Two deer have taken up residence under the Hemlock trees along the southern exposure of our property.

They have done a fabulous job of trimming up the under story and the lower branches of the Hemlocks are chewed away as far as the deer can reach while standing on their hind legs.

The area has a healthy population of poison ivy and grape vines as well…yep you guessed it they are trimmed up as well.

The deer also like the fact that I have piled many raked leaves in the area as well and the compacted piles of leaves make a great insulated bedding area.

Their insulated and hollow hair helps keep them warm in all weather conditions and as long as they have some caloric intake they can be pretty darn invincible to the climate we’ve been experiencing. When they start to lose body fat and food sources dry up they will likely head to the shrubs of residential areas.

Leaf litter is the home to many woodland creatures and helps them survive the winter months.

The reptiles and amphibians depend on leaves and soft earth to burrow under for at least some insulation against the bitter cold.

Frogs and snakes are especially adept at surviving by using unusual techniques.

The Wood Frog and the Spring Peepers are common frogs that are native to our areas.

They both have the unique ability to be partially frozen and still survive the cold.

Wood frogs have a range from Pennsylvania north to the Arctic Circle.

They can be frozen and survive by using a special antifreeze substance that prevents their cells from being destroyed.

Their hearts quit beating and they stop breathing as well.

They are the first frogs along with the Spring Peepers to emerge in the spring.

The Peepers and Wood Frogs start mating as soon as the snow melts and pools of water start to form in low lying areas and edges in wetlands.

When you hear their chorus of distinct calling and peeping you know that spring is on its way.

I frequently hear them when I cross a bridge area or roadway over some marshy terrain.

I would worry about them freezing when it would be so close to the melt of ice and snow…little did I know that this is when they do the mating rituals.

Peepers calls can be heard up to 2 miles away and they gather in large numbers to draw attention to any females in the general area that the boys are back in town!

The promise of 40+ degree weather has us betting on when we will see the bird activity picking up as they start looking for nesting sites. Many birds will adapt to manmade cavities when natural cavities are hard to locate. I have nesting boxes and hollow tree areas near my home that have drawn much attention from all kinds of critters.

Baby squirrels and raccoons are always the first visitors that we see climbing about the tree branches.

The squirrels are crazy and they learn to jump and due aerial feats from an early age. I have a personal battle going on with one squirrel that has made a mess of my bird feeders and has chewed them up and knocked them to the ground.

Once the weather warms up the partially hibernating raccoons will start their nightly raids.

I guess I have to take the good with the bad when the weather improves.

Local coyote hunters have been doing well as several coyotes have been taken on local properties. My neighbors reported that a large group of deer were acting very nervous the other evening behind their home.

The group of deer kept watching behind them and ran into an area between our homes.

They then reversed their course and ran back towards the other end of their property as if they were being herded.

Suspicions were that a coyote or several coyotes were on their trail and the deer felt safer close to the residences than the deep snow of open woods. Coyotes in our area avoid residential or farm properties because they are well aware of the reaction of any hunters or farmers when they see coyotes lurking about.

Some of these local coyotes are large 50-55 pound animals.

An acquaintance of mine snared a large coyote in a snare trap and he was surely focused when he approached the canine and witnessed the ferocity and aggressiveness.

He felt that several of these animals could easily take down a deer or livestock such as sheep, goats or young calves.

Until we meet again, think spring!

Jay Hewitt is an outdoors columnist for the Butler Eagle.