We attend a very early church service and see few other people on the roads as we wind through the countryside.

What we often see are animal activities that the first hours of day break bring.

We were driving over a bridge crossing the Slippery Rock Creek and my wife noticed a raft of ducks that appeared to be buffleheads, no hooded mergansers in a side pool of water.

They were moving in and out of view and we were driving and it made quick identification difficult.

Ironically, placed on the roadside before we crossed the bridge was a sign that told of the recovery efforts of cleaning up the Slippery Rock Creek by the Slippery Rock Water Shed Coalition.

The amount of wildlife I have seen on the edges of the creek are a testimony to what their efforts have afforded to all of us in reversing water pollution.

Just about a few seconds later my week got much more eventful as I crossed the bridge back on to solid ground.

In the past few days, I saw and heard ring necked pheasants crowing in the area.

A few neighbors and the PGC have stocked them along the wetlands and I do see that a few show up at our bird feeders, but they have a tough life in this predator filled world.

Things got a little tougher for one rooster as he ran out in front of me on the roadway.

I saw him in plenty of time and slowed down to let him cross, what I didn’t see was that a bald eagle was flying straight at my windshield.

I stopped dead in my tracks and the only thought in my head was no one is ever going to believe this is how I ran into an eagle.

Fortunately for me, and the eagle, the pheasant ran into my neighbor’s yard, and the eagle deftly turned and was still on him.

It was unlikely that Don and Jan Rider knew that wildlife drama was unfolding in their yard, but that eagle snatched up that pheasant and came out past us one more time.

He must have been hungry as he flew behind another neighbor’s house and began his morning meal while totally ignoring us.

I pulled into Gary Fitzingo’s driveway and knocked on his door.

Gary was still in pajamas and in a pleasant voice said, “What’s up?”

I pulled up his shade and told him to check out his back-yard view.

In plain view were the eagle and the pheasant which sent everyone to the windows for a clearly remarkable wildlife event.

I just read a report put out on a national survey from the Quality Deer Management Association on deer hunting.

The report was interesting reading material and I will highlight some key findings.

The report found that 90 percent of all hunters buy a deer license and hunt every year.

Fifty-seven percent of the respondents claim deer hunting is one of their top recreational activities throughout the year.

Thiry-nine percent claim that hunting deer is their number one activity.

The tools of choice for hunting show that 36 percent of hunters use center fire rifles, 27 percent use archery equipment and 25 percent use any legal tool allowed in each season.

In areas that they hunt, 35 percent will hunt anywhere and do not have a designated place, 32 percent hunt on private land they own or lease and 16 percent hunt on public land.

About 47 percent of the private land owners manage their land for deer hunting.

When asked why do you hunt?

The responses were that 32 percent hunt because of family traditions and their heritage, 26 percent to provide food for their family and 22 percent for the challenge of taking a mature animal.

Many hunters defined themselves as meat hunters 30 percent, to get out with friends and family 26 percent, and trophy hunters only was at 23 percent.

Interestingly some 21 percent of the hunters stated that they prefer shooting a big buck but will shoot the first legal buck they encounter.

Responding to deer check stations and internet reporting found that 30 percent felt that the internet check in made life easier for them, 28 percent felt that it saved them time and money, 23 percent felt that it was not good due to disease and felt that biologists need to keep abreast of the health of the deer herd.

A small group 14 percent of hunters felt that it led to too many unreported deer.

In the area of antlerless deer hunting harvest 28 percent report that they self regulate and do not always fill tags, 25 percent report that they fill all tags, 23 percent report they fill obligated to help control the deer population, 21 percent only fill tags late in the season if needed, and 3 percent never shoot a doe.

This report indicates the complexity of the hunters and the management of states deer hunting programs to balance everything out for the deer, the habitat and the hunter.

Until we meet again keep an eye out for unexpected antics of wildlife!

Jay Hewitt is an outdoors columnist for the Butler Eagle.