THE FOX SQUIRREL part II

THE FOX SQUIRREL part II

Last week I posted the story of my sighting of a mythical beast while fly- fishing on the upper Potomac River with old College friends and fraternity brothers Frog and Catfish.  Catfish assured me that the creature I spotted from the West Virginia side of the river to the Maryland side, over 200 yards was simply a Fox Squirrel.

The Fox Squirrel is a large (2-3 pounds) squirrel common to the area.  The creature I saw was well over 30 pounds and fierce looking.  I have been chided by Frog and Catfish ever since, the country rube getting excited about spotting a “fierce” squirrel.

Keep in mind that I was fishing with tri-focal lenses and I have a cataract in my right eye which makes everything a bit cloudy.  I don’t believe that a three pound squirrel from over two-hundred yards across the river would have caught my attention.  Nevertheless Frog and Catfish insist it had to be a Fox Squirrel.  Frog is an avid outdoorsman; Catfish was a big shot with the Delaware Fish and Game Department.  I never even stuck it out with the cub scouts.  Who am I to argue?

Since my post, the blog community has sought to identify the mysterious creature that I saw on the Maryland side of the river:

Irene from Irene’s world Travels http://irenesworldtravels.blogspot.com/ insists the creature sounds like the mythical Bulgarian “Wolperdinger.” I did some research on this and it seems unlikely a Wolperdinger would find its way from Europe to the woods of Western Maryland.

"The Broad" from A Broad with a View http://www.abroadwithaview.com/  suggests the animal was a “Wild Easter Bunny.”  I think The Broad is siding with Frog and Catfish in making fun of me.

Lou from Sunny Side http://www.loubradt.com/  Suspects that I saw the elusive Chupacabra or the Mexican goat sucker.  Lou is still a little Google-eyed over her recent marriage and as a UK transplant has trouble finding her way from the freeway to the airport.  I really cannot give her much credibility.  Besides everyone knows the Chupacabra are not found north of Texas.

JohnD, the Aussie outdoorsman from Tok Tok place http://toktokplace.blogspot.com/  Says it sounds like the Australian tourist killer the “Drop Bear.”  Research shows that apparently the most poisonous snakes, spiders and toads in the world along with killer stingrays, crocodiles and great white sharks are not enough to scare the bejesus out of tourists; the Aussies have invented the killer “Drop Bear.”  Nice try John, I’m not buying it.

Finally, my old College friend and fraternity brother, Fast Freddy the Dentist, alerted me to the possibility the creature is a Fisher Cat. 

The Fisher Cat is a fierce 30 pound cat-like weasel which once roamed the north eastern United States until it was almost trapped into extinction for its pelt.  The Fisher Cat is so fierce it is the only animal which is able to kill and eat a porcupine.  The Fisher Cat is making an ecological comeback.

Now I ask you, whom should I believe?

The retired bigwig with the Delaware Fish and Game Department:

Fox Squirrel

                                      OR                                              

                                             A Rhode Island Dentist:

Fisher Cat 

  I’m going with the Dentist!