Resiliency of deer, night skies, and summer trout
One of the most obvious things you can say about whitetail deer is that they are remarkable.
While I've admired these creatures for a half a century, I'm always finding new reasons to be impressed.
The photo of the week is of a buck that walked near one of my trail cameras. His antlers are quickly growing into a nice-sized rack. While looking through the images from my trail camera, I started to think about how deer are keenly aware of knowing where they are safe.
I recently was surprised to find deer in two places where I didn't expect to see them. I live in the heart of a coal-mining community. This past winter, a new mine opened on the border of a nice farm. I thought the mining activities might push the deer away from there for a few years. However, while watching a nearby field recently, it was great to see young bucks feeding within a few hundred yards of where the massive heavy equipment was turning dirt earlier in the day. The deer learned the routine of the workers and adapted their schedules to share the woods with them.
A second surprise happened at a local sporting clays center. My family participated in a benefit shoot for the Somerset County Mobile Food Bank. With 91 participants walking through the farmland shooting course, a deer and several rabbits casually fed on the grass and brush near a couple of the shooting stands. These animals were not bothered by humans walking nearby or the noise from literally hundreds of shotgun rounds.
These creatures became accustomed to seeing humans and hearing loud, random noises. They learned how to coexist with the whims of others in their neighborhood. They just wanted to get along and have a place to live in a relatively safe environment. They are remarkable creatures indeed.
I hope the top story I'm sharing this week helps you spend a few evenings outdoors. I spoke to several state parks around Pennsylvania that are located in areas that are ideal for stargazing. These rural destinations are void of light pollution, which allows visitors to make the most of a clear, summer night. Some of the parks are expanding their programs and amenities for those who want to to watch the night skies.
Another feature I have this week is a column about why we should be eating trout this summer. It provides good insights on these hatchery-stocked fish.
I'm also sharing two stories from my colleagues. In York County, Paul Keuhnel wrote an informative update about the Lake Williams dam project, and in Erie, Gene Ware writes about the interesting history of the lagoons in Presque Isle State Park that are popular for paddling and fishing.
This weekend leads into the Independence Day holiday. We are blessed as Americans to have the opportunity to live and do things (within reason) as we please. I'm hoping that means you'll be spending time on the water, in a state park or your favorite woodlot with family and friends enjoying the outdoors. Have a good weekend, and thank you for your time.
Brian Whipkey is the outdoors columnist for USA TODAY Network sites in Pennsylvania. Contact him at bwhipkey@gannett.com and 814-444-5928 with outdoors related questions and story ideas.
This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Deer, stargazing and summer trout
