It has been a very cold week without much of a warm up to come in the near future. I went out to the woods Saturday to do some scouting of new areas for possible turkeys but was not able to locate any. Instead of going out into the field in freezing temperatures I decided to look at a PBS documentary of the whitetail and get a fresh perspective on deer from their Nature Series. Not only does this focus on deer in the wild, but also the deer in our backyards all across America's suburbs. The following are pieces that I found relevant to what I am studying. Pardon the note taking style of the following paragraphs.
The episode starts by showing a deer photographer watching the deer on a recently mowed grass field. Obviously these deer are in a setting where they are use to human presence. The man is sitting within 20 yards from the doe, capturing her every movement with his camera as the deer ignores his presence. The deer are obviously skittish at the same time, using all their senses to look for any sign of danger. The narrator talks about the communication aspect of stomping, twitching, and using the tail to alert their companions of danger as I talked about previously.
Another thing that I have heard a lot lately is that deer live on the edge. This means that they live where two or more different environments meet. Where the timber meet farmlands, where backyards meet the backwoods.
There are 30 times as many deer as there were one hundred years ago. Suburbs are a safe haven for deer. They provide an area where the only predator are vehicles and their is a wide diversity of plant species to feast upon. The population is about 20 times what it should be per square mile in many suburban neighborhoods. Homeowners in these areas can be sick of the number of plants these deer will consume. In some cases six foot high fences have been put up and then the deer easily jump over them. Deer have been known to jump over eight foot high obstacles. After eating, deer must rest to digest their food during the day. One reason deer spend so much time near deadly road ways is because it is another edge. Here the constant sunlight means that the plants have the ability to grow much faster. Deer are most active in the early morning and late afternoon. As fall rolls around, the bucks become very active. Again, as I discussed in my communication post, deer communicate using rubs, leaving there scent and making various noises. During the rut bucks think only about impressing the does that are in heat. One of the most exciting interactions to watch between deer is when two bucks battle each other for dominance. These fights can leave one or both deer dead from the exhaustion of the fight. The bucks can lose all fear of humans when a doe comes into heat.
One biologist is putting cameras on deer to see how deer interact with each other when humans are not around. What they found is that deer will sniff each other when they first meet, and they groom the others to eliminate parasites and sustain a bond between them. The biologists also found that the does also fight very often during the rut. What I noticed that the biologists found was that these deer are extremely adaptable.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1wo6lRmmuQ
Monday, February 23, 2015
2-23-15 Research EHD & CWD
Two major diseases are found in whitetail deer across the States. The first is Epizootic Hemorrghagic Disease or EHD. According to the Iowa DNR, this disease is "spread by a biting midge that causes high fever in infected deer and also causes the cell walls in their heart, lungs and diaphragm to weaken and burst." The most recent outbreak here in Iowa occurred in 2012 and 2013 across Southern and Eastern Iowa. Every year there are cases of EHD across the country, but some years are considered outbreak years. Sometimes it can take months for a virus to be transferred from a host to a deer. A female midge transfers the disease to a number of mammals when biting them to acquire blood for food. First they must bite an animal that carries the virus, then bite another animal. Cattle, elk, pronghorn, mule deer and many other large mammals can carry the disease but it never has the same impact as it does on whitetail deer. In 2013 over 1000 deer were reported dead in Iowa due to EHD.
Chronic Wasting Disease or CWD is a completely different disease that has only recently been found here in Iowa for the first time. In December of 2013 a deer that had been harvested in a state forest in Northeastern Iowa (where my Dad and I trout fish annually) was reported as having CWD. The Iowa DNR has this to say about CWD and its symptoms on their website:
"Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) is a neurological disease affecting primarily deer and elk. An abnormal protein, called a prion, attacks the brains of infected animals causing them to lose weight, display abnormal behavior and lose bodily functions. Signs of CWD in deer include excessive salivation, thirst and urination, loss of appetite, weight loss, listlessness and drooping ears and head. It is always fatal to the infected animal".
The DNR in Iowa alone has tested over 60,000 deer since 2002 in an effort to catch the spread of CWD before it has time to grow. According to the Center for Disease Control their is no known harm done to humans through eating venison from infected deer, yet they caution hunters to wear gloves when dressing the deer out and recommend not to eat the spinal chord, eyeballs, or brain of infected deer.
