Favorite animal to see?

[ElvishWarrior21]

Do any of you guys have a favorite animal to see in the Adirondacks? There are many familiar ones that I love meeting again, from the blue herons of the brooks to the giant dragonflies at the mountaintops. But my ultimate favorite animal ever is the beaver. Nature's original engineer, they change the scenery wherever they go. Ranging from cat sized to dog sized, they're definitely the king of rodents and the masters of an ecosystem that many animals make their own home after the fact. Friends of swamp life, foes of trees, I can't think of any animal that makes as big a mark.

[redhawk]

Adirondacks, West, North, makes no difference, my Favorite animals to run across are bears. Black, Brown, Grizzly, Kodiak and probably Polar. Bears are the most magnificent and spiritual animals on the face of the earth.

[Judgeh]

For all of the time I've spent in the ADK, I've yet to see anything more exciting than a mouse or a squirrel. Oh, I forgot. Lots of bear scat as well.

Several experiences with grizzlys and moose in Alaska. Maginificent animals.

Does camping with Redhawk and Sacco count?

[adkdremn]

I get excited over just about any animal I see, even as a simple as a chipmunk or toad. Especially now that I have kids. Most of my animal experiences have come at the ADK Loj. We've seen bears numerous times while camping, including the one that had his front paws on the picnic table behind me while I was leaning on it with my camping chair. Would have been a perfect picture. One of my favorites was following a loon around Heart Lake while paddling a kayak with my then 3 year old daughter. We also saw a beaver that same time. My daughter is now 5 and it's amazing how she remembers all of her animal sightings including the mouse in the bathroom that she tried to catch by saying, "here mousey, mousey."
They're all exciting to us as a family and memories that we treasure and make sure our kids know are special moments. I'm still waiting to see my first moose, that would really get me excited!

[Dick]

Seeing bears and moose is a magnificent experience, but one far different from seeing critters like pine martens and squirrels, which provide considerable amusement. Out west, I'd include marmots in the latter category.

[Judgeh]

Seeing bears and moose is a magnificent experience, but one far different from seeing critters like pine martens and squirrels, which provide considerable amusement. Out west, I'd include marmots in the latter category.

Lots of Marmots in Alaska. They're the cutest little things. Eagles, too. I agree...animals of any sort are a wonder!

[Skyclimber]

I love all wildlife. My favorite in the woods is a deer. I have seen bucks, does, twin fawns, moose, beaver, porcupines, grouse, ducks, pine martens, rabbits, fisher, owl. Had a bear be ahead of us on a trail, but didn't even know it, until we watched the hikers run like heck, later telling us what it was all about.

We've heard the coyotes howling on our way to the Wolf Jaw's one Winter Day. That was neat.

My favorite wildlife encounter was being chased by a moose at Sandy Pond in Maine. As well as seeing the most beautiful red coated, foot long horns, in velvet spikehorn, eating the leaves off the trees, drinking water from the brook in the John's Brook Valley.

My worse, seeing a young deer being killed by a dog, near Marcy Dam. Also a injured deer, lying in the woods on the Sachs Trail to Rooster Comb.

[ken999]

Saw my first ADK Moose this fall while hunting, a momma and her calf. They were my 2nd and 3rd Moose ever, the calf was much larger than any deer I have ever seen...it must have weighed 300 lbs or so.

[Dick]

I love all wildlife. My favorite in the woods is a deer. I have seen bucks, does, twin fawns, moose, beaver, porcupines, GROUSE,

I've had two encounters with grouse, and both were a little unnerving. Once on the Northville-Placid trail, we were hiking along peacefully and we startled one, which flew up into our faces and and away. The second time was on the Blueberry foot trail in the Sewards. As we approached, a grouse started to squawk and then actually chase us for a short distance.

We've heard the coyotes howling on our way to the Wolf Jaw's one Winter Day. That was neat.

We hear them all the time across the street from our house in the woods. Quite eerie.

My worse, seeing a young deer being killed by a dog, near Marcy Dam. Also a injured deer, lying in the woods on the Sachs Trail to Rooster Comb.

My similar experience, though it is the way of nature, was coming upon a fresh caribou kill (no doubt at the hand of a bear) in Gros Morne, Newfoundland.

Dick

[KevynJJ]

Being a bird-nerd, I love to see any type of bird in the Adks. I especially like to hear wrens while hiking and trying to find bird nests in the spring. Woodpecker babies peaking out of a tree are darn cute!

I have had the pleasure, albeit nerve-racking, of seeing an Adk Moose. It was on the side of the road, so I slowed way down and crossed my fingers that it wouldn't jump in front of me.

One animal that I want to see more than any is a Flying Squirrel. I've seen many nocturnal animals, but I am yet to see a Flying Squirrel. Someday I'm sure; the field guides list them as "common." I just need to be at the right place at the right time.

-Kev

[ken999]

KevynJJ- It's been a few years now since I've seen one, but every once and a while I'd catch a flying squirrel out under the birdfeeder at my grandparents place after dark.

[sacco]

ken, i saw a flying squirrel before also, but the guy i was with didn't believe me. he said it must have been a bat, but i know what i saw.

[Hakuna Matada]

Sacco,
Nice avitar. It looks like you were told to go get the firewood and set up the tent and start dinner and don't dally!

[redhawk]

Sacco,
Nice avitar. It looks like you were told to go get the firewood and set up the tent and start dinner and don't dally!

Sacco and Winnie have matching collars and leashes!!

[sacco]

yup, HM, she can be a pretty tough task master!

for the record hawk, that's narnia- winnie's mom.