Mother load...or just a load

Today was a glorious day to be in the woods! Warm weather, melting snow, mud, the stench of rotting vegetation, and what I can only assume was an owl orgy. But first I wanted to reply to some comments from the few poor buggers that have read this blog. First off was a question regarding whether or not we have deer? Oh yes we have them and a lot of them. In fact from the information that I have found, Massachusetts regards 6-8 deer per square mile as a healthy population, in my yard just the other day there was a herd of 14 (I live in Rowley). Essex county is actually sometimes deals with over population of deer.

Here is some deer poop, and there were three other piles around this one.

 Another question was why do female fishers delay pregnancy? There are several species that do this including; kangaroos, red pandas,seals, otters, and bats (there are about 100 mammal species that do this). Typically they delay pregnancy until their physiological needs are met and they have the best chance of allowing their offspring to survive. BUT interestingly enough why the fisher holds off for a full year is still a mystery. Check Out: http://www.nwf.org/news-and-magazines/national-wildlife/animals/archives/1992/mothers-in-waiting.aspx it is pretty interesting stuff, if your into the whole pregnancy thing.
I also need to clarify something, the picture I showed in my last blog I believe it was this one...
Is not a fisher. Fisher tracks have 5 toe prints, this only has 4. Now ruling out a bobcat, that leaves a member of the Canidae(dog-like mammals) family, which only show 4 toes in their print. Now if the medial toes point slightly inward it is apt to be coyote...unless its a wolf. But if they are more neutral or point outward then it is most likely a fox. These were some big prints and unless we've got godzilla foxes living in Rowley then these are coyote tracks. Today through the melting snow I was able to find and identify, thanks to my new knowledge, the 5 toed print of the elusive fisher.

But I have lost myself, the real meat and potatoes are the owls gone wild. Now thanks to the heads up from the professor I have been looking and listening for these feathered freaks to start making a ruckus. And they did not disappoint. I will go more in depth next time about there romances. Plus the answer to how critters keep their feet warm.

Bonus turd.