Whether the disease is relatively old or new, the DNR is forced to keep a very close eye on the health of wildlife populations within our state. Taking protective measures before large breakouts occur can ensure the health of overall population of animals like deer for decades to come.
http://www.iowadnr.gov/Hunting/DeerHunting/CWDEHDInformation.aspx
http://gf.nd.gov/magazines/october-2013/bite-kills-ehd
Chronic Wasting Disease or CWD is a completely different disease that has only recently been found here in Iowa for the first time. In December of 2013 a deer that had been harvested in a state forest in Northeastern Iowa (where my Dad and I trout fish annually) was reported as having CWD. The Iowa DNR has this to say about CWD and its symptoms on their website:
"Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) is a neurological disease affecting primarily deer and elk. An abnormal protein, called a prion, attacks the brains of infected animals causing them to lose weight, display abnormal behavior and lose bodily functions. Signs of CWD in deer include excessive salivation, thirst and urination, loss of appetite, weight loss, listlessness and drooping ears and head. It is always fatal to the infected animal".
The DNR in Iowa alone has tested over 60,000 deer since 2002 in an effort to catch the spread of CWD before it has time to grow. According to the Center for Disease Control their is no known harm done to humans through eating venison from infected deer, yet they caution hunters to wear gloves when dressing the deer out and recommend not to eat the spinal chord, eyeballs, or brain of infected deer.
Whether the disease is relatively old or new, the DNR is forced to keep a very close eye on the health of wildlife populations within our state. Taking protective measures before large breakouts occur can ensure the health of overall population of animals like deer for decades to come.
http://www.iowadnr.gov/Hunting/DeerHunting/CWDEHDInformation.aspx
http://gf.nd.gov/magazines/october-2013/bite-kills-ehd
Wednesday, February 18, 2015
2/18/15 Research
Recently I saw a TV show where deer hunters went into extremely wealthy neighborhoods in attempt to lower populations. How real it was or was not, the point still was that all across the U.S., urban deer have access to nearly unlimited food without any predators, other than cars. In today's research I am trying to look at the impact that deer can have in an urban setting and how humans interact with them.
One of the largest problems when talking about deer and human interactions is car accidents. In Iowa alone each year millions of dollars of damage are caused to vehicles in crashes involving deer. Not only can these crashes cause damage they can cause injury or death in some cases. Another major problem that deer bring to humans are the threat of Lyme disease. Lyme disease is spread through deer ticks which feed on human and animals blood. Not surprisingly deer carry these deer ticks and can carry them into populated areas. There are all sorts of symptoms that can come with Lyme Disease, from rashes to seizures. Just as in rural areas, deer in urban and suburban areas eat the plants in peoples yards. From their flowers and trees to vegetable gardens, deer can eliminate large numbers of plants from gardens.
There are a number of reasons as to why deer have a negative impact on our daily lives. Can we forget the fact that we built our cities in the deer's environment? There is no way to eliminate the problems associated with deer, We will always have to compromise. Wildlife will always be part of our culture, and it is our job to ensure that wildlife is still there for generations to come.
One of the largest problems when talking about deer and human interactions is car accidents. In Iowa alone each year millions of dollars of damage are caused to vehicles in crashes involving deer. Not only can these crashes cause damage they can cause injury or death in some cases. Another major problem that deer bring to humans are the threat of Lyme disease. Lyme disease is spread through deer ticks which feed on human and animals blood. Not surprisingly deer carry these deer ticks and can carry them into populated areas. There are all sorts of symptoms that can come with Lyme Disease, from rashes to seizures. Just as in rural areas, deer in urban and suburban areas eat the plants in peoples yards. From their flowers and trees to vegetable gardens, deer can eliminate large numbers of plants from gardens.
There are a number of reasons as to why deer have a negative impact on our daily lives. Can we forget the fact that we built our cities in the deer's environment? There is no way to eliminate the problems associated with deer, We will always have to compromise. Wildlife will always be part of our culture, and it is our job to ensure that wildlife is still there for generations to come.
Saturday, February 14, 2015
2/13/15 Observation
Check out my pictures that correspond with this post. It is titled 2/13/15 Pictures.
