Bobcat Tracks

But the most exciting wildlife encounter was back at home. Karla called and told me that a bobcat was sitting in our yard gazing down the road. When I got home, the bobcat was gone and all I got to see was the tracks.

BobcatTracks

Fresh Snow

With all the new snow the North Shore is a winter wonderland. We have between two to three feet of snow. When I woke up Friday morning and saw all the fresh snow hanging on the trees I knew I had to get outdoors and strap on the snowshoes. My favorite time to snowshoe is right after new snow has blanketed the ground. Wildlife tracks are fresh and the critters that made them are usually close by and sometimes even watching you.

FreshSnow

Snowshoe Hare Tracks

The snow was still falling as I followed tracks of wolf, pine martin, bobcat, deer, and snowshoe hare. When I got into the thicker cover I encountered lots of snowshoe hare tracks. Their runways went in every direction. They were using the spruce and balsam branches as protection from the predators.

SnowshoeHareTracks

Whitetail Deer

It was so peaceful under the trees listening to the sounds of the falling snow and the wildlife around me. Following tracks can lead to exciting wildlife encounters. I sat under a large white pine and listened. When I looked up I noticed a whitetail deer watching me from behind the trees. His neck was stretched out trying to see if I was a friend or foe. I slowly brought my camera up and snapped a couple of images before he disappeared into the white background.

WhitetailDeer