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Reusing Pumpkins for Wildlife |
Once autumn and Halloween is over, you may find yourself wondering what to do with the leftover pumpkins. If they have begun to rot, composting is the best bet, but if they are still fairly fresh, you can put out the leftover pumpkins for wildlife. The pumpkin flesh and seeds are enjoyed by a number of animals. It’s good for you, so you can bet all kinds of animals will enjoy it. Just be sure not to feed animals old pumpkins that have been painted, as the paint might be toxic.
If you don’t feed the seeds to the animals, save them and plant them next year. The large blooms will feed pollinators and it is fun to watch a pumpkin vine grow. This is another benefit of being outdoors in nature.
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From the time they are born deer face a number of obstacles in surviving outside hunting, ranging from habitat conditions, predators, off-leash dogs, weather extremes, collisions with vehicles, fighting, stress from the rut and disease. |
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Benefits of Nature
I love everything about deer, even their poop. Some people complain about deer droppings. Many don’t realize the ways you can use deer poop to benefit your yard. The old saying is you are what you eat. Deer eat plants and grass, so feces can be put into flower gardens or compost, recycling the nutrients. Deer droppings consist of a high amount of nitrogen content, and when these droppings fall on the grass, they supply a considerable amount of nitrogen to the grass. This will considerably improve the health of your plants.
Deer poop can also be turned into manure and used as a fertilizer. Why waste money on buying expensive manure and fertilizer, when you can easily make your own? Using deer poop as fertilizer has been around for quite a while. Simply letting the droppings sit in your yard is going to act as a source of nourishment for the grass and the plants, but make sure it’s not all concentrated in one area. When gardening most people wear gloves, especially if there is poison ivy around. If you do choose to handle deer droppings to use in your lawn or beds, always wear gloves. Wash and disinfect all tools you use to handle it, and wash your hands thoroughly when finished.
We can also look at this as a way to be outside in nature. Cleaning or raking up deer poop can be a good source of exercise and lead towards a healthy mind and body. Cleaning up deer poop is similar to cleaning up dog poop. If you don’t have a dog look at it as shoveling snow. Property maintenance is necessary throughout the year. This includes mowing the lawn, cleaning up some leaves, shoveling snow, and for some cleaning up deer poop. Deer poop can easily be cleaned up with a rake and shovel and then disposed in a garbage can.
Deer are just giving us a great excuse to go outside and get some exercise. We can also be one with nature.
It seems trivial to complain about deer poop when people are fighting cancer, children are being bullied, pets being neglected and wildlife being brutally murdered for a trophy - the thrill of the kill. The human race needs to be better and more understanding.
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Why it Pays for Deer to be Ruminants |
Firstly, being a ruminant allows deer to feed rapidly. Deer can browse quickly without having to worry about chewing their food much. Digestion occurs later, so deer are free to eat as much as they can when they can, then seek out a protected area to rest and digest their food.
Secondly, ruminants can get the maximum amount of nutrition from their food. The food is well and truly mashed and deer are able to derive all of the nutrients in everything they eat to be released. This also means that deer can live in places with very poor food such as coarse grasses. This can give deer the competitive edge over some other species.
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Deer spend less time bedded during the rut. This can be a tiring time for deer. Whether dozing or sleeping with eyes open or closed, deer are continually monitoring what is going on around them. |
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"Nature Outside of the Classroom"
From the time they are born deer face a number of obstacles in surviving outside hunting, ranging from habitat conditions, predators, weather extremes, collisions with vehicles, fighting, stress from the rut and disease. Deer are amazing fellow sentient beings that are often misunderstood. There are so many beautiful moments that you can experience from a distance in the presence of deer, for example, when a buck is rubbing his antlers on a tree. It’s a moment you can experience in nature outside of books or a classroom. Bucks rub their antlers on trees to mark their territory, show their dominance, work off aggression, and intimidate other bucks. Buck rubs also serve as a communication signpost. Deer are known to be messengers.
Bucks go through a cycle of growing antlers, shedding the velvety coating on their antlers and then shedding their antlers on a yearly basis.
This is a beautiful part of nature that we are lucky to witness. I enjoy the moments out studying deer and learning more about their world. The more you know the better advocate you can be. Deer have touched my life in so many unforgettable ways.
Sadly, deer are often blamed for destroying forests/trees. There are many factors that affect our forests like insect damage, acid rain, forest fragmentation, pollutants, disease, loss of soil fertility, animal browsing, invasive and other competing plant species, parasitic organisms, climatic and weather extremes, and over-development. The most dangerous, according to the state Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP), are insects and diseases. Also, certain plant species are shaded out as trees mature and the forest canopy closes. Later successional stages are, by their very nature, less diverse.
For some people, they may want a solution to protect their trees from rubbing. The best way to protect your tree is to physically block off deer with a fence or tree guard. Plastic or mesh tree guards are a quick fix. They wrap right around your tree's trunk and prevent deer from rubbing up against the bark. Also, you can wrap your tree loosely in chicken wire or burlap.