Last week I decided to go sit on a hill and view wildlife from far, far away. Today I had closeups like I never thought possible. It was another beautiful day with temps in the mid 30's and brisk westerly wind. Other than a few clouds on the Western horizon it was cloudless. As I turned on to the gravel road leading to the farm I saw 12 turkeys feeding in the field at 3:00. It was good to be able to finally get a few pictures of these turkeys as I had only been able to glimpse them for a few moments so far this year. At 3:25 I was walking the ridge of a field and I was able to peek over the hill top to see 9 turkeys out feeding 100 yards away. After a few moments they noticed my outline on the horizon and took off and soared over the tree tops. A few minutes later I was trying to figure out where I wanted to sit when I noticed this tree that had grown on its side. I realized I would be able to set the items I needed on this "bench" so everything that I needed would be in arms reach. Before I had everything out of my backpack I had pulled out my binoculars and started focusing them on the far hillside so they would be ready when I needed them. Because I had just sat down, I certainly expected that anything that would have been in the area would be gone by now from detecting my presence. It usually takes several minutes once you sit down in the woods for your senses to become fully aware of everything that is happening around you. I was in no way prepared for what was about to happen. As I sat there looking through these bulky binoculars I realized that with all my attention focused on what I was seeing through the glass I had completely ignored the crashing of leaves to my right. I looked out the side of the binos and could not believe what was happening 13 deer suddenly surrounded me from all sides. I was in shock! I stood up and turned in circles trying to comprehend what was happening. I saw small deer behind me, big bucks in front of me, they were on my right, then on my left, all within a matter of seconds. I had never seen anything like this before. I did not even have time to think about grabbing my camera. I could feel their hooves thundering through the ground, hear the leaves crashing in all directions. I remember just trying to get a count of the deer that were there and I know I saw 13 yet they kept popping up in different places, there could have certainly been more. As quickly as it had started, it was suddenly over. I remember watching a big buck trotting at the back of the herd as they moved down towards the river. I was left shaking on my stool as the adrenaline from what had just occurred left my body. I could not even begin to process what had just happened. After a few moments of sitting there pondering what I had just witnessed I started to hypothesize what reason there would be for these deer to run right at me as they did. The only plausible reason for this behavior would be that something had spooked them further away and they just happened to run directly at me. Either way I could not have asked for a greater experience to start the day.
About 45 minutes later I heard corn stalks breaking behind me. I looked back and five deer were running through the corn somewhat towards me before they ran away. A moment later I noticed a single doe lagging behind the rest, but instead of following the others she went directly behind me. She stopped at one point and noticed me and took off bounding in the other direction. This is where I photographed the flying deer from my most recent post. From what I can gather this deer was either trying to jump over the snow drifts or letting the other deer in the area know to be cautious. As I talked about in my communication blog about deer, they use their tails to warn other deer of danger. You can see in the photo that this deer had its tail straight up, and if the deer went flying into the air like she did in the photo she would have a better chance of catching the other deer's attention.
For the next hour I sat their listening to cattle filling the air with their hoarse bellowing, coyotes shrill howls, and the hooting of the wise owls that inhabit the forest. The squirrels started working on their nests and finding food, and I may have heard the clucks of a few turkeys. As sunset approached I realized that I had brought the wrong boots, and I needed to get to the car to warm my feet up. I hoped that I would be able to spot a few deer with the last of the sunshine filling the fields. Sure enough as I was walking out, I spotted a couple deer racing away from me in the timber, but also a small buck feeding in front of me. Every time the deer would put his head down I would get a little closer. I did this for about ten minutes as he moved from my left to right. Finally when he was about 100 yards away he spotted me and ran to the top of the hill and stopped for a perfect photo opportunity. Eventually he ran across the hill not to be seen again. On my way out I spotted the same group of 13 deer I had noticed coming from the woods near the river that I had seen last week. In the car ride home I saw a few groups of deer totaling at least 40. Just having the opportunity to be in the woods and share my passion for God's work was a great way to release all of the stress of my week. I can only hope I can continue to have exciting encounters like this all year. I am afraid I may have set the bar a little too high now!
About 45 minutes later I heard corn stalks breaking behind me. I looked back and five deer were running through the corn somewhat towards me before they ran away. A moment later I noticed a single doe lagging behind the rest, but instead of following the others she went directly behind me. She stopped at one point and noticed me and took off bounding in the other direction. This is where I photographed the flying deer from my most recent post. From what I can gather this deer was either trying to jump over the snow drifts or letting the other deer in the area know to be cautious. As I talked about in my communication blog about deer, they use their tails to warn other deer of danger. You can see in the photo that this deer had its tail straight up, and if the deer went flying into the air like she did in the photo she would have a better chance of catching the other deer's attention.
