Animals Along CL50

Adirondack Loon

ANIMALS ALONG THE CL50
The forests, meadows and wetlands you will be traveling through harbor healthy populations of charismatic wildlife generally rare or absent elsewhere.
In general, the animals are not to be feared, but respected and enjoyed from a distance. As wildlife is a State-controlled resource, regulations and information pertaining to hunting and fishing can be found at the NYS-DEC website, dec.ny.gov
If you are quiet and observant, you may see, hear or discover signs of coyote, fox, black bear, bobcat, otter, fisher, marten, deer, moose, beaver, mink, chipmunks, red squirrels, northern flying squirrels, snowshoe hare, porcupine, mice, voles, short-tailed shrews, green frogs, bull frogs, wood frogs, tree frogs, spring peepers, American toads, red-backed salamanders, spotted newts, yellow-spotted salamanders, garter snakes, ring-necked snakes, bald eagles, osprey, great blue herons, kingfishers, turkey vultures, loons, turkey, ruffed grouse, red-tailed hawks, barred owls, great-horned owls, ducks, geese, and many others, including a host of migratory and year-round songbird species.
Cranberry Lake itself and the region’s backcountry ponds are home to several fish species, most commonly brook trout, large mouth bass, small mouth bass, northern pike and assorted pan fish.

A WORD OF CAUTION
Never approach or try to feed wildlife, especially those acting odd or abnormal. The latter may be infected with rabies, although that is rare in this area. Be careful to protect your food supplies from black bear and other critters by using a ‘bear-resistant’ canister.
Many folks will be relieved to know that poisonous snakes are very rare to non-existent in the area. To date, the area is not known to support some of the commonly-feared plants, like poison ivy and stinging nettles. Several species of biting insects call the Cranberry Lake region home, including black flies, deer flies, mosquitoes and biting midges (a.k.a., no-see-ums).
Ticks are occasionally found, but the deer tick (a.k.a. black-legged tick) a carrier of Lyme disease, is currently rare.  To avoid the insect ‘welcome wagon,’ plan your trip so as to avoid the itchy months of late May, June and early July.