Multi-generational Whitetailed Doe Home Range

Recently, I queried a question to my blog readers to see if they may have seen a behavior that I have observed here . That of the returning year after year of a whitetailed doe to the same place to birth and raise her fawns. It took a little phrase manipulation in my GOOGLE searches to find exactly what I needed. Using the phrase "Whitetailed Doe Matriarchal Home Range" brought me to the pages that seemed to read my mind and provide the answers I sought. One site in particular that I came across gave a twenty year time-line. Researchers Michael E. Nelson and L. David Mech of the Biological Resources Division, U.S. Geological Survey, Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center, 8711 - 37th St. SE, Jamestown, ND 58401-7317, U.S.A., provided in-depth generational dispersions. Table of Contents Introduction Methods Results Capture and Demography Home-range Dynamics Matriarch (M112) Daughter (D106) Granddaughters (G6381 and G6996) Great-Granddaughters (GG6974 and GG7000) Summer Range Relationships Table 1 -- Location data for six deer from the Gabbro Lake matriline. Discussion Acknowledgments References Figures Fig. 1 -- Genetic relationships, ages and years of first capture and end of radio-tracking interval for a 20-year white-tailed deer matriline. Fig. 2 -- Locations of M112 during March-November 1977 and D106 during April-June 1976. Fig. 3 -- Locations of M112 and D106 during April-November 1979. Fig. 4 -- Locations of D106, G6381, and GG6974 during (A) April-May; and (B) June-August 1988. Fig. 5 -- Locations of G6996 and GG7000 in April-August 1988. Fig. 6 -- Locations of G6996 and GG7000 in April-October 1990. If you happen to be interested in knowing the home-range tendencies of the whitetail doe, clicking on the whitetailed doe link will open up the documented findings of Researchers Michael E. Nelson and L. David Mech at the United States Geological Survey website. I found at that point going down to the links in the lower left corner right under the discussion article would get you back to the research. Another link I tried to provide has not been recently updated so it isn't available to get you directly to each segement. In my opinion to use a coined phrase "The apple doesn't fall far from the tree" would absolutely fit the behaviors of the does. They may move a little further out with each generation. However, matriarchal bloodlines are still found within a defined area. As I reflect on the information it supports my own observations. Certainly I won't be going out and putting tracking collars on the does, or getting blood samples to verify relationships but I could get some pictures from year to year. The question has been adequately answered in my estimation and will go on from now into eternity...;)

Where to Live After Retirement

Yesterday, I received these little comical observations about the best places to live after you retire in an e-mail. Take a look and see what you think...do they fit? You can live in Phoenix , Arizona where..... 1. You are willing to park 3 blocks away because you found shade. 2. You've experienced condensation on your butt from the hot water in the toilet bowl. 3. You can drive for 4 hours in one direction and never leave town. 4. You have over 100 recipes for Mexican food. 5. You know that 'dry heat' is comparable to what hits you in the face when you open your oven door. 6. The 4 seasons are: tolerable, hot, really hot, and ARE YOU KIDDING ME??! You can Live in California where... 1. You make over $250,000 and you still can't afford to buy a house. 2. The fastest part of your commute is going down your driveway. 3. You know how to eat an artichoke. 4. You drive your rented Mercedes to your neighborhood block party. 5. When someone asks you how far something is, you tell them how long it will take to get there rather than how many miles away it is. 6. The 4 seasons are: Fire, Flood, Mud, and Drought. You can Live in New York City where... 1. You say 'the city' and expect everyone to know you mean Manhattan 2. You can get into a four-hour argument about how to get from Columbus Circle to Battery Park, but can't find Wisconsin on a map. 3. You think Central Park is 'nature,' 4. You believe that being able to swear at people in their own language makes you multi-lingual. 5. You've worn out a car horn. 6. You think eye contact is an act of aggression. You can Live in Maine where... 1. You only have four spices: salt, pepper, ketchup, and Tabasco 2. Halloween costumes fit over parkas. 3. You have more than one recipe for moose. 4. Sexy lingerie is anything flannel with less than eight buttons. 5. The four seasons are: winter, still winter, almost winter, and construction. You can Live in the Deep South where... 1. You can rent a movie and buy bait in the same store. 2. 'y'all' is singular and 'all y'all' is plural. 3. 'He needed killin'' is a valid defense. 4. Everyone has 2 first names: Billy Bob, Jimmy Bob, Mary Sue, Betty Jean, etc. You can live in Colorado where... 1. You carry your $3,000 mountain bike atop your $500 car. 2. You tell your husband to pick up Granola on his way home and he stops at the day care center. 3. A pass does not involve a football or dating. 4. The top of your head is bald, but you still have a pony tail. You can live in the Midwest where... 1. You've never met any celebrities, but the mayor knows your name. 2. Your idea of a traffic jam is ten cars waiting to pass a tractor. 3. You have had to switch from 'heat' to 'A/C' on the same day. 4. You end sentences with a preposition: 'Where's my coat at?' 5. When asked how your trip was to any exotic place, you say, 'It was different!' ( Goodness when I read this I thought, "They got it right!" ;) ) OR You can live in Florida where.. 1. You eat dinner at 3:15 in the afternoon. 2. All purchases include a coupon of some kind -- even houses and cars. 3. Everyone can recommend an excellent dermatologist. 4. Road construction never ends anywhere in the state. 5. Cars in front of you are often driven by headless people Have some fun already! Good day all!!! ;)

