Up and at 'em

On Thursday, many Pennsylvanians will wait for mammal meteorologist Punxsutawney Phil to emerge from his den.

​As temperatures warmed recently, I noticed that other animals were out and about. 

According to the wildlife notes on the Pennsylvania Game Commission website, "Woodchucks begin denning up with the hard frosts of October. Few remain active past the first of November."

The note went on to say that the males emerge from hibernation before females, and during February and March fight aggressively.
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I thought to myself that might be something to see, a woodchuck fight. With my walking companions I can say that we have never encountered a groundhog on our walks.

We do come across deer on our daily walks. Last week after some wintery weather eased up, the deer seemed to be everywhere. 

The neighborhood herd of does remained strong at around eight.
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Meanwhile, the trail camera captured some bucks passing though. 
One buck that we saw on the trail was missing a horn.

That could mean that some bucks have started to shed their antlers already.
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However, a buck caught on camera was still sporting a full set of antlers. 

Also on the trail cameras was evidence of increased coyote activity.

​The game commission's wildlife notes provided some explanation for this.
 
Female coyotes "have one heat period that lasts four to five days, usually in February," the note said.

So, it was possible that they were out and about for breeding season. ​Coyote litters are born from mid-April to early May. The note added that "Coyotes are monogamous; they maintain pair bonds for several years. The social unit centers around the mated pair and its offspring."

As well as the coyotes, the trail cameras grabbed some photos of a fox or two in my parents' backyard. 
"In late winter, foxes can be heard barking at night, making their presence known to members of the opposite sex. Breeding usually takes place in February," said a game commission wildlife note. 

Not making an appearance yet on my cameras were any bears. 
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"Bears enter hibernation late in the fall, with pregnant females being the first to enter dens, typically during mid to late November. Males den several weeks later," a wildlife note said. 
The note went on to say that on warm, late-winter days, the bears may emerge and wander nearby their dens. 
However, folks can watch a bear who is denned up on camera online at this site.

Also missing from my trail cameras so far this season were any turkeys. During out walks, I have not viewed any signs of the large wild birds either.

​The game commission is also looking for turkey sightings from now until March 15. Residents can report their information with this link. 

Meanwhile, several gray squirrels have been spotted under the bird feeder and have triggered quite a few photos on the trail cameras. According to the Pennsylvania Game Commission, "squirrels never actually hibernate in winter but will hole up and sleep soundly through several days of snowstorms or extreme cold." 

The post went on to mention that there are peaks in the squirrels' breeding activity in January and February. There are peaks from May to July, but that squirrels can be reproductively active throughout much of the year, the post continued. 

Also holed up during the winter weather, were some raccoons. I tried several times to get a good photo without imposing on their den. I believed there were at least three or four raccoons in the hollow tree. 

"​Many family groups (mother and offspring) stay together through the young raccoons’ first winter," a wildlife note on the game commissions' site said.

In spring, the juveniles will disperse from the areas in which they were born, the note continued.  

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This is most likely do to fact that breeding takes place in January or February and a new litter will be born in March and April. 

While the raccoons stayed cozy in their tree, the deer were left to brave the snow and wind. However, a Facebook memory from January of last year, showed that they had it a little easier this year in terms of snowpack. 

Meanwhile, the Applegate canines were also out and about. They enjoyed the snow and battling each other in it. Sometimes they rolled around in it and ate the non-yellow parts of the snow. However, they are fortunate to return inside to a heated house where they can hibernate on the couch.

​That's just the nature of things 'round here.