Many guides and outfitters even offer moose-watching tours. You can venture on back roads yourself, or ask your lodging hosts where the best local viewing spots are. Look for moose tracks on dirt roads, identified by their large cloven impression, which can be more than five inches long and show a stride of ten feet- a sure sign that the moose was on the run. Remember to drive cautiously in moose country, however, since they are often encountered ambling in the middle of a road. Keep a sharp eye out for the moose s cousin, the white-tailed deer, which can be seen in fields and forest clearings, particularly at dawn and dusk.
Maine has an abundant black bear population.
Bears can occasionally be seen in northern, central and western sections of the state, although they are shy and will likely avoid contact with people. These powerful animals should be appreciated from afar and not be approached or startled. One of Maine s most active furry creatures is the beaver, which builds its home in streams, rivers and lakes. Look for its dome-like lodges, which can stand as high as five or six feet above the surface of the water. Another sure sign of beaver country is finding sharpened and chewed sticks on the shores of rivers and lakes that appear to have been whittled at the ends.