the lookout for more of 'em.

Last spring I passed along to you the details of a mountain lion sighting by my friend Dan, who'd spotted one while hiking on the Province Pond Trail just over the state line in Chatham, NH.

Mountain lions are pretty rare in these parts, but sightings do seem to be more frequent than ever. And in the six months since that blog entry, a number of people have written to tell me of their close encounters with the elusive mountain lion in Maine.

I thought you'd like to read a few of their comments...

There are probably more than 100 mountain lions now, since my son in law had a mother with young ones cross in front of his truck one evening at the base of Mt Abram, ME.
--Anonymous

A friend of mine had been hunting in northern Maine above Moosehead and spotted a mountain lion. He's been hunting for 40 to 50 years and knows what he was talking about. I suspect the giant forest fire a few years back in Canada pushed many animals out of their natural habitat and into Maine and NH.
--Hank

My family and I were hiking on Monument Hill in Leeds, ME this past Sunday (August 7). My 14 year old daughter was leading and she saw a mountain lion sharpening his/her claws on a tree on the trail. We were on the backside of the mountain, where the snowmobile trail is. The cat hunkered down like it was going to pounce, my daughter backed up and yelled for her father. My husband looked up just as the cat ran off into the woods.
--Charlotte

I spotted a mountain lion on I-95 Labor Day weekend around Mile Marker 252 (Mt. Katahdin scenic view). A man had once told me he saw one while deer hunting. I thought he was crazy. I thought wrong.
--Emery

My friends and I were in the woods hiking in Pelham, NH and as I looked up I saw the silouette of a mountain lion. As I looked on further it moved it ahead. We then walked down the trail quickly and left.
--Ben

I live in military housing in Brunswick, ME. I have a mountain lion in the woods behind my house. Our housing managers are reluctant to deal with the issue. We all have small children and can sometimes catch the cat watching us. It will run if the adults approach it, but our children are not safe. I currently have a motion sensative camera in my back yard. Hopefully we will catch something.
--Tracey

I live in freeport on the Lower Flying Pt. Rd. One morning I was going to work around 4:30 am on the Lower Flying Pt. Rd. I saw what I thought was a deer crossing in front of my truck lights. One big problem it was a big cat with a very long tail. I called the Maine Warden Service in Gray, but they never returned my call. I was shocked at what I saw. I am a deer hunter and have seen all kinds of wildlife but but never anything like this. I will never forget what I saw that morning.
--Ted

My aunt in Hartford, ME said she saw a mountain lion about 3 weeks ago. She just happened to look our her window and it was walking along the rock wall in front of her house. She described it as a big cat, with a long tail, and about 3 feet tall at the shoulder. She knew she wasn't looking at a bobcat.
--Jenn

My mother and I saw what appeared to be a young mountain lion walk across her yard in Sanford, ME in August 2005. It stood about 2 feet tall, had a long tail that dipped to the ground, and was tan in color. My mother saw it closer than I did and said it had faint rings on the tail. It pounced into the woods when a car approached.
--Jennifer

While deer hunting in Poland, ME I heard what sounded like a person except it was moving fast. The animal ran to my right and then circled behind me I turned to see a large tan animal on a dead run. At first thinking there's my deer I was shocked to see that the animal was low to the ground with a long tail and a very stalky cat like appearance. There is no doubt in my mind that this was a Mountain Lion. It was too big and stealthy to be a dog. After the animal left my area two hunters walked from the direction he had come. These two hunters spooked a mountain lion and it ran right by me.
--Marty

So the big cat is definitely out there. And a lot closer than you think...

But where the heck is the Beer Troll?

Cars backed up for a mile at a rail crossing on Forest Avenue. Inattentive people on cell phones, eating a bagel and smoking a butt... everything but looking at the road. Getting stuck behind a sloooooow moving METRO bus. One too many red lights.

A frustrating commute to work? Sometimes.

Dangerous? Not really (I'm knocking on wood now).

But if you live out in the country--like in Chesterfield, for example--you might have to contend with a different kind of commuting problem.

Like a hunter with a rifle shooting a deer along side of the highway. And then shooting again. And again. And driving the animal into the path of oncoming cars. Forcing you to slam on the brakes to avoid a nasty deer-car collision.

Now that's a dangerous commute!

I don't think we have to worry about this kind of thing in the big city.

But I'll certainly be more alert driving to and from my hiking spots, that's for sure.

Wonder if I should paint my car blaze orange?

You just nevah can tell what's gonna happen up they-a in The County.

Ayuh.

Come to find out the Fort Kent Lions Club has come up with a new way to raise some cash for their favorite charitable organizations...

