OUTDOORS & REC
B2 — THE OBSERVER & BAKER CITY HERALD
SATURDAY, MAY 21, 2022
ODFW warns people to leave baby animals alone
EO Media Group
SALEM — Offi cials
from the Oregon Depart-
ment of Fish and Wild-
life (ODFW) have issued
their annual reminder to
people to leave deer fawns,
elk calves and other young
wild animals alone rather
than try to “rescue” them.
These babies are rarely
actually abandoned,
according to ODFW.
In most cases the
mother is out foraging or is
nearby and will return.
In the rare cases
when a person actually
sees the parent killed, or
if the young animal is
injured, ODFW recom-
mends calling the agency,
the Oregon State Police
or a licensed wildlife
rehabilitator.
Each year during
spring, ODFW offi ces
receive an infl ux of calls
from people who picked
up a fawn, calf, fl edgling
bird or other young animal,
believing it had been aban-
doned or orphaned.
When these animals
are taken out of their nat-
ural habitat, they can miss
the chance to learn how
to avoid predators, forage
or hunt for food, and other
vital skills, according to
ODFW.
Because of the damage
it can do to both wildlife
TURKEYS
Continued from Page B1
What appeared to be jet-
black body feathers shone
marvelous emerald, ruby,
and bronze when rolled
in the orange glow of the
evening sun. His beard
was twice the circumfer-
ence and immaculately
full compared to the other
toms I had been watching.
His spurs were short, only
a half-inch or so, but as big
around as a dime. His tail
fan and rump feathers were
Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
A mule deer fawn follows its mother into the underbrush.
and people, removing an
animal from the wild is
illegal under Oregon wild-
life laws, specifi cally ORS
487.308.
Agency offi cials also
urge people to keep pets
and other domestic ani-
mals away from wildlife.
Deer and elk see dogs as
a threat to their young so
may act aggressively in
response to disturbance
from a dog.
Birds
Oregon’s deer and
elk give birth from May
through July. It’s nat-
ural for mother animals
to leave their young alone
and hidden for extended
periods of time while they
go off to feed, so never
assume a young animal
is orphaned when you see
it alone. The mother will
return when it’s safe to do
so — when people, pets or
predators aren’t around.
Some baby birds, called
fl edglings, may become
separated from their par-
ents as they learn to fl y.
These are sometimes mis-
taken as abandoned birds.
Unless obviously injured,
fl edglings should be left
where they are or lifted
carefully back into the
nest or onto a branch to
avoid predators, so they
have the best chance at
survival.
Ducklings and goslings
frequently become sepa-
rated from their mothers
due to disturbance from
fl awless, possibly because
he was a younger bird who
avoided tussles with the
older toms.
“I’m going to pre-
tend that bird came to my
calling,” I mentioned to
my buddy Dean, who had
fi lmed the hunt, knowing
that the screeching from
the box call would likely
have cost me that bird had
it been later in the season.
Had I not called at all, it’s
a safe bet that his evening
routine would have brought
him to me regardless.
I had watched this
fl ock from the point of a
lower ridge for two days
and knew where and how
they moved. The fl ock was
roosting and sheltering in
the canyon conifers and
traveling the logging road
morning, noon, and night.
Thirteen toms were vis-
ible from my vantage and
the seven that called that
canyon home would take
turns strutting in pairs in
the opening at the end of
the logging road. I set my
hen decoy at the mouth
of the road and slipped in
behind the brush pile 30
Deer and elk
humans or predators. If
you spot young waterfowl
without a mother, please
leave them alone and leave
the area so the mother can
return.
With the recent detec-
tions of highly patho-
genic avian infl uenza
(HPAI) in Oregon, it
is more important than
ever to avoid close con-
tact with waterfowl (ducks
and geese) this spring
and summer. Do not feed
ducks and geese. Feeding
congregates susceptible
birds and enables the dis-
ease to spread between
birds more easily. Also,
note that Oregon’s wildlife
rehabilitators are not cur-
rently accepting sick ducks
and geese to protect other
avian patients and educa-
tion birds in their care.
Marine mammals
The advice to leave ani-
mals in the wild applies to
all wildlife — including
adult and young marine
mammals that are com-
monly seen alone resting
on rocks or the beach
in spring and summer.
Beachgoers should stay
away from resting seals
and sea lions and keep
dogs away from these
animals as well. Marine
mammal strandings should
be reported to OSP’s
hotline at 1-800-452-7888.
yards adjacent while the
birds loafed in the timber.
It was a slam dunk.
Whether you are new
to the game of gobblers or
you have mastered sweet-
talking the wisest old toms,
scouting and patterning
Rios can be an ace in the
hole for bagging spring
long-beards in the Blues.
█
Brad Trumbo is a fish and wildlife
biologist and outdoor writer in
Waitsburg, Washington. For tips
and tales of outdoor pursuits
and conservation, visit www.
bradtrumbo.com.
Tom Claycomb/Contributed Photo
The camp cook is going to get fi red. Sardines, vanilla wafers and
peanut butter is a prison-diet meal.
HUNT
Continued from Page B1
But despite the low
numbers, I did get enough
shooting to make it fun so
I’d highly recommend you
go this week. Due to the
ammo shortages/exorbitant
prices the last couple of
years hunting with airguns
is the perfect way to go and
almost makes the Umarex
slogan, 2022, The Year of
The Airgun, prophetic!
If you’re a kid on a
paper route budget all you
need is an airgun and a tin
of pellets. But like all of
our outdoor endeavors, if
you can aff ord them, these
items will enhance the hunt
and make you more suc-
cessful. Here’s some gear
I’d recommend.
Airguns
On this hunt I took
the Umarex .25 caliber
Gauntlet and .22 caliber
Origin. I like PCP airguns
but they are more expen-
sive and complicated. The
cheapest airguns to shoot
are the break barrels. I
have a Ruger Blackhawk.
I’d recommend using a .22
or the .25 is even better.
The .177 doesn’t have as
much whoomph.
Optics
A lot of airguns come
with a scope. My Origin
didn’t so I put a Burris
Droptine 4.5-14x on it. I
like higher magnifi cation
because you’ll be shooting
small game. Make sure
your scope is airgun com-
patible. Spring action break
barrels can be tough on
scopes. You’ll want bin-
oculars to help fi nd the
little prairie rats. I like 10x
binoculars.
Miscellaneous gear
• You’ll want a bipod to
shoot off of. I use the Bog
Adrenaline. If you’re a kid,
get two half-inch dowel
rods and tape them together
six inches from one end
and spread them out to
shoot off of.
• Take a pad to sit on.
Or better yet a lightweight
backpacking chair so you’re
elevated and can see over
the brush.
• All pellets are not cre-
ated equal. I’ve tested a mil-
lion brands and JSB are the
most accurate. Check out
their Hades or Knock-Out
pellets. Or their Diabolo
Dome shaped pellets work
great too.
And lastly, while you’re
out in the high desert
country, slow down and
enjoy your surroundings.
I saw a boatload of white-
faced ibis on this hunt. One
time my 87-year-old buddy
Roy shot a whistle pig. I
was watching through my
binoculars and said you
got him. About that time a
hawk swooped down and
snatched him up so I cor-
rected myself and said “You
had one!”
Once a badger ran out
and grabbed one. Badgers
are beautiful but they’re
the Mike Tyson on the
high desert. Stay away
from them.
Now’s the perfect time to
grab an airgun and get out
and enjoy nature. Have fun.
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