The Critter Hunter

I receive numerous calls every week about “Can you please rescue these baby bunnies/rabbits”.  Whether it is a nest that is found in the lawn or they see the rabbits running around in the back yard; or the kids caught them and brought them home in a box or a cat or dog got to the nest, the facts are:  A female cottontail rabbit will dig a 3-6 inch depression in the ground usually right out in the open. She will use dry grass and her own hair to line the nest where she will give birth to as many as 8 young, which are hairless and blind. The female will keep them covered up but will not stay with them. She may return once every 12 hours to nurse them.  The Rabbit mothers milk is very rich and the baby bunnies grow extremely fast.  The female Rabbit may have up to 6 litters in a single season, if weather permits.  As soon as the baby bunnies are fully furred and their eyes are open they will leave the nest and spread out at this time.  They will pretty much rely on eating vegetation and will give up nursing.  Even though the baby bunnies are still very small they are quite capable of taking care of themselves but are still very fragile and should be left alone.

If the baby bunny is mortally wounded or any broken limbs the animal will absolutely not survive or can it be rehabilitated. They are too fragile to fix.

I do not recommend handling them because you can wind up hurting them very easily.  My motto is always; Let Them Go, Let Them Grow.  Again these animals do not need to be rescued.

If you are unsure about a situation please give All That’s Wildlife, Inc. a call.

Rick Wilberschied a/k/a The Critter Hunter

I’ve been getting a lot of calls lately about people finding baby birds on the ground.  The people on the other end always ask if I could come out and rescue these baby birds. The truth is they are not in need of rescue at all.  I usually ask first if the baby bird looks injured or wounded.  I then ask if the baby birds have feathers and are mobile.  Nine times out of ten the answer is yes.  I begin to explain to them that this is a natural occurrence.  The nest is only designed to hold the babies for so long.  The baby birds get too big for the nest and start over powering one another for space. Eventually they will start jumping from branch to branch and eventually land on the ground.  Some can actually fly right out of the nest, maybe not so well at first but they will learn.  The adults know exactly where the baby birds are at all times.  They are in constant communication with one another through many different vocalizations.

My advice is always if the baby bird does not looked distressed to leave them be.  I absolutely stress that nine times out of ten these baby birds do not need to be rescued.  We as humans think we are always doing good by helping out but unknowingly you could be doing more harm than good.

If the baby birds are still in a nest, then absolutely leave them alone. For most birds, from hatch to fledge it will take approximately 28 days and the baby birds will be on their way.  This does not include any Birds of Prey.

If you are unsure about a situation please give All That’s Wildlife, Inc. a call.

Rick Wilberschied a/k/a The Critter Hunter

Attached are some pictures of Robin Parents and their babies. When they were big enough to fly out of the nest the Parents were always close by taking care of them. This all took about 26 days for them to grow and leave. (Photography by Debbie Wilberschied)

Raccoons breed in the month of January and sometimes even as late as May or June, this can depend of the region of the United State.  Their gestation period is about 60-64 days.  Most litters are born in April and May but some may be born later depending on the breeding.  There is only one litter of young born each year. They can have one to six but the average size litter is between three and five.  To find out more, visit our website at All That’s Wildlife and look under animal facts.

Rick Wilberschied a/k/a The Critter Hunter

This female had 4 babies

Cute But Dangerous1

Cute But Dangerous2

It is that time of the year again where we start to get frequent calls regarding female red fox (vixen) with litters of kits (baby fox) appearing from underneath sheds, decks, and large concrete stoops. It really amazes me sometimes how people don’t even realize that a fox is living on their property until the kits start to emerge from the den.  They are roughly 4-5 weeks of age at this time. People start complaining about dead animal parts lying around in their lawn and on their decks. The vixen is starting to introduce solid foods into the kits diet. The little grayish fluffy balls of fur start to wander out of the den to check out the world outside for the first time.  At first they stay very close to the entrance of the den but soon will start to wander around and check out their surroundings, still not straying too far away. They will wait for the mother to come back and bring them birds, rabbits, chipmunks, mice and other small creatures. She is teaching them what they are going to eat when they are able to hunt for themselves. They will take the best part of the animal at first and leave the less desirable morsels strewn around the yard for later consumption. Other pieces become just toys. This will create an untidy little scene for those with weak stomachs.  What you are seeing is raw nature at its finest.  This is a photographers or wildlife observers dream.  People will ask me “can you or will you remove these animals’. They have concerns about their childs safety and safety of their pets, as well as concern for their neighbors well being.  My answer to them is of course but I also inform them this can get a little expensive and time consuming.  I also let them know that it isn’t a 100% guarantee that we can get the mom and kits. She hunts day and night to bring back enough food for all her kits.  This can make it very difficult to capture her. She will take short breaks, sometimes up to an hour to spend nursing and grooming of her babies.

If we trap the whole family, which could be very difficult and time consuming, they cannot be relocated successfully.  As strong as her motherly instincts are if relocated to a different area her own survival would become the most important thing to her. She will abandon her kits in which they will perish by starvation or predation.   In my own personal opinion do not try to approach them at all as cute as they are they are still a wild animal and pose a threat. If they are not creating a large problem they will usually be gone within another 4 weeks of foreseeing them. When they are strong enough to accompany their mother on hunting trips which is usually about 8-10 weeks of age they will leave the den. They may come back a few times but will eventually disappear and abandon the den site and will wander their territory.  If a customer wants them removed we can certainly provide them with that service. They can call an  All That’s Wildlife, Inc. professional for an assessment.  If you choose to let them be—only enjoy them from a distance.

Rick Wilberschied a/k/a The Critter Hunter