Could these be prints of a mountain lion or an animal known to roam Maine.
For those who grew up in northern Maine and enjoy outside activities, running into the animals that inhabit our woods is a common occurrence. We have all seen families of white-tailed deer licking salt from the road in winter, or a lone moose slowly crossing a field. Stay in Aroostook County’s vast woods long enough and you will likely encounter coyotes, black bears and porcupines. But imagine seeing a critter that isn’t supposed to be living in our state at all. That is what some Mainers have claimed, and sorry but this isn’t about Bigfoot. Growing up in Maine, many of us heard stories about mountain lion or cougar sightings.
Oxbow Township is a tiny settlement on the border of the north Maine woods. Longtime Oxbow residents Bruce and Christina Stadig claimed to have had an encounter with a large cat on a remote snowmobile trail.
Around 30 minutes into a cold ride in late January, Christina and Bruce spotted a tall figure in the distance on the side of the trail. “I thought it could be a coyote when I first saw it,” Bruce recalled.
As they slowed down and approached the creature, its features became clearer. “It was a golden, sandy color with a long, smooth tail,” Christina said. The mystery animal appeared more cat-like as it gracefully crossed the snowmobile path into the cover of the woods. Needless to say, they pulled over where the creature had stood and examined the tracks. They appear to be the prints of a large cat, a cat that shouldn’t be roaming the snow-covered woods of northern Maine. “I always suspected they were here, but I wasn’t sure until I saw one with my own eyes,” Christina said.
Bruce and Christina have always shared a love for the outdoors and both have years of experience with Maine’s wildlife. They spotted a Canadian lynx while out riding that same day. The differences between the two cats were clear. The lynx has ear tuffs, a short, bobbed tail and fluffy fur. A mountain lion has smooth fur, no ear tuffs and a long tail similar to a housecat’s.
The cougar was known to inhabit eastern North America in earlier centuries before being pushed out by settlers and hunters. It’s a comforting thought to imagine such an animal once again making its home in northern Maine.