A calendar of naked locals out hunting, fishing, cross-country skiing and the like. Discreetly covered up in just the right places, of course.

Good thing, given the wintry weather up that way. Wouldn't want anything vital getting frost-nipped after all.

Sales of this unique calendar are apparently pretty hot, and seeing as how this is a limited edition production, well, it might be behoove you all to get yours soon. All for some causes to boot.

Loren Coleman and his cryptozoologist pals have been in the news a lot lately. With tales of Bigfoot, the Loch Ness Monster, the abominable snowman... They even held a symposium on the topic this past weekend at Bates College.

I tried to contact them recently regarding evidence of a Maine Beer Troll, a stealthy creature that lurks in the dark corners of pubs across Maine, but I was ignored completely.

Snubbed.

I even ponied up some photographic evidence.

Nothing.

Fine.

Hey, we've got all kinds of weird and creepy thing out there in the Maine woods, and all these crypto-guys have is nothing but old and blurred videos and photos of their supposed creepy monsters.

Baloney.

We've got the real thing mister. And it's time to break things wide open here in Maine with the latest crypto-discovery...

Yes, that's right.

In Orono.

The Big Blue Beast.

I visited there a week ago to attend a strange annual ritual held on the campus of the University of Maine. They call it "homecoming." Thousands of rather strange people of all ages gather together for one, and seemingly only one, purpose that I could discern: to consume a certain frothy brew. They call it "beer."

I sampled it throughout the weekend. And it was good. So good in fact that it almost threw me off of my most important mission: To find evidence, and possibly capture, the Big Blue Beast that is known to inhabit the area each fall.

Despite the potion I had consumed, I was still able to break away from the rituals going on all about me to search the area for clues.

They were not hard to find.

Big blue paw prints were everywhere. At least a foot across and a foot and a half in length.

I was taken aback, if not a bit shaken. Scared even.

This was a big creature. And it was here. Somewhere. Maybe closer than I thought.

I carried on, but looked over my shoulder frequently. This was nothing to fool with.

Dauntless in my search for the scientific truth, I searched the campus from one end to the other. From the student union building to the banks of the Stillwater River. From the football stadium to Pat's Pizza in town.

And I queried all who I passed. To no avail.

I received only quizzical looks from people. Then distain. Then fear. Parents ushered their children to the side as I passed. Men and women screamed and scattered.

"Don't you know," I cried? "There's a monster out here, with big blue paws! He's going to get us all! Doesn't anyone care?"

... then my buddy Pete woke me from my nap in my chair in the sun. It was time to go into the football game.

Too much of the strange brew apparently. Or maybe not enough.

In any case, Happy Halloween!!!

It's deer hunting season in Maine (with rifles, that is), and time for anybody who plans on spending any time out in the woods, whether you're hiking, mountain biking or whatever, to wear at least two items of blaze orange clothing.

Deer hunters are required to wear an orange hat and something orange on their torso. You should too.

Accidents happen. Why be a statistic? And dead?

And while there is no hunting allowed on in Maine on Sundays, why take a chance? Wear the orange clothing anyway!

And remember, if you venture across the border into the hinterlands of the Granite State, be advised that there IS hunting 7 days a week. No let up. So it's orange a go-go in the NH woods.

The Maine deer hunting rifle season goes until sunset on Saturday, November 26th.

New Hampshire's deer rifle season extends until Sunday, December 4th.

So wear orange and be safe!

No, I'm not talking about last night's Powerball. Which I didn't win, of course, hence I'm back here sitting in front of my computer this morning. As opposed to the likely very well-liquored-up winner somewhere in Oregon who will soon be waking up to a fat hangover and the realization of a fat wallet too. Way to go dude.

But I digress...

I'm talking about the $1 million prize that was put out there earlier this week for photographic evidence leading to the capture of Bigfoot, or Nessie, or the Yeti. I tried adding the elusive Maine Beer Troll to the list, but was ignored by authorities in the scientific community, those snobby crypto-malt-beveragists or whatever the heck they call themselves.

Anyway, the cheapskates (they probably drink PBR or worse, generic beer) have yanked the big prize money and subbed in a measly $5K.

Big whoop.

Now, I realize that 5G's will buy a lot of Ho-Hos and six-packs, but I just can't get excited about it. The thrill of the hunt is gone.

So Bigfoot and the Maine Beer Troll and the other beasts will probably continue their stealthy existence somewhere out there in the woods and mountains, occasionally frightening the crap out of some unsuspecting Maine camp owner, or some clueless kids camping out in some Maryland swamp.