For the next hour I sat their listening to cattle filling the air with their hoarse bellowing, coyotes shrill howls, and the hooting of the wise owls that inhabit the forest. The squirrels started working on their nests and finding food, and I may have heard the clucks of a few turkeys. As sunset approached I realized that I had brought the wrong boots, and I needed to get to the car to warm my feet up. I hoped that I would be able to spot a few deer with the last of the sunshine filling the fields. Sure enough as I was walking out, I spotted a couple deer racing away from me in the timber, but also a small buck feeding in front of me. Every time the deer would put his head down I would get a little closer. I did this for about ten minutes as he moved from my left to right. Finally when he was about 100 yards away he spotted me and ran to the top of the hill and stopped for a perfect photo opportunity. Eventually he ran across the hill not to be seen again. On my way out I spotted the same group of 13 deer I had noticed coming from the woods near the river that I had seen last week. In the car ride home I saw a few groups of deer totaling at least 40. Just having the opportunity to be in the woods and share my passion for God's work was a great way to release all of the stress of my week. I can only hope I can continue to have exciting encounters like this all year. I am afraid I may have set the bar a little too high now!
Friday, February 13, 2015
2/13/15 Pictures
Tomorrow I will be talking about my observations that I saw, but I could not keep my self from posting some of the pictures that I took today. It was an incredible day in the woods, here are just a few pics that show a sliver of my encounters.
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| As I was heading down the gravel road to the farm I stopped to photograph these feeding turkeys. |
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| Here is a picture of this amazing tree that grew on its side allowing me to set all of my "tools" on it. On my tool bench I have my phone, pen and journal, camelbak, binoculars, and on the ground I have my stool, sunflower seeds, and of course... gummy worms! |
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| Here a large deer track hardened in the mud. |
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Look carefully: in this photo you can see the rarely seen flying deer.
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| These turkey tracks show how their feet do not sink into the snow like my tracks also shown in the picture |
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| This squirrel heads up to his nest to fix it up. |
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| The last rays of golden sunlight filter through the trees. |
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| These three photos were of a seven point buck that fed in front of me for 10 minutes as my fingers and toes became extremely numb. |
Thursday, February 12, 2015
2/12/2015 Research
With the consistent amount of encounters I have had with deer I decided I wanted to take this time to research something that I could attempt to view in the deer's behavior. What I researched today is the communication aspect between individual white-tail deer. When you first talk about deer communication you must realize that their is a hierarchy based on dominance. Like many animals that live in herds or packs or groups, there is a dominant female and male and works down the ladder from there. Fawns begin to show dominance in as little as four weeks after birth. The way in which deer retain their positioning is to fight their opponents.
Deer are certainly not known for their vocalizations yet they play an extremely important part in the daily life of a deer. One of the sounds a deer is known to make is a grunt. Depending on the context surrounding the usage of this sound, deer could be saying a number of different things. During the rut bucks use the grunt while following a female, challenging an opponent, or during a fight. Does use the grunt to announce to their fawns that she has returned for them. Grunts are much lower pitched noises but when a fawn becomes scared or separated from his mother the young deer lets out loud bleat. This bleat is much higher in pitch and can be heard far away. The loudest and most common noise deer make is the snort. Similar to blowing your nose, this sound signifies danger to the entire deer population that can here the sound. I here this sound very often when I am in the woods, normally it is because the deer have seen me or caught my scent.
The second communication technique deer use is body language. Because deer cannot rely on their voices to communicate the way they use their body to convey what they are saying is key. From a flip of the tail to how their ears are laid back can mean a lot to the deer around them. The white tail of the whitetail is used a ton to tell other animals around them what they are thinking. If a deer sticks the tail and the surrounding hairs straight up, the deer is announcing danger and telling those around to be cautious. Does use the tail as a device for the fawns to follow. Dominant does and bucks both use what is known as the hard stare. This glare is used to tell those around that trey mean business. If the adversary thinks that he or she can compete they will fight, either with their antlers or forward hooves. Over the years and countless hours I have spent viewing deer, their is no question that they do not always need a form of communication to understand the others, they have a sense of what they other is thinking. They often move and act as one even without obvious, physical communication.
