Spring is blooming with wildlife newborns

At this time of year, wildlife is blooming with newborns be it song-birds, geese, ducks, foxes and deer fawns. The Pennsylvania Game Commission asks that people avoid disturbing or picking them up, especially deer fawns.

Most deer fawns are born in late May and the first and second weeks of June, according to the PGC. During this time, it’s best to keep your distance because the fawn’s mother is almost always nearby. When people see a small fawn alone, they often mistakenly assume it is helpless, lost or needing to be rescued.

Fawns do not attempt to evade predators during their first few weeks, instead relying on camouflage and stillness to remain undetected. During these times, fawns learn critical survival skills from their mothers. Bringing a fawn into a human environment results in separation from its mother, and it usually results in a sad ending for the animal.

The PGC encourages people to resist the urge to assist wildlife in ways that may be harmful, and offers these tips:

* Deer nurse their young at different times during the day and often leave their young alone for long periods of time. These animals are not lost. Their mother knows where they are and will return.

* Deer normally will not feed or care for their young when people are close by.

* Deer fawns will imprint on humans and lose their natural fear of people, which can be essential to their survival.

* Keep domestic pets under control at all times. Dogs often will kill fawns and other baby animals. 

And in this last respect, coyotes, that are becoming more populated in all suburban areas, even in the city of Allentown’s West End where they’ve been seen, are big killers of fawns. 

For the safety of all wildlife, taking a wild animal into captivity is illegal. It’s best to maintain a respectful distance and help keep wildlife wild, reminds the PGC. 

STRIPER FISHING REMAINS HOT ALONG THE NJ COAST 

In southern New Jersey, striper fishing has been good with bass over 40 inches showing up from Brigantine to Manasquan. Most shops, says Striper Magazine’s Striper Migration Report, are reporting best bites from anglers trolling with bunker spoons and mojos. 

In northern New Jersey, striper action slows a bit in Raritan Bay as the bass have gone up the Hudson River to spawn and spread out in the ocean where they’re being hooked on bunker spoons and mojo rigs. 

The spawners in the Hudson River are in the 20-30-40-pound class up to Albany. Again, all being caught on bunker, mojos and bunker spoons. 
​
Locally, Lake Wallenpaupack striper catches are increasing with bass ranging from 20-35 inches that are being caught mostly on live bait.