'Cause 5K just ain't gonna bring 'em in...

Cryptozoology: The scientific study of hidden, rumored or unknown animals.

Who knew?

And Loren Coleman, a prof at the University of Southern Maine and one of the world's leading cryptozoologists (there must be at least three, I'm guessing) will be speaking on the subject at an upcoming symposium at Bates College on October 28th.

Who cares?

Well, if you can produce a photo of one of the "big three" in the cryptozoology world--the Bigfoot or sasquatch, the Loch Ness monster or the abominable snowman--evidence that leads to the live capture of one of these infamous creatures, you could win a million bucks (and probably get your own reality TV show).

Cool.

Now, it's a pretty well known fact that none of these beasts hang out in the Maine woods. You hikers and other outdoorsy types out there who spend a lot of time tramping around in the woods can back me up on this, I'm sure.

But we Mainers do have a stealthy creature of our own, known to exist but rarely sighted, that I'm sure would be of interest to these crypto-something-or-other types... the Beer Troll.

And I just happen to have possibly the last known photograph of it.

I doubt it'll win me $1 million bucks, but the evidence has got to be worth something. And if we could actually find and trap the Beer Troll, and bring it to the symposium by the end of the month, well, wouldn't that just be something. Put the Maine woods back on the map. Put us on top of the cryptozoology world for sure. Maybe even earn us a Survivor: Maine show.

So, if any of you have any leads on where the Maine Beer Troll is, let's talk. Time's a wasting...

Tomorrow evening's Greater Portland Naturalists Forum at Maine Audubon in Falmouth will feature filmmaker Daniel Breton and his stories, photographs and film clips from his latest film Fish Out of Water, on the lives of Maine coast puffins, and Arctic and common terns.

It'll no doubt be another interesting and informative program for sure.

Last month's forum illustrated the threatened status of the New England Cottontail rabbit, which lives only in Maine. Different from the Eastern Cottontail and the Appalachian Cottontail, the New England Cottontail is in serious decline and is being considered for endangered species protection.

Why the decline?

Turns out that the NE Cottontail has smaller eyes than its cousins, so it can't see very well. It likes brushy habitat, and tends not to venture more than 5 meters or so out of the security of the thick cover. But when it does it quickly becomes prey.

And since the NE Cottontail's desired habitat is also in fast decline due to urban sprawl, more highways, and parking lots--open areas that aren't friendly for the rabbit--there's a real problem with regard to its future survival.

Audubon and Maine DIFW scientists are studying the problem and possible solutions, one of which is to preserve more large areas of brushy habitat (25 acres or more) before they've all disappeared.

It's estimated that there are 250 NE Cottontail rabbits left.

These naturalists forums are terrific and I urge anyone interested to check them out, as well as the many other wonderful programs and events going on.

I suspect there are a few stretches of highway in Maine dubbed "Moose Alley." But the one I'm most familiar with is Route 201 from Bingham to Jackman, where the moose population seems as thick as the black flies.

I don't know the stats, but I can tell you from personal experience cruising up there countless trips for rafting or kayaking, it's a pretty scary road to drive sometimes, most especially at night, when the big animals are nearly impossible to see until you are right on top of them... or they're on top of you!

A particularly bad section is the couple of miles between Northern Outdoors and Three Rivers Whitewater in The Forks.

And that's where an out-of-state couple had a serious run-in with a moose on Saturday night. It would appear that their car was totaled in the accident but the two survived with only minor injuries. Lucky them.

And as often happens, the moose fled the scene, a scenario I've witnessed a number of times. I just don't know how a moose can do that, but they do.

I'll never forget arriving first on the scene of a horrific looking accident on I-95 in Gardiner one summer day while returning home from Baxter Park. A family in a minivan struck a moose, flipped end over end, ejecting everybody. The minivan was flattened to the height of about four feet. Incredibly, no one was seriously injured. But the moose was crumpled in the middle of the highway, apparently dead.

So while my friend, an EMT, attended to medical needs of the family, I directed traffic around the moose until emergency help could arrive. But I surely wasn't prepared for what happened next.

As I stood there waving cars by, I watched in stunned amazement as the moose slowly stood up, shook itself off, and sauntered into the woods!

I couldn't believe it. But I've seen it happen several times since.

Moose collisions are scary. And ugly. And very often deadly.

That's why I make it a point not to travel in known heavy moose corridors at night if I can at all avoid it. Like Route 201. I feel much better getting to camp early, in the daylight, while I can still see the mooses.

Have you had any close calls with moose on the road?

An Arizona laboratory is "is seeking 50 to 100 grams of dead and dried black flies from Maine" and has contacted the Maine Black Fly Breeders Association for help.

