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Show Page 4 The Gunnison Valley Gazette Will you be able to retire when you want? The Outdoor Report What to do if you find a deer fawn It's not unusual to find a deer fawn or an elk calf in the woods — or even in town — this time of the year. If you find a deer fawn or an elk calf, the best thing to do is keep your distance and leave the animal right where you found it. Ron Stewart, a regional conservation outreach manager for the Division of Wildlife Resources, says the DWR receives calls every year from people who found an 'abandoned' baby bird or mammal and would like the agency to take care of it. "While we appreciate and share the caller's concern," he says, "the best thing to do with a newly born deer or elk is to leave it right where you found it." Stewart says deer and elk use several techniques to help their young avoid predators. "Often these strategies make it look like the adults have abandoned their young," he says. "Actually, they're doing the best thing possible to protect their young." For example, Stewart says deer fawns learn to walk soon after they're born. "But they aren't very coordinated," he says, "and they aren't strong enough to run away from predators. So, evolution has added a few safety measures." Most of the animals that prey on fawns have a good sense of smell. But they can see only in black and white. "Deer fawns are born scentless," Stewart says. "They don't have an odor, and predators can't smell them." Also, if you looked at a deer fawn in black and white, their creamy brown coats would be the same shade of color as the new grass and leaves. "Add a few spots to their coats," he says, "and they're well camouflaged." Because a fawn doesn't have a scent and is camouflaged so well, hiding a fawn for the first few weeks of its life is the best way to protect it from predators. The fawn's mother will usually move away from the fawn to feed and rest, but she will still remain reasonably close by. "If she senses danger, such as a human," Stewart says, "she will leave the area in hopes of luring the 'predator' away from her fawn." Stewart says people, who can see a full range of color, often see a fawn in its hiding place. Since the doe has left the area, many people think the fawn has been abandoned, and they pick it up. "That's the worst thing you can do," he says. "Without knowing it, you've just taken a fawn away from its mother." The Outdoor Report is Sponsored by: So what should you do if you see a deer fawn or an elk calf in the woods or in town? "First of all, don't approach it," Stewart says. "Watch it or take a photo of it from a distance, but don't approach it. If you get too close, the scent you leave could draw a predator to the animal." Stewart says numerous studies have also shown that predators will follow human tracks. "I've watched coyotes and other predators cross a path that someone just walked and immediately turn and follow their path," he says. "I don't know if the predators are curious or if they've learned that humans can lead them to food. But if you've just gotten close to a fawn, you'll lead the predator right to it." If you see a fawn or a calf, it's best to stop quite a distance from it. "Then continue past the animal in a loop so the predator follows you around and away from the fawn or calf," he says. Finding and petting newly born animals is another problem. "The animal's survival depends on it staying scentless," Stewart says. "If you touch the animal, you've placed your scent on it. That will make it easier for a predator to find it." 528-5001 Hwy 89 Northeast of Gunnison SATTERWHITE Family. Experience. Quality. Thursday, June 6, 2013 Open Monday - Saturday The First Word and Last Name in Log Homes! Think Satterwhite for Log Homes, Rough Lumber, Timbers, Animal Bedding and Firewood Despite the soaring stock market of the past few years, some Americans are nervous about their ability to retire comfortably — or even retire at all. Consider these somewhat sobering statistics: • Almost half of American workers report being "not too confident" or "not at all confident" about being able to afford a comfortable retirement, according to the Employee Benefit Research Institute's 2013 Retirement Confidence Survey. The 28 percent who say they are "not at all" confident is the highest level recorded in the 23 years of this survey. • Between 2010 and 2012, the percentage of people 45 to 60 who planned to delay retirement rose to 62 percent from 42 percent, according to the Conference Board, a nonprofit business membership and research organization. If you're in either of these groups — that is, if you're concerned about having enough resources to enjoy your retirement years or you're afraid that you'll have to work longer than you anticipated — what can you do to possibly alleviate your worries? Your first step is to get specific about your retirement goals. Have you set a target date for your retirement yet? If so, how many years until you reach this date? Once you know when you want to retire, you'll need to come up with some sort of "price tag" for your retirement years. By taking into account your hoped-for lifestyle and your projected longevity, you should be able to develop a reasonably good estimate of how much money you'll need as a retiree. You may find it helpful to work with a financial professional — someone with the tools and experience to plug in all the variables needed to calculate your retirement expenses. Next, review your retirement savings vehicles, such as your 401(k) and IRA. Are you contributing as much as you can afford to these accounts? Are you increasing your contributions when your salary rises? Within these vehicles, are you choosing an investment mix that can offer the growth you'll need to accumulate a sufficient level of retirement savings? Even after you've "maxed out" on your IRA and 401(k) or other employer-sponsored retirement plan, you can find other tax-advantaged vehicles in which to invest for retirement. Again, your financial advisor can help you evaluate the ones that may be suitable for your needs. Still, even after maximizing your investments, you may come up short of what you'll need, given your desired retirement date. Consequently, you may need to consider working a couple of extra years. If you like your career, you may find that moving out your retirement date isn't so bad — you'll bring in more earned income and you may be able to delay taking Social Security, which would eventually result in bigger monthly checks. Plus, you could postpone your withdrawals from your 401(k) and IRA, giving these accounts more time in which to potentially grow. (Keep in mind, though, that once you turn 70-1/2, you'll have to start taking money from your 401(k) and your traditional IRA.) In any case, do what you can to retire when you want — but be flexible enough in your thinking so that you won't be shocked or dismayed if you need to slightly extend your working years. By "covering your bases" in this way, you can be ready for whatever comes your way. This article was written by Edward Jones for use by your local Edward Jones Financial Advisor HAVING MORE RETIREMENT ACCOUNTS IS NOT THE SAME AS HAVING MORE MONEY. To learn how consolidating your retirement accounts to Edward Jones could make sense for you, call today. Darin K Frandsen www.edwardjones.com Member SIPC Financial Advisor 446 South Mall Drive B-7 Edward J ones St George, UT 84790 435-627-2159 MAKING SENSE OF INVESTING READ ALL MOUT GUNNISON HAPPENINGS BULLDOGS IN THE GUNNISON VALLEY GAZETTE! WIN! CALL 528-5178 TO SUBSCRIBE! •• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •