Post by: ICEMAN on June 18, 2012, 06:23:33 PM
Note at the bottom where they give us advice how to "help wildlife"..... instead of advising hunters to start thinning the predator population, we should instead "support your local volunteer wildlife rehabilitators". :bash:
I am sick of this from Wildlife, maybe I should post over in P&M? :dunno:
WASHINGTON DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND WILDLIFE
600 Capitol Way North, Olympia, WA 98501-1091
http://wdfw.wa.gov
CROSSING PATHS NEWS NOTES
June 2012
Now playing: The invasion of the baby snatchers
It's fawn-napping time again.
And we don't mean baby deer taking naps.
No, unfortunately it's that time of year when too often too many people "kidnap" fawns -- and other wildlife babies -- found outdoors.
They often think they're saving an abandoned baby, says Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) biologist Patricia Thompson.
"But most of the time they're actually kidnapping a baby out from under the watchful eye of a nearby but unseen mother deer," Thompson said. "It's the annual re-run of "The invasion of the baby snatchers."
Thompson, who coordinates Washington's licensed wildlife rehabilitator program, takes calls nearly every day at this time of year from well-intentioned but uninformed people.
Sometimes she can talk people into leaving the fawn where it is or putting the fawn back where they found it so the doe can reunite with her baby again. But too often she has to enlist the help of a licensed rehabilitator trained in wild animal care.
"An uninjured fawn really doesn't need human care," she said. "It needs its mother. In the rare case of a truly orphaned fawn, it needs a special diet and treatment, as well as no human contact to eventually be rehabilitated back to the wild."
Thompson says it's frustrating because WDFW has been promoting "leave wild babies in the wild" forever, and information has been available for years on WDFW's website (http://wdfw.wa.gov/conservation/health/rehabilitation/when_not_to_rescue.html ).
"Sometimes I think people just can't help themselves," she said. "When a wild baby seems helpless or abandoned, you want to help."
But that help can ultimately be a death sentence for young wild animals, which are often intentionally left alone for hours while their parents gather food.
Doe deer leave their fawns alone to avoid drawing predators with their own body scent. Young birds commonly leave the nest before they are fully-feathered and are fed on the ground by their parents for a day or two until they are able to fly. It is common to see very young American robins, spots and all, on the ground waiting to be fed by mom or dad.
More often than not, just leaving a young animal alone affords it the best chance for survival.
Leaving these babies alone means you need to confine cats, dogs and other pets that can cause lethal injury. One of the most common causes of injuries to wildlife, is attacks by cats. Any animal attacked by a cat needs a wildlife rehabilitator's care, even if it does not look injured. Cat bites often cause serious infection.
One of the few situations in which almost anyone can help wild babies is when very young, un-feathered birds have fallen out of the nest and are on the ground.
If you can find the nest and safely reach it, simply pick up the nestling with a gloved hand and put it back in the nest. Contrary to popular belief, the parent birds will not reject their young because it's been handled by humans.
Thompson recently reported a situation where a fawn was hung up in a fence, probably while trying to follow its mother. It was freed by a neighbor who watched it run around by itself for a day, but then witnessed it reunite with its mother to nurse.
In another recent incident, a fawn brought in to a licensed wildlife rehabilitator was returned to the pick-up spot within 24 hours. When released by the rehabilitator, the fawn cried out and within minutes a doe appeared, stomping its feet at the human (who quickly exited so the two could reunite.)
Wild animals of any age that show obvious signs of illness or injury such as bleeding, vomiting, panting, shivering, or ruffled feathers or fur, or that are just lethargic and make no effort to escape your approach, may indeed be in need of care. However, call a wildlife rehabilitator first before attempting to pick the animal up.
Most Washington counties have wildlife rehabilitators, listed with phone numbers and addresses for 24-7 access on the WDFW website at http://wdfw.wa.gov/conservation/health/rehabilitation/ .
If you and a wildlife rehabilitator decide it might be best to help the animal, find out from them how to safely contain and transport the animal. Always wear gloves when picking up a wild animal to place it in the container. Until the animal is transported to the rehabilitator, keep it in a warm, quiet, dark place.
Another way to help wildlife, whether or not you find an injured animal in need of care, is to support your local volunteer wildlife rehabilitators. All of these volunteers must establish and maintain a good working relationship with a cooperating veterinarian, and many are veterinarians themselves; none can charge for their services to wildlife, but may accept donations.
