Outdoors with Don Q: Where to look for wildlife and birds and what to see

In our many wanderings in the Great Outdoors in the last few years, Elaine and I have encountered all kinds of wildlife and birds; and I thought that it might be fun to share some of those encounters in the hope that, you too, might also experience some unforgettable memories.

So, with that as a lead-in, here's where to look and what you might see, and don't forget to take your iPhones or digital cameras for photos:

Pronghorn Antelope:
01. Along U.S. 50 between Eureka and Ely, Nevada:
If you keep a sharp eye, you can usually see antelope along the highway.
One year, Elaine got a photo of a very nice buck antelope, that was standing next to the highway, just out of Eureka.
I stopped the car, and expected the antelope to instantly dash away.
Instead, Elaine got out, walked up to within a very short distance of the antelope and got a great photo of it just standing there and staring at her.

02. Along S.R. 447 between Wadsworth and Gerlach, Nevada:
This stretch of highway almost always has antelope, if you know where to look, in the area between Pyramid Lake and the tiny town of Empire.
There is a lot of desolate desert out there, but there is also lots of wildlife.
These antelope won't let you walk up to them for a photo!

Coyotes:
01. Along U.S. 395 in Washoe Valley.
Depending on the time of day, watch for the coyotes (usually solitary ones) to be hunting for their breakfast, lunch or dinner in the big open fields, which are south of Exit 50 near the Bowers Mansion and Davis Creek areas.
Black Bear:
01. Upper Twin Lake, Calif.:
The black bear in this area have lost their fear of human beings, and are frequent visitors (especially at night) to the cabins and camp sites at Annett's Mono Village on the west end of Upper Twin Lake.
There are signs posted everywhere warning people not to feed the wildlife and to keep their food in bear-proof containers.

However, I have a strong suspicion that a few do not heed those warnings, which results in bears looking for easy-to-get-to munchies in food boxes, ice chests, storage containers and even in vehicles.
Don't be tempted, bears can be dangerous and destructive, and if you get caught feeding them, you will be banished from that area.

02: Davis Lake, Calif:
As at Upper Twin Lake, the black bear in this general area (the homes and campgrounds near Davis Lake) have lost their fear of human beings, and are also frequent visitors (especially at night) looking for easy-to-get-to munchies in food boxes, ice chests, storage containers and vehicles.
Be advised that the bears can be dangerous and very destructive.

Mule Deer:
01. Right here in Carson City:
If you are someone who does not want to travel very far to observe wildlife, you can take a leisurely ride around the Carson City area and see lots of deer, if you know where to look.
You might want to check out these locations, especially in the wintertime:
The area close to the intersection of Thompson and Fifth Streets.
The area close to the Governor's Mansion on Mountain Street.
The area along the upper end of the pavement on Kings Canyon Road.
The area along Ormsby Boulevard.
The area along Longview Way and Ash Canyon Road.
The Timberline area.
The Lakeview area.

02. Plumas County, Calif.:
In the Springtime, you can expect to encounter mule deer (bucks with emerging antlers, plus does and their new-born spotted fawns) between S.R. 70 and Davis Lake, California.
I would suggest that you take Grizzly Road from S.R. 70 to the end of the pavement at Davis Lake, and to be super alert for deer on either side of the road, beginning at about the U.S.F.S. fire station.
Our cabin is located in that general area, and over the years, from the cabin's deck, we have seen and/or photographed:

A doe giving birth to twin fawns (a short distance from the deck), a doe with triplet fawns accompanied by another doe with twin fawns, a buck with a small fawn companion for most of the spring, a gorgeous trophy 6X5 buck with a crooked left front leg, seven bucks traveling in a bachelor group, and one occasion, a total of 13 bucks, does and fawns snoozing all afternoon in the shade of some pine trees just below our deck.

03. Upper Twin Lake, Calif.:
As is the case with the black bears in this area, deer have lost their fear of human beings, and are frequent visitors to the cabins and camp sites at Annett's Mono Village on the west end of Upper Twin Lake.

There are signs posted everywhere warning people not to feed the wildlife but I have a strong suspicion that very few heed those warnings, which result in the quasi-tame deer walking right up to you, looking for a hand-out.
Don't be tempted, because if you get caught feeding them, you will be banished from the Village. Don't say that you were not warned.
Wild Turkeys:
Yes, Virginia, there are wild turkeys in our part of the west.

01. Plumas County, Calif.
For the last several years, a tiny flock of four turkeys has been living in the Grizzly Road and Valley View Road area, located near Davis Lake.

I haven't the foggiest idea of where they came from, but they are there.
Winters can be brutal in that general area, but, most amazingly, the adverse cold (down to -19 degrees), deep snow (in excess of 5 feet) and ice does not seem to bother those hardy (or foolish) birds.

Last summer, we were seated in folding chairs in front of our cabin, enjoying afternoon cocktails, and they walked right up to my cousin, Lorraine Scholes of Dayton and looked at her. They had no fear of us, and we got some great photos of our feathered visitors.

Finally:
I haven't even begun to discuss all kinds of other wildlife and birds of our area, such as mountain lions, bobcats, badgers, skunks, squirrels, chipmunks, cottontail rabbits, jackrabbits, raccoons, bald eagles, hawks, Canada geese, ducks, blue jays, robins, pigeons, etc.
They all live in this part of the world, if you know where to look.

Bet Your Favorite Pigeon
Bet your favorite pigeon that he can't tell you how many mountain lions I have seen in my wanderings in the Great Outdoors.
If he grins and says, "Don had seen a grand total of three mountains lions," he could have been with me on one of my backcountry hikes.

— Don Quilici is the Outdoor editor for Carson Now and www.SouthTahoeNow.com. He can be reached at donquilici@hotmail.com