The final way that deer communicate is through markings. These markings can either be physical changes in the environment or chemical changes. For the physical part there are rubs and scrapes. Deer may make hundreds of rubs each fall during the rut. Most of these rubs occur on small saplings. These rubs allow the deer to strengthen the same muscles the bucks will use to fight with during the rut. Rubs can be seen all over the edge of forests. It looks as though the bark has been shredded around the level at which a deer's head is at. In my room I have a pair of antlers that still holds the bark of the trees the buck was rubbing five years ago. Deer also deposit scent from their forehead scent gland that gives the rub twice the communication effect. As the rut continues to come closer mature bucks make a very large scrape in the dirt beneath an overhanging branch. They often break the branch above them using their antlers and teeth and then wipe all sorts of chemicals on it to mark their territory. Next, the big bucks scrape a patch of soil until it is just loose dirt. The deer mark this area again using multiple scent glands and urine. Wherever any deer see this they are sure to come check it out.
Even as we as humans become so distant from many types of face to face communication thanks to advancements in technology, deer have mastered the art of communicating to others they cannot see. Although they can communicate using audible sounds and body language, deer leave messages in the dirt and trees for deer to see for possibly months. I hope to be able to take this knowledge gained from this reading and apply it to my observation whenever I see deer in the field or markings of their previous presence.
Leonard Lee Rue III's Way of the Whitetail
Deer are certainly not known for their vocalizations yet they play an extremely important part in the daily life of a deer. One of the sounds a deer is known to make is a grunt. Depending on the context surrounding the usage of this sound, deer could be saying a number of different things. During the rut bucks use the grunt while following a female, challenging an opponent, or during a fight. Does use the grunt to announce to their fawns that she has returned for them. Grunts are much lower pitched noises but when a fawn becomes scared or separated from his mother the young deer lets out loud bleat. This bleat is much higher in pitch and can be heard far away. The loudest and most common noise deer make is the snort. Similar to blowing your nose, this sound signifies danger to the entire deer population that can here the sound. I here this sound very often when I am in the woods, normally it is because the deer have seen me or caught my scent.
The second communication technique deer use is body language. Because deer cannot rely on their voices to communicate the way they use their body to convey what they are saying is key. From a flip of the tail to how their ears are laid back can mean a lot to the deer around them. The white tail of the whitetail is used a ton to tell other animals around them what they are thinking. If a deer sticks the tail and the surrounding hairs straight up, the deer is announcing danger and telling those around to be cautious. Does use the tail as a device for the fawns to follow. Dominant does and bucks both use what is known as the hard stare. This glare is used to tell those around that trey mean business. If the adversary thinks that he or she can compete they will fight, either with their antlers or forward hooves. Over the years and countless hours I have spent viewing deer, their is no question that they do not always need a form of communication to understand the others, they have a sense of what they other is thinking. They often move and act as one even without obvious, physical communication.
The final way that deer communicate is through markings. These markings can either be physical changes in the environment or chemical changes. For the physical part there are rubs and scrapes. Deer may make hundreds of rubs each fall during the rut. Most of these rubs occur on small saplings. These rubs allow the deer to strengthen the same muscles the bucks will use to fight with during the rut. Rubs can be seen all over the edge of forests. It looks as though the bark has been shredded around the level at which a deer's head is at. In my room I have a pair of antlers that still holds the bark of the trees the buck was rubbing five years ago. Deer also deposit scent from their forehead scent gland that gives the rub twice the communication effect. As the rut continues to come closer mature bucks make a very large scrape in the dirt beneath an overhanging branch. They often break the branch above them using their antlers and teeth and then wipe all sorts of chemicals on it to mark their territory. Next, the big bucks scrape a patch of soil until it is just loose dirt. The deer mark this area again using multiple scent glands and urine. Wherever any deer see this they are sure to come check it out.
Even as we as humans become so distant from many types of face to face communication thanks to advancements in technology, deer have mastered the art of communicating to others they cannot see. Although they can communicate using audible sounds and body language, deer leave messages in the dirt and trees for deer to see for possibly months. I hope to be able to take this knowledge gained from this reading and apply it to my observation whenever I see deer in the field or markings of their previous presence.
