The calls have been coming in to field offices and conservation officers for the past few weeks and will only increase as the first few weeks of June marks the peak of the deer fawning season.

  Callers report finding an “abandoned” fawn in an unusual place, like a flowerbed or small patch of cover. Rest assured this is normal deer behavior.

  “The doe searches out an isolated location where she feels safe and on occasion those places are not what we may think of as ideal. She chose that location because it made sense to her,” said Jim Coffey, forest wildlife research biologist with the Iowa DNR. “The worst thing someone can do is to ‘rescue’ the fawn. Mom is likely nearby and watching you. Leave it be or if you did handle the fawn, return it to where you found it and walk away.”

  The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) will not be rehabbing or co-mingling fawns with other deer to avoid the potential of spreading chronic wasting disease – or other disease - to new areas.

 The spindly legged newborn fawn is designed with a few survival tools built in –its spots are cryptic camouflage that emulates the sunlight spots on the leaf litter on the forest floor and its lack of movement the first two weeks helps to reduce scent patterns. This combination is its best chance at survival until it is able to follow the doe.

  After the fawns are born, the doe will return to fairly normal behavior – sleeping, feeding – but returning to nurse and care for the fawn.

  The fawning season also coincides with an increase in deer vehicle collisions.

  “There is a lot of movement this time of year that is part of the social structure of deer. The doe is on the move looking for the safe isolated place to have the fawns. In addition last year’s fawns – teenagers now – are starting to venture out to find new space. These yearlings have to make their own decisions for the first time, encounter other adult deer and build new social structures,” Coffey said. “This movement behavior can occur during all times of the day. Once it settles out, the active time will return to dawn and dusk.”

  Drivers are reminded to drive defensively, avoid distractions, and slow down and not to veer for deer. If they hit a deer, drivers can get a salvage tag by calling either the local conservation officer or local law enforcement. There is no fee for a salvage tag it does require that the entire deer is taken.

  The above article comes courtesy of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources but the message it conveys can and should be applied no matter where you live. And for more info about the great outdoor adventures in Iowa visit their web site at www.iowadnr.gov.

  I get up most mornings in this so called “modern world”, flip on the TV and watch the news while enjoying a cup of coffee.

  It seems the news gets worse every day. Graft, corruption, murder, assault and so on are all they seem to talk about. Even the weather forecast is marginal. I’m sure these folks are doing the best they can with what they’ve got but some if it is ludicrous. I recently heard a story of someone sending 7,000 text messages in a single month.

  I’m sure a lot of you folks feel the way I do so I’ll tell you a better way to start your day; Get out of bed (the good Lord willing) grab your morning coffee, leave the TV off and then look out the window to see what the weather is like and while gazing out the window look closely to see what nature and its creatures have to offer.

  Nature is all around us just like this beautiful cardinal I saw in my backyard. After watching it for a while I truly felt better. My coffee tasted better and I feel I started my day with a better outlook.

  So give it a try tomorrow morning or the morning after. It is time better spent! With Nature’s help you’ll start the day feeling better and will have a better attitude toward others! After all, you can always find out about the so called “modern world” later. It’s not going anywhere soon.

  Nothing beats a home-cooked fish meal on a cold winter's day. Here are a few thoughts to keep in mind as you "squirrel away" a few meals of fish for this winter.

  The best tasting, highest-quality fish is the one you clean and cook immediately after catching. As time passes after the death of the fish micro-organisms begin to grow and the fish begins to break down. The key to great tasting fish in winter is timely preparation and freezing at the time of the catch.

  Fish baskets, buckets, and live-wells help keep fish alive temporarily and are the first step to great tasting fish later. Depending on the length of your fishing trip or the temperature, you may need to use a cooler of ice to store your fish until time to clean them. A plastic bag for the fish will make cleanup easier.

  Once you've cleaned the fish, packaging becomes the next issue at hand. Air-tight packaging is essential. Many of the undesirable flavor and color changes in fish are caused by oxidation of the unsaturated fats, oils and color pigments. In addition, if the package is not air-tight water evaporates from the fish flesh. The fish becomes dry and tough, or "freezer burned."

  Freezing your fish in water is a great way to keep air away from the flesh. Clean your fillets well, place the amount needed for a meal in a plastic freezer bag, cover the fillets with water, tap the bag to release the air trapped between the fillets, squeeze out all air at the top of the bag, seal, date the bag, then place flat in the freezer until frozen well.

 If you've decided to leave bones in your fish you'll want to use a thick container for freezing. Clean cardboard milk or juice cartons work great to prevent fins and bones from piercing the container, thus allowing air in. Clean your fish well, place the amount needed for a meal in a water-tight container, cover the fish with water, tap the container to release the air trapped between the pieces, seal, date the container and place upright in the freezer until frozen well. (Don't fill the container all the way to the top. You'll need some room for expansion as the water freezes.)

  There is another way to keep your catch fresh until winter. Using a vacuum food sealer is the latest and greatest thing to come along to help keep your food stay fresh longer. They have been around a long time but it only seems until recently that the trend is really catching on. There are several makes and models to choose from. Select one to fit your needs. One handy feature that most have is that the bags once used can be washed and used again. When opening a sealed bag make sure to cut it open as close to the sealed end as possible so you have the biggest bag available for the next use. The bags also come on a roll that is actually one very long bag. You cut the roll to make the size of bag needed. This comes in handy when freezing large pieces of fish like a side of a salmon.

 Dating the bag and carton helps to make sure you don't forget to eat them in a reasonable amount of time. They'll do very well as long as you eat them within one year. Even fish frozen longer in this manner have retained its freshness and great taste.

  Besides the date make a note of where the fish came from, who caught them, who you were with, etc. When you cook them, invite your fishin' buddy over to share the meal, or just take a few minutes to talk about how much fun you had catchin' these fish. Hard to have the winter blah's when you're chewing the fat over a great fishing trip! Maggie B.