The beauty and dangers of spring
Each year the Dept. of Environmental Conservation sends out press releases and announcements, advising the public that springtime in the outdoors can be a dangerous season, and for a couple of reasons. But each year there are some who'll ignore the advice, and end up getting themselves in deep do-do.
One of the subjects has to do with encountering young-of-the-year wildlife. May and June are the months when all sorts of species' young-of-the-year are getting their first taste of life in the wild. Baby birds, squirrels, chipmunks, raccoons, foxes and deer are just a few of the species that people may encounter when outdoors. There's sometimes a temptation to bring one of these cuties home to rear and domesticate. Don't, and for several reasons.
First is the fact that having wildlife without a permit is against the law. Should an injured or otherwise distressed young wildlife specimen be found, there are licensed wildlife rehabilitators available to accept stewardship until the bird or animal can be safely released back into the wilds. Second is that most young wildlife encountered isn't "orphaned." Its parent or parents are normally close by, although you may not see them. The best examples of this are baby birds that have fallen from the nest, and bedded fawns that are accidentally found. Leave 'em be. Their mom isn't far away.
Another incentive to avoid "rescuing" young wildlife is for more personal reasons. Wild birds and animals, including young ones, can carry diseases. Some can peck, claw or bite, and such a wound can lead to infection or worse, should the creature be sick. Many also are hosts to lice or ticks.
Last but not least is the fact that young wildlife that's removed from being cared for by its parent(s) often dies within a few days, regardless of how well the "surrogate human parent" attempts to care for it. Even veteran wildlife rehabilitators admit that the survival rate for the young of some species of wildlife they receive is not all that good. So the odds of someone with little or no training and experience being successful are slim indeed. As the DEC puts its advice regarding young wildlife: "If you care, you'll leave it there."
The other springtime advisory annually voiced by the DEC is avoiding conflicts with wildlife, especially black bears and coyotes. Although different species, both are scavengers, and the common thread they share is both are always on the lookout for easy meals.
Traditionally, conflicts involving bears had been primarily considered an "Adirondack thing" since that region contained by far the highest density of bruins. But over the past several decades changes in the ecosystems in central and southern tier New York, especially to the abandoned farmlands, have created an environment that's more suitable to hosting resident populations of bears. These large mammals favor thick cover, and the once open areas created by agriculture were more suitable for deer. But as smaller farms were abandoned, and fields and pastures were allowed to convert back to brush and early-stage forests, the dense cover created is providing increasingly better habitat and security for black bears.
In addition to the increase in bear numbers in our region, increased residential building along rural roads where farmlands once existed has created a situation where residential properties often lie on the fringes of extensive dense cover behind them. This effectively creates a secure buffer zone for bears that can quickly move from dense cover to residences while seeking easy food that may be available there. Many residents never know a bear is in their area until they see or hear it as it looks for food – rattling trash cans, pulling down bird feeders, licking the grease off barbeque grills, pulling down branches to eat ripen cultivated fruit, etc. Coyotes have been around our region for nearly a half century, but their numbers and range have increased dramatically in recent decades. Unlike the spindly-legged "Wile E. Coyote" type of the West, ours are actually a hybrid that migrated down from Eastern Canada, where coyotes had bred with grey wolves and the resulting offspring were rejected by the wolves but accepted by coyotes. The subsequent breeding that occurred further purified the hybridizations process and resulted in the animals we see here today.
Much like deer, coyotes are survivors and adaptors, and that trait is very much in evidence by where coyotes are found now. They are just as adept at living and hunting in residential areas as in woodlands and farmlands. In fact, in some residential areas the coyotes are gradually losing their fear of people and are seen on lawns and trotting along sidewalks. The adults have no natural enemies other than man and will readily attack small domestic pets, young livestock, adult fowl, and smaller wildlife, up to and including fox and wild turkey. But being scavengers, they're also always on the lookout for an easy meal, such as might be available around residences. Dog and cat food, garbage, and even compost containing food scraps can be viewed as potential meals for a hungry coyote.
As has been noted, available food is the lure that attracts both bear and coyote (along with several other species of wildlife, such as raccoon, skunk, opossum, crows, pigeons, etc.) so eliminating readily available food sources is the obvious answer. While this applies to residences, it also is applicable to camping and hiking. A messy campsite where cooking has been done and food isn't secured is a natural invitation to bears, coyotes and several other species to come calling, especially after dark. Backpacks containing food is also an invitation, especially when left unattended on the ground or in an unoccupied tent.
It's too bad that increasingly more people have so little firsthand knowledge about our outdoor world as it truly is, and not how they "think" it is. Each generation is progressively living farther from nature and having less contact with the natural outdoor world and its creatures, basing their views instead on what they view on television, at the movies or on the Internet. As such, many may have almost a Disney cartoon-like attitude about the wild creatures they may encounter. Often, their first instinct when finding a baby bird, fawn or cottontail rabbit is to "rescue" it and bring it home to care for
There's a very good reason why these creatures are called "wildlife," and that applies to the young as well as the adults. Leave them alone and let nature do what it's been doing for eons, largely without our help, and despite our interference.
Friends of NRA Banquet May 25
The Northern Riflemen's Alliance will hold a Friends of NRA banquet on May 25 at the Norwich American Legion. The event begins at 5:30 p.m. with dinner at 7 p.m. For more information call (607) 336-3546 or e-mail bradd@fnrany.org.
