Courtships, mating, storing food for winter are all activities of ... WILDLIFE IN AUTUMN

By Terry Shears

OSU Ext. master gardener volunteer

Kids go back to school. Jackets come out of the closets. Rakes emerge from garages. Our routines change as fall approaches. While we adapt to Mother Nature, what are some of the local wildlife doing to usher in the season?

deer

The most obvious is the whitetail deer population. Fall is breeding season. Courtship begins in mid-October when bucks chase does over a period of five to six days before mating. The young will be born mid-May through July. Local commuters will often encounter deer on the move at dawn or dusk and should pay special attention from October through December when traveling in zones with deer crossing signs.

groundhog

The woodchuck or groundhog, closely related to the squirrel, begins to put on a thick layer of fat to survive their hibernation through the winter months. In early fall these loners will spend most of their time eating. Groundhogs can be found in all of Ohio’s 88 counties.

chipmunk

The eastern chipmunk is basically a tiny squirrel that has adapted to burrowing. In autumn, chipmunks gather seeds, grain, fruit, nuts, insects, worms, bird eggs or whatever they can find. They are not picky about what they eat. This food can be stored for the winter in their burrows, which can be more than 10 feet in length.

fox

Red foxes are solitary creatures during the fall and early winter. Their range is 1 to 2 miles, but if the food supply dwindles, they can extend their normal range. They eat mice, rats, rabbits, groundhogs, birds, fruit and some grasses. They will not hibernate, but under extreme weather conditions will reduce their activity and take shelter for a day or two. They are nocturnal, feeding and moving from place to place, but can be seen during the day.

rabbit

The eastern cottontail rabbit does not hibernate, either. It is most active at dusk and dawn. It doesn’t dig burrows, but inhabits brushy fields, brush piles, thick vegetation, hollow logs and even the unused burrows of other animals. It eats green vegetation and often corn or apples that have fallen to the ground until snow covers them. Their mating season ends in September.

mole

The star-nosed mole pairs up with its mate in autumn. They will remain together until the mating season in March and April. They are active all winter long, burrowing through snows and even swimming under the ice of frozen ponds.

squirrels

Gray squirrels are caching (storing) food by burying it for later use. Red squirrels are eating coniferous trees for buds and seeds from cones. Both are active during the day (diurnal), and live solitary lives.

So as you pull out the jackets to prepare for fall, local wildlife prepares in its own way.

Join us Wednesday to learn more about deer and how to deal with them in your lawn and garden. More on the program at http://go.osu.edu/bambi.

For more details about wildlife in our area, visit http://wildlife.ohiodnr.gov.