Leonard Lee Rue III's Way of the Whitetail
Monday, February 9, 2015
First Month Reflection
This post is simply a reflection of how I have viewed the first few weeks of this class. So far this semester I have had a great time pursuing the field of study I am most passionate about. Having the opportunity to either do research or observation certainly does not feel as something I have to do rather something I get to do. It is great to be able to get outside of the city and relax on days that I do observation. Overall I see this course as a great opportunity for any student to expand on the subjects that they enjoy, which has certainly been the case for myself so far. The biggest roadblock that I have encountered to this point has been weather. I really have no desire to sit in sub-zero temperatures for any number of hours or if the road conditions are bad that also causes difficulties. I think the part of this project that surprised me the most was how much I enjoyed the photography aspect. I have found the challenge of relaying the images that I see on a daily basis to the readers of this blog a lot of fun. What I think will benefit myself the most in completing this course will be my note-taking/observation skills and my writing skills. I have never spent so much time in the woods for the sole purpose of looking for anything that stands out and then jotting down quick notes simultaneously. I also have never down any sort of blogging as I am right now. This writing technique is completely foreign to me but I am sure I can learn from the experience if nothing else. All in all I am extremely excited to see how the semester progresses, how the research flows together with my observations, and how I can grow from the experience as a whole.
Friday, February 6, 2015
2-6-15 Observation
Tonight I decided to try something new in the field. I was going to sit on the top of a hill in a field and glass my surroundings. There were three main reasons why today was a perfect day for this situation. First, I had just received a great pair of binoculars that allow me to see a mile away. Secondly, the snow cover that fell over the last few weeks allows the darker bodies of animals like deer and turkey to stand out against the solid white background. Finally, the weather was beautiful, no clouds, no fog, nothing that would limit how far I could see. As I was heading out to the farm at 3:00 I noticed a couple deer out in the field and I knew it was going to be a good day to see wildlife. As soon as I reached the hilltop and set down my stool I noticed a few black figures on hillside hundreds of yards away. I pulled out the binoculars and quickly counted eight turkeys eating as they walked through a harvested corn field. At this point I knew I would be able to view anything that came within a mile of my location.
The first turkeys that I saw were at 4:10. The temperature was 37 degrees and the wind was nine mph out of the SSW. At 4:30 I saw four deer come out of the timber to feed. This is as early as I have seen deer come out to feed all year long. Within ten minutes of seeing the four deer that were a mile to my south across the Raccoon River, I saw two more deer feeding in the field where I had seen the turkeys 20 minutes before. Right before seeing those two deer I saw one feeding in a field to my Southwest. At 4:48 I looked back at where I saw those original four deer and I could not believe my eyes. 10 deer were standing there feeding and six more came running into the field. This was just the beginning of evidence that I found that supported my research that said in the winter months deer like to stick together. At 5:08 I noticed the last of the turkeys fly into the timber to roost for the evening. Moments later I heard turkeys clucking behind me. I took a walk back and saw a dozen or so turkeys fly into the woods from where I did my 1-15-15 research. It was good to see the turkeys I have been looking for in the neighborhood. By the end of the evening I watched 12 deer come from the timber where I had seen the turkeys from across the road fly into the roost. I also noticed the one deer I had seen to the Southwest turn into 13. I could not believe how the deer were flying out of the woodwork. Besides the deer I saw while sitting on the hilltop and the deer off the interstate I saw about 20 more on my way home. In total I saw somewhere around 70 deer most in groups of 10-20. Along with the 70 deer I saw about 25 turkeys when I include some I saw on my way to the farm along with four Bald Eagles. I also could not help but notice how the snow made it so much more difficult to walk even short distances. I can only imagine the impact it would have on the wildlife that walks through the snow constantly. Although I saw more wildlife than I have so far this year, I was not able to photograph these animals due to the great distance at which I saw them. I wanted to be able to have a much wider sample size for at least one night. I believe observing a mixture of different scenarios over the next few months will allow me to visualize the overall picture of the ecosystem.
Deer tracks litter the side of a hill below a farm pond.
Snow drifts along a fence line.
Pictures of a beautiful sunset.