One of the subjects has to do with encountering young-of-the-year wildlife. May and June are the months when all sorts of species' young-of-the-year are getting their first taste of life in the wild. Baby birds, squirrels, chipmunks, raccoons, foxes and deer are just a few of the species that people may encounter when outdoors. There's sometimes a temptation to bring one of these cuties home to rear and domesticate. Don't, and for several reasons.
First is the fact that having wildlife without a permit is against the law. Should an injured or otherwise distressed young wildlife specimen be found, there are licensed wildlife rehabilitators available to accept stewardship until the bird or animal can be safely released back into the wilds. Second is that most young wildlife encountered isn't "orphaned." Its parent or parents are normally close by, although you may not see them. The best examples of this are baby birds that have fallen from the nest, and bedded fawns that are accidentally found. Leave 'em be. Their mom isn't far away.
Another incentive to avoid "rescuing" young wildlife is for more personal reasons. Wild birds and animals, including young ones, can carry diseases. Some can peck, claw or bite, and such a wound can lead to infection or worse, should the creature be sick. Many also are hosts to lice or ticks.
Last but not least is the fact that young wildlife that's removed from being cared for by its parent(s) often dies within a few days, regardless of how well the "surrogate human parent" attempts to care for it. Even veteran wildlife rehabilitators admit that the survival rate for the young of some species of wildlife they receive is not all that good. So the odds of someone with little or no training and experience being successful are slim indeed. As the DEC puts its advice regarding young wildlife: "If you care, you'll leave it there."
The other springtime advisory annually voiced by the DEC is avoiding conflicts with wildlife, especially black bears and coyotes. Although different species, both are scavengers, and the common thread they share is both are always on the lookout for easy meals.
Traditionally, conflicts involving bears had been primarily considered an "Adirondack thing" since that region contained by far the highest density of bruins. But over the past several decades changes in the ecosystems in central and southern tier New York, especially to the abandoned farmlands, have created an environment that's more suitable to hosting resident populations of bears. These large mammals favor thick cover, and the once open areas created by agriculture were more suitable for deer. But as smaller farms were abandoned, and fields and pastures were allowed to convert back to brush and early-stage forests, the dense cover created is providing increasingly better habitat and security for black bears.
In addition to the increase in bear numbers in our region, increased residential building along rural roads where farmlands once existed has created a situation where residential properties often lie on the fringes of extensive dense cover behind them. This effectively creates a secure buffer zone for bears that can quickly move from dense cover to residences while seeking easy food that may be available there. Many residents never know a bear is in their area until they see or hear it as it looks for food – rattling trash cans, pulling down bird feeders, licking the grease off barbeque grills, pulling down branches to eat ripen cultivated fruit, etc. Coyotes have been around our region for nearly a half century, but their numbers and range have increased dramatically in recent decades. Unlike the spindly-legged "Wile E. Coyote" type of the West, ours are actually a hybrid that migrated down from Eastern Canada, where coyotes had bred with grey wolves and the resulting offspring were rejected by the wolves but accepted by coyotes. The subsequent breeding that occurred further purified the hybridizations process and resulted in the animals we see here today.
Much like deer, coyotes are survivors and adaptors, and that trait is very much in evidence by where coyotes are found now. They are just as adept at living and hunting in residential areas as in woodlands and farmlands. In fact, in some residential areas the coyotes are gradually losing their fear of people and are seen on lawns and trotting along sidewalks. The adults have no natural enemies other than man and will readily attack small domestic pets, young livestock, adult fowl, and smaller wildlife, up to and including fox and wild turkey. But being scavengers, they're also always on the lookout for an easy meal, such as might be available around residences. Dog and cat food, garbage, and even compost containing food scraps can be viewed as potential meals for a hungry coyote.
As has been noted, available food is the lure that attracts both bear and coyote (along with several other species of wildlife, such as raccoon, skunk, opossum, crows, pigeons, etc.) so eliminating readily available food sources is the obvious answer. While this applies to residences, it also is applicable to camping and hiking. A messy campsite where cooking has been done and food isn't secured is a natural invitation to bears, coyotes and several other species to come calling, especially after dark. Backpacks containing food is also an invitation, especially when left unattended on the ground or in an unoccupied tent.
It's too bad that increasingly more people have so little firsthand knowledge about our outdoor world as it truly is, and not how they "think" it is. Each generation is progressively living farther from nature and having less contact with the natural outdoor world and its creatures, basing their views instead on what they view on television, at the movies or on the Internet. As such, many may have almost a Disney cartoon-like attitude about the wild creatures they may encounter. Often, their first instinct when finding a baby bird, fawn or cottontail rabbit is to "rescue" it and bring it home to care for
There's a very good reason why these creatures are called "wildlife," and that applies to the young as well as the adults. Leave them alone and let nature do what it's been doing for eons, largely without our help, and despite our interference.
Friends of NRA Banquet May 25
The Northern Riflemen's Alliance will hold a Friends of NRA banquet on May 25 at the Norwich American Legion. The event begins at 5:30 p.m. with dinner at 7 p.m. For more information call (607) 336-3546 or e-mail bradd@fnrany.org.
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