Of course there are the hibernators and the birds that fly south in winter, like our human snow birds. There are still perilous times for those migraters. If I had to choose, I think hibernation would be my choice. Actually we humans tend to sleep longer during the short daylight hours of winter; many folks have problems with this time of year.
All reptiles are in some form of hibernation during winter. So are most amphibians. Winter is no problem for them. The black bear, woodchuck and chipmunk are winter sleepers and considered true hibernators. Other animals simply slow down during the nasty periods in winter, such as squirrels. We notice the increase of activity at our two birdfeeders during the winter months. Seeds are consumed much faster.
There are several things we humans can do to make winters less stressful for our outdoor creatures. One of the biggest threats to deer in winter is being chased by snowmobile or 4-wheelers. If you enjoy snowmobiling or 4-wheeling, leave the deer along. Same deal goes for turkeys. When I hike in winter, or hunt small game, I try to move slowly and in a nonthreatening fashion.
Many folks like to feed deer and turkeys in winter and that has much merit. Others cut browse for deer as it is much better than feeding them corn. Of course keeping your birdfeeders well stocked is very beneficial and much fun. We have a lot of fun simply watching the birds at our feeders in winter.
Another thing we have done in our backyard is leave more brush on the bank. It is a godsend for birds to rest and hide and even nest. We stopped cutting back the honeysuckle bushes and that made a big difference. We also make brush piles in our small woods and leave any felled trees or branches thereof to simply rest on the ground.
You might be interested in knowing that since December 21st, the shortest amount of daylight; we have gained nearly 30 minutes since. Let’s build on that until spring arrives.
Jim Collins is an outdoor writer for this newspaper. To contact him, email jimcollinsinsurance@frontiernet.net; or write to him at Outdoors With Jim Collins, 87 Windfall Road, Alba, PA 16910.