I'm a Lucky Winner!

Rex and the Crew at the famous Christmas Place Plantation Hunting Club , down in the Mississippi Delta,decided they would have a classic car give-away. The suspense was getting unbearable around here. Kept checking back to see who a lucky winner could possibly be over at Deer Camp Blog . Then when I wasn't looking I got this e-mail from my friend Marian - "Did you know that you just won the first of a 5 car give-a-way on Rex's site? You go girl!" Hugs, Marian :) WooHoo!!! So off I go to see what gem I have now become a proud owner. Ah a 1951 Plymouth Cambridge, probably a power machine in its earlier days...nice car! I have always been partial to Chrysler products. lol Can't wait to see what the other four classic cars are to be given away. Good luck to you. Oh yeah Rex... Hubby says "Tell 'em not to send it FedEx".

Thanks to Rex at Christmas Place Plantation and Marian ("Vanna")of Marian's Hunting Stories etc., etc., etc...for the picture of my new set of wheels. I love it! ;)

May I suggest that you head over to the Deer Camp Blog for your chance at winning the next classic beauty...

Wonderful Wild Raspberries

It is time for all the natural crafters to be out surveying the countryside again!The season is upon us to be gathering another natural resource here in Iowa. Hubby isn't a great fan of these little drupes because of their small size and abundant seeds, but I sure do like them. Keeping things really simple, I put about a cupful in a bowl and eat them with a sprinkling of sugar. I might put a few on top of a pancake, or cereal for breakfast if the urge strikes. There has been some discussion about wild raspberries and blackberries on the 'Net due to the season. I would like to pass along how you can determine the difference between the two. The North American Raspberry and Blackberry Association says when asked - How do you tell the difference between a blackberry and black raspberry? The most obvious difference is that a black raspberry is hollow -- the core of the fruit stays on the plant when it is picked, while the core stays in a blackberry. Black raspberry fruit are also smaller, less shiny. and have a bluish waxy coating between the sections of the berry. I stopped by Wandering Owl Outside and found a recipe to use for our summertime berry pickings. The pictures make a totally scrumptious experience. While joining all the other berry pickers in finding some delectable treats I ran across a nest with 4-little eggs. The wild raspberry brambles make a fantastic fortress, but the mother Robin wasn't anywhere to be seen. A little wren had come to enjoy the space when I went to the house to get the camera . Only to flit away before the camera would focus. The timber is pleasantly filled with a multitude of birds sharing their happy songs as they feast on nature's bounty. A great way to spend time in the great outdoors being serenaded by the little tweeters. Here's wishin' you all the best of a berry....be sure to stop by Wandering Owl Outside for a recipe, so you too can be ready for a tasty treat. ;)

God Bless America

We have come to a another day of celebrating freedom in the history of our great nation, The United States of America... I find inspiration in the song of Lee Greenwood, a song that you are probably able to vocalize, because of how familiar it has become in our times of opposition in recent years. Today, I would like to send out to all citizens of this great country a wish for God to Bless America, keep us united in thought and deed, remaining a strong unified body, protecting what belongs to us - The Home of the Free and the Brave.....