Post by: 300rum on June 19, 2012, 08:34:32 PM
Post by: runamuk on June 19, 2012, 08:43:41 PM
We do not teach kids how to use rulers or read clocks with hands and numbers, how on earth do we expect people to know the finer points of animal husbandry let alone wildlife birthing and rearing habits?
Its a bummer and I grew up around critters and had no clue they just abandoned babies like that all other animals I spent time around would not do that and an abandoned newborn would be a sign of rejection and possible illness...figure the average joe might know about puppies and kitties they do not leave their newborns for quite some time if this is the only animal experience a person has how is it their fault they do not know? We do not teach this stuff in school, just like laws and constitutions of the state and WAC and RCW is never taught in school :dunno: :dunno:
wildlife rehab typically if done correctly results in release back into the wild :dunno: :dunno:...
Post by: ICEMAN on June 19, 2012, 08:51:55 PM
On the fawn front, it would seem like better money spent would be on advising the hunters the need for additional time spent whacking the predator population down. How many rescued and returned to the wild deer are they talking about? State wide in a year? How many? Seems they could save a whole lot more deer by opening up additional spring bear permits, opening cougar season earlier or letting it run longer. Wolves? :bash: Nope, it is us stupid humans occasionally carrying a newborn deer that are the real problem.
Post by: Huntbear on June 19, 2012, 08:55:35 PM
Post by: KFhunter on June 19, 2012, 09:01:04 PM
Post by: KFhunter on June 19, 2012, 09:04:16 PM
So often I feel like time and effort are wasted in many of these types of attempts. Like the effort to find homes to hundreds of pound kitties and puppies. They spay them and spray them and get them all fixed up for adoption... Seems like wasted effort often IMHO. Pets would be more valuable to everyone if there were less of them and I often feel they should more quickly put them down in the animal shelter. Better to spend the money on education than trying to rescue wounded or injured animals with no home....
On the fawn front, it would seem like better money spent would be on advising the hunters the need for additional time spent whacking the predator population down. How many rescued and returned to the wild deer are they talking about? State wide in a year? How many? Seems they could save a whole lot more deer by opening up additional spring bear permits, opening cougar season earlier or letting it run longer. Wolves? :bash: Nope, it is us stupid humans occasionally carrying a newborn deer that are the real problem.
If it were me in the pound I'd bonk all them kitties, but I'd try to find a home for the dogs
just sayin
oh and for bears the spring hunt needs to just OTC tags, multiple up to 4 a year like how turkey tags are done.
Same for cougar. 4 a year over the counter tags, with pelt sealing requirements and GMU taken from.
Post by: JimmyHoffa on June 19, 2012, 09:11:22 PM
That would be great!
If it were me in the pound I'd bonk all them kitties, but I'd try to find a home for the dogs
just sayin
oh and for bears the spring hunt needs to just OTC tags, multiple up to 4 a year like how turkey tags are done.
Same for cougar. 4 a year over the counter tags, with pelt sealing requirements and GMU taken from.
I do wonder how many of these fawns are neighborhood deer vs wild deer, though.
Post by: Turner89 on June 19, 2012, 09:19:45 PM
Really love those peda comercials with the sad looking cats & dogs, sad music, and sad sounding actress (forget her name). :'(
Post by: rebal69972 on June 19, 2012, 09:31:41 PM
Post by: bobcat on June 19, 2012, 09:55:09 PM
Post by: KFhunter on June 19, 2012, 10:04:35 PM
iceman is bitchin about how they wrote the article, and he's pissed there are no mention of predators killing fawns.
I'd wager a bet that for every 20,000 fawns killed, 1 was due to a human picking it up in the manner the article suggests, it is a waste of free internet font.
AND if it was written by some state worker who's gotta be at work anyhow - perhaps its time for some scaling back hmm?