The first turkeys that I saw were at 4:10. The temperature was 37 degrees and the wind was nine mph out of the SSW. At 4:30 I saw four deer come out of the timber to feed. This is as early as I have seen deer come out to feed all year long. Within ten minutes of seeing the four deer that were a mile to my south across the Raccoon River, I saw two more deer feeding in the field where I had seen the turkeys 20 minutes before. Right before seeing those two deer I saw one feeding in a field to my Southwest. At 4:48 I looked back at where I saw those original four deer and I could not believe my eyes. 10 deer were standing there feeding and six more came running into the field. This was just the beginning of evidence that I found that supported my research that said in the winter months deer like to stick together. At 5:08 I noticed the last of the turkeys fly into the timber to roost for the evening. Moments later I heard turkeys clucking behind me. I took a walk back and saw a dozen or so turkeys fly into the woods from where I did my 1-15-15 research. It was good to see the turkeys I have been looking for in the neighborhood. By the end of the evening I watched 12 deer come from the timber where I had seen the turkeys from across the road fly into the roost. I also noticed the one deer I had seen to the Southwest turn into 13. I could not believe how the deer were flying out of the woodwork. Besides the deer I saw while sitting on the hilltop and the deer off the interstate I saw about 20 more on my way home. In total I saw somewhere around 70 deer most in groups of 10-20. Along with the 70 deer I saw about 25 turkeys when I include some I saw on my way to the farm along with four Bald Eagles. I also could not help but notice how the snow made it so much more difficult to walk even short distances. I can only imagine the impact it would have on the wildlife that walks through the snow constantly. Although I saw more wildlife than I have so far this year, I was not able to photograph these animals due to the great distance at which I saw them. I wanted to be able to have a much wider sample size for at least one night. I believe observing a mixture of different scenarios over the next few months will allow me to visualize the overall picture of the ecosystem.
Monday, February 2, 2015
2/2/15 Research
The point of today's research was to understand the most basic aspects of the turkey "lifestyle". The following will simply be a summary of what I find important to this class. Some of what I am going to be discussing may be quite obvious but I will be adding it to ensure that everyone reading this can understand what it is I am trying to say in the future.
There are 6 recognized subspecies of turkeys, the most popular of these, the Eastern Turkey, lives here in Iowa. There is a huge difference between male and female birds. Males are called toms or gobblers while females are known as hens. Toms are known for the bright colors on their head and neck area while hens simply have very dull brown colors which is used for camouflage. Two other major differences that set the tom apart is the beard and fan that the hens do not have. The beard is simply a number of thick hairs that extend from a couple to a dozen inches from the chest. Toms also have tail feathers that expand to create a fan to make the bird appear larger. Another difference is size. Toms can grow to four feet tall and over 20 pounds, while hens generally are 8-12 pounds.
Here in Iowa the mating season begins around April. This is when toms are most likely to pierce the air with their shrill gobble. During the mating season the most dominant males strut their turf, extending their fans in an attempt to attract a temporary mate. Throughout the late spring months the hens lay around 12 eggs and by summer the eggs become hatchlings. During the time that the hen is raising her young she stays away from other turkeys focusing most of her time on her poults (very young hatchlings). When fall comes around the young turkeys are ready to enter their community of turkeys and the birds begin to join flocks once again which will last until the following mating season.
http://www.nwtf.org/conservation/bulletins/bulletin_1_9-9-09.pdf
There are 6 recognized subspecies of turkeys, the most popular of these, the Eastern Turkey, lives here in Iowa. There is a huge difference between male and female birds. Males are called toms or gobblers while females are known as hens. Toms are known for the bright colors on their head and neck area while hens simply have very dull brown colors which is used for camouflage. Two other major differences that set the tom apart is the beard and fan that the hens do not have. The beard is simply a number of thick hairs that extend from a couple to a dozen inches from the chest. Toms also have tail feathers that expand to create a fan to make the bird appear larger. Another difference is size. Toms can grow to four feet tall and over 20 pounds, while hens generally are 8-12 pounds.
Here in Iowa the mating season begins around April. This is when toms are most likely to pierce the air with their shrill gobble. During the mating season the most dominant males strut their turf, extending their fans in an attempt to attract a temporary mate. Throughout the late spring months the hens lay around 12 eggs and by summer the eggs become hatchlings. During the time that the hen is raising her young she stays away from other turkeys focusing most of her time on her poults (very young hatchlings). When fall comes around the young turkeys are ready to enter their community of turkeys and the birds begin to join flocks once again which will last until the following mating season.
http://www.nwtf.org/conservation/bulletins/bulletin_1_9-9-09.pdf
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