Looking for a mate? These animals are

T
he spring turkey season is now in the books. I made it out more this year, was able to call in several turkeys, but success was not to be.

I observed more than two dozen turkeys, including some really big toms, yet I never had a shot to take. Such is the nature of the sport.

To understand turkey hunting you have to understand the annual turkey mating season. Starting in February, toms were gobbling, which was a bit unusual. As spring comes, so do the mating activities of turkeys. The late March snow postponed some of the mating activity, which really started up in April. It was winding down once we got into May.

A hen will lay from 10-18 eggs and will have only one brood a year. If something happens and the nest is destroyed, the hen will attempt to renest, though it may not be possible at the end of the mating season. The gestation period is 28 days. Newly hatched poults are not the strongest newborns. Cold and damp weather poses the biggest health threat, since poults are susceptible to contracting pneumonia. The poults then go through what is called the fattening period. They are feeding in areas that have plenty of seeds, insects and berries. At the end of the fattening period they are capable of taking flight to safely roost overnight. Poults are the object of attention from predators - mostly foxes and coyotes - since they have difficulty escaping danger until they can take flight. This is why there are so many to start off with, because between weather and predators a much lower number survives.

Much has been written recently on the demise of the sow bear in Laconia and the raising of the two surviving cubs. Here is yet a different angle on New Hampshire's black bear population. The bear mating season is a late-spring, early-summer season. This is the only time male bears come in contact with female bears. The males, boars, are not particularly social to begin with. After mating, the gestation period will last about seven months. Boars have no contact with their progeny. If a boar comes in contact with a sow with cubs, the reaction of the sow is downright hostile.
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It is possible that a sow can be seen with two generations of cubs, but this is a rarity. It is a good idea to give a wide birth to sow bears with cubs in tow. They can be very protective.

During the fall months, mating season for moose and deer takes center stage. Moose mating comes in the September-October time frame. The season starts with bulls jousting with other bulls. As the season goes on, the jousting takes on a more serious note with the weaker bull retreating from the action. All of this activity is to gain breeding rights for a nearby cow moose.

In years past, I have observed bulls with several cows in tow. Come May, the cows start having their calves, sometime singles, but with good habitat, many times twins with a rarity of triplets. It is here that the cow moose earns its reputation for being one of the most dangerous animals in the world in protecting its calf.

From November through December it is the whitetails' turn for mating. The gestation period for the whitetail is approximately 210 days, so you can expect this year's fawn crop to start showing up. Whitetail fawns are born with a perfect camouflage and they are often left unattended while the does take a break to feed. It is here where humans make the critical mistake of thinking fawns need help.

Young wild animals and birds have their best chance of surviving when they are in their own natural environment, says Fish and Game Wildlife Programs Administrator Mark Ellingwood. What should you do if you find a young animal? "Give wildlife plenty of space and leave them alone and in the woods, where they belong," he said.

Seeing a fawn alone does not mean that it is orphaned or that it needs our help. Ellingwood explains that it is normal for a doe to leave her fawn alone while she goes off to feed in the early morning and evening hours. In many cases, the doe will not return until nightfall. "Fawns are not defenseless creatures. Their cryptic coloration, tendency to stay perfectly still and lack of scent are all adaptations that help them survive," he said. Does are easy to detect because of their size and scent, so they generally keep a distance from their fawns, except during brief nursing bouts, so that predators don't key in on them.

"So if you're lucky enough to see a fawn, count your blessings and leave the area." Ellingwood said. "Unless you can verify that a fawn's mother is dead, please leave the area." Persistent revisiting by the sympathetic public only serves to prolong the separation and delay important feeding.