It’s easy to coexist and share this world with wildlife.
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Photographing the wonder of wildlife, landscapes, and a variety of natural subjects from the Canadian Rockies to the Florida Everglades has long been a passion for Bill Lea. Capturing intimate images of wildlife and landscapes in “just the right light” is the trademark of Bill’s photography.
He has appeared on Dateline NBC, National Public Radio, Midwest Outdoors, Animal Planet, local radio stations, news stations, and a variety of programs. Bill lived among bears for two to three months every year for nearly a decade. He currently posts a bear photo and educational message Monday thru Thursday on his Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/BillLeaPhotography The enjoyment of sharing the wonder of black bears and nature with others is second only to Bill’s desire for promoting a respect for wildlife and all of God’s creation. Some of his black bear photographs have been used on #savenjbears billboards throughout the state.
All of his photography is beautiful. However, we wanted to share and honor his Whitetail Deer photography. The photographs help show their desire to live life free and in peace as nature intended. Free from the cruelty of man.
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A Special Tribute to Our Friends at CliftonDeer.org - Where Science & Compassion Meet |
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Humans Must Look in the Mirror and Stop Blaming Deer for Everything |
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Across the country, car crashes with deer spike in November. There is more to this then the mating season. It also coincides with hunting season, when groups of hunters in the woods can flush out herds from their hiding places and onto major roadways. Another reason for the increase in deer/vehicle collisions is fall crop harvest. As farmers clear their fields, deer lose their habitat and wander into more urban areas.
In their excitement, hunters often take needless risks behind the wheel, increasing their chances of causing a car accident.
Some of these risks include the following:
• Fatigued driving. Hunters want to be in their positions before deer begin to stir in the morning, so they typically leave home long before daybreak and may not be fully awake behind the wheel. Likewise, after a full day of hunting, it can be difficult to stay awake for the drive home. Not only do hunters endanger their own lives and those of their passengers, but they're also are a threat to others on the road.
• Distracted driving. Trying to find an unfamiliar location, checking on the deer mounted on the back of the vehicle, or simply celebrating with passengers after a successful hunt are distractions behind the wheel that could lead to a crash.
• Impaired driving. For many outdoor enthusiasts, drinking and hunting go hand-in-hand. This can lead to high numbers of intoxicated drivers on the road at the end of the day.
• Poorly-loaded cargo. Unless a hunter has a pick-up with plenty of cargo space, he may overload his car with gear and—on the trip home—a deer carcass mounted to the trunk. This is a distraction to other drivers, and if it's not properly secured, it could easily become a road hazard.
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One of the first installments of these innovative features can be found on Highway 73, by Eagle Mountain’s city limits. It works as a combination of classic crowd funneling methods along with infrared technology.
Eight-foot-high fencing around the road prevents the deer from crossing anywhere but through a small gap in the barricade. Soon, that gap will also be supplemented by a light that turns on when an animal is found on an infrared detector, alerting drivers of the potential hazard.
Providing a crosswalk for the animals will be essential to the safety of the antlered creatures, and the non-antlered creatures behind the wheel of a vehicle.
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People May Forget Their Pet Dog Is a Predator |
"A lot of owners don’t think that my dog can do this. Most dogs do have that predator-prey instinct in them,” said Jason Clay with CPW.
If your dog is chasing wildlife, it is illegal and you may be cited for it, according to CPW.
CPW said whether it is your dog attacking wildlife, or a dog chasing wildlife, both actions are illegal and carry hefty fines.
People may forget that their pet dog is a predator and they can injure and kill wildlife if not properly controlled,” said Wildlife Officer Joe Nicholson. “Dog owners are liable for the damage they cause to wildlife.”
Please respect wildlife and keep your dog on a leash! Dog owners must be held accountable.
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We have joined Twitter! Please share and follow us for deer news!
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Deer and dolphins are gentle loving souls. They are often referenced together. According to molecular evidence, the closest living relatives of whales are, quite surprisingly, the artiodactyls, a group of hoofed mammals that includes deer, cows, sheep, pigs, giraffes, camels and hippos. Fossil remains show dolphins and whales were four-footed land animals about 50 million years ago and share the same common ancestor as hippos and deer. Scientists believe they later transitioned to an aquatic lifestyle and their hind limbs disappeared.
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Winter the dolphin was an aquatic ambassador here in the Bay Area, inspiring thousands around the world – especially those who also faced hardship and challenge. Now, with her recent passing, many in Clearwater and around the world have reacted with heartache.
In the arms of her caretakers, Winter passed away at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium on Thursday night after battling a gastrointestinal infection. While the news came as a shock to many – considering how quickly her condition deteriorated in the past few days – the strong response to her death is not a surprise.
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Thank you from your friends at Save New Jersey Deer.
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