A close encounter with a Canadian lynx

Trips into the state’s more remote places can come with all sorts of rewards.

Just stepping off the beaten path — hopefully out of cell phone range — gives a person some peace and quiet that rarely exists in our busy lives. Add in a few wild animal sightings, and you’ve got the makings of a memorable day.

And when one of those critters is a Canada lynx, you’re sure to end up with a tale to tell.

That’s what happened to Rob Hannigan of South Portland, as he spent some time exploring back roads and looking for moose with his fiancee, Kelly Dooling.

“We were on the northern side of Brassua [Lake] riding up towards Pittston Farms,” Hannigan said. “Just around dusk we came over a hill and [a Canada lynx] was lying in the middle of the road in the sun.”

Lynx populations have rebounded over the past few years, but most people still consider a lynx sighting as pretty unusual. Hannigan and Dooling stopped and watched a show unfold.

“We watched him for about 20 minutes and he stood up and hunted and pounced on something in the bushes a few times but appeared to come back empty-handed,” Hannigan said. “Then he walked toward and right on past us as you see in the video.”

Hannigan recognizes that his gender-assignment might be incorrect.

“Not sure how to identify male or female so can’t say for sure it actually was a ‘he,’” Hannigan said. “Awesome experience though.”