Now that's a project worthy of our attention! Can we send more? I mean, we sure have them to spare and we won't miss a few million more.

Take them. Please.

There's a few of us with plenty of experience and expertise in the black fly killing department who can be of great assistance. I'm in. Where do I sign up?

There's a grassy field out behind my Mom's house, and just beyond is a brushy wood interspersed with pricky pear cactus and wildflowers that extends downhill a quarter mile to shore of Lake Benbrook.

I sat out there Friday evening at twilight relaxing a bit, enjoying the serenading crickets, and the oncoming darkness.

That's when I saw them.

Fireflies!

My goodness, I honestly can't remember the last time I saw fireflies!

And for many delightful minutes I watched in amazement as they flitted and danced through the trees along the field, flashing their little lights all about, and bringing the smile of a kid to my face.

It was one of those moments of childish wonder that occur much too infrequently in our busy adult worlds.

Don't you remember? How we kids would dash out the door after supper on a hot summer's evening to catch fireflies. We'd gently cup our hands around them and catch them from the air, then put them safely into our jar with some grass. Dad would punch a few air holes holes in the metal lid, and we'd take our prized jar inside and set it on the nightstand next to our beds. And watch with the big-eyed wonder that only a kid can have, until sleep took over...

Well, I'll be! My friend Dan just reported seeing a mountain lion this Saturday near the Maine-NH border.

Dan said: "Yep. Today on Province Pond Trail in Chatham, N.H. He/she was crossing the trail about 5 minutes behind us just as we arrived at the car and changed our boots. I guess he/she weighed around 100 lbs., was about five or six feet long, brown with a long tail. Crossed the trail, then leaped over some small trees gracefully into the bushes."

There are reportedly as many as 100 mountain lions roaming around the wilds of Maine.

Have you ever seen one?

We have bugs here in Maine? Really? What bugs?

Okay, maybe there's a few. I guess even I have to admit to having seen one or two black flies, several mosquitoes, and maybe a no-see-um or three in the Maine woods over the years.

But what's the big deal?

Anyway, I kind of like the bugs. For selfish reasons.

A large, persistent, buzzing cloud of bugs helps keep the visitor population down. And helps keeps my favorite trails and campsites somewhat free and clear, at least through June or early July.

But bugs have even more benefits.

When you slap your arm clean of them and a few bugs fall into your soup, well, that's just added protein. All organic. I also find that, after inhaling a mouthful of bugs, and having a good coughing fit, that it helps to clear my lungs, so they're good for my health.

Bugs also add a nice touch to your smile when they get caught in your teeth. No worse than broccoli or poppy seeds. And of course, a goodly amount of bloody bug-bite pock marks all over you makes you wicked attractive to your girlfriend when you get home from a trip in the woods, so you're bound to get some sympathetic TLC.

So, all in all, a few bugs in the Maine woods really aren't a bad thing after all now, don't you think?

With my good 'ol Woodsman bug dope I'm ready, so bring 'em on...

What's your favorite bug potion or ingenius solution for dealing with bug season in Maine?

It has taken many hours of serious investigative work, but I have finally closed in on the trail of the pesky Beer Troll who has dogged the Trail Head blog with snarky comments over the past weeks and months.

Your cover is blown Beer Troll! You can't hide anymore!

Please note: I actually do know who "Beer Troll" really is and, strangely enough, enjoy the almost-daily harassment! :-)

I don't fish anymore, and haven't for years now. I still have my rod and reel and all the accessories stashed away somewhere. But my interest waned and I've never gotten it back.

Even so, I still strongly support the right of other outdoorspeople to pursue their respective sports. And that includes the student members of the Bates College Fishing Club, who have recently come under attack by a PETA activist.

Fishing is inhumane, according to this un-sportsman, and he wants to see Bates College un-fund the student fishing club.

Give me a break.

Is anything sacred? Does everything that's fun have to be ruined?

Fishing is an age old sporting pasttime, especially here in Maine, passed along from generation to generation. Fishing gets people out into the woods and onto the waters, and provides recreation and relaxation for many.

So a few fish end up in the frying pan, all nice and flour-coated, sizzling away in butter. So what?

Clearly some people just have too much time on their hands.

Go away. And leave the the Bates students to their fishing fun.

An outdoorsman friend of mine, Jim from Wisconsin, recently sent along this great photo of a mother bear and her cub in the wild near Gordon, Wisconsin. I figured that since the voting is over and the bear controversy in Maine has faded for now that it was okay to share with you.

Is that a cute cub or what?!