Post by: bobcat on June 19, 2012, 10:08:22 PM
Post by: Kowsrule30 on June 19, 2012, 11:06:40 PM
Post by: KFhunter on June 19, 2012, 11:42:23 PM
I guess I just don't get it. I can't find anything wrong with the way it was written. :dunno:
Perhaps this is part of the problem:
http://wdfw.wa.gov/grants/wildlife_rehabilitators/index.html (http://wdfw.wa.gov/grants/wildlife_rehabilitators/index.html)
Short Grants Many Gates to the Heart Rescue & Rehabilitation
Purchase food and supplies
Valley $1,000.00 Northwest Wildlife Rehabilitation Center
Purchase food
Everson $1,000.00
Large Grants For Heaven’s Sake Animal Rescue Center
Construct deer enclosure; purchase food
Rochester/Tumwater $14,700.00 Kiwani Wambli
Repair and reconstruct treatment and housing structures
Cusick $20,503.00 Northeast Washington Wildlife Rehabilitation Society
Symposium attendance; operational and contract services
Collville $9800.00 Progressive Animal Welfare Society (PAWS)
Renovate and improve black bear enclosures
Lynnwood $29,000.00 Sarvey Wildlife Care Center
Fence swan/waterfowl pond enclosure; add protected area for waterfowl
Arlington $7200.00 South Sound Critter Care
Replace flooring in rehabilitation room
Kent $9100.00 West Sound Wildlife Shelter
Electric furnace and heat pump purchase and installation
Bainbridge Island $10,000.00 TOTAL $102,303.00
Post by: JimmyHoffa on June 19, 2012, 11:45:25 PM
Post by: bobcat on June 19, 2012, 11:49:10 PM
Quote
Perhaps this is part of the problem:
Which problem? The article was meant to help prevent deer from being taken to these wildlife rehabilitation centers. I think it's a good idea to try to educate uninformed people, so they don't pick up and try to "save" fawns they find. And that's just what the article was doing. The WDFW doing what they are supposed to be doing and people still complain. :DOH:
Post by: ICEMAN on June 20, 2012, 04:48:03 AM
Gee Iceman, are ya running out of legitimate stuff to complain about, or what? All I see is a news release put out by Fish & Wildlife to inform people that they don't need to "save" newborn fawns this time of year. I see absolutley no reason to bitch about this. They didn't spend any money, how much did it cost for someone to write this up? I doubt it cost anything, just an employee who was getting paid to be at work anyway. Anyone who has a desire to go out and hunt predators, will do so, they don't need to be told by Fish & Wildlife.
They didn't spend any money on it? How sophmoric can you get?
First off, it is the mindset which I dislike the most. If it is their goal to save wildlife, there are far more cost effective approaches to saving fawns than to set up a network of individuals, managed by the state, to coordinate the rescue of a couple dozen fawns a year. Does it make me feel all nice and warm and fuzzy that folks are saving fawns to return to nature later? Yes. Does it make me happy that it sounds like most of the efforts to rehab the wild game are volunteers? Yes.
But, here is the gripe and thank you KFhunter for the link and info; We have a WDFW employee and staff who are costing taxpayers to coordinate all of these efforts, write news releases, and who knows what else; that could have actually made a difference by addressing the real problem, not this made up problem.
How much does this program cost a year to the taxpayers to manage?
How many deer are "saved" each year?
Lets do a little cost/benefit analysis on this.
Do we really need the state to get involved with so many volunteers out there on this?
These are my questions. Sorry they bother you Bobcat but I am not so niave that I do not see the waste and do not see the motive and vision of the department by their action.
I don't care if this program costs taxpayers under $100k to manage for the year, it is too much IMHO. I would rather they spend the 100K on a few tv commercials showing the true damage to the fawn population by predators. THIS would be a cost effective use of taxpayer dollars IMHO, not some fluffy "feel good" program to keep all the birdwatchers satiated.
Post by: Skyvalhunter on June 20, 2012, 05:30:07 AM
Post by: bobcat on June 20, 2012, 06:53:25 AM
Post by: runamuk on June 20, 2012, 07:19:19 AM
So often I feel like time and effort are wasted in many of these types of attempts. Like the effort to find homes to hundreds of pound kitties and puppies. They spay them and spray them and get them all fixed up for adoption... Seems like wasted effort often IMHO. Pets would be more valuable to everyone if there were less of them and I often feel they should more quickly put them down in the animal shelter. Better to spend the money on education than trying to rescue wounded or injured animals with no home....
On the fawn front, it would seem like better money spent would be on advising the hunters the need for additional time spent whacking the predator population down. How many rescued and returned to the wild deer are they talking about? State wide in a year? How many? Seems they could save a whole lot more deer by opening up additional spring bear permits, opening cougar season earlier or letting it run longer. Wolves? :bash: Nope, it is us stupid humans occasionally carrying a newborn deer that are the real problem.
totally off topic did you know there are shortages of shelter dogs in some areas and they import small strays from places like mexico to fill the need ( these shelters often charge upwards of $500 a dog as well) :tup: the spay and neuter campaigns are something that has worked amazingly well yet we never hear about that just that there is overpopulation which is another misnomer used to sway and control.
ok back to arguing :tup: