As others posts have indicated I’ve gotten a fair amount of field work in since mid-summer, getting out to Vermont, Massachusetts and New York, and have done a decent amount of field work in my local area as well. I try to get out a weekly basis to this area and have a look around, and it has been quiet so far, with the except of a brief run in with a female moose. The deer keds are out as well, which for all intent and purpose, flying ticks, but insects, not arachnids. The moose encounter should serve as a reminder that you can run into something right around the corner and should be prepared for it, in terms of safety as well as not panicking. Males this time of year are in the rut and as a result are dangerous, this female on the other hand, was just blind as a bat. She didn’t see me or notice me until I called out, which was at about thirty feet. Since I’ve run into bears in the same area it’s just wise to be aware of your surroundings and even though you’re looking for the squatch, there’s other things out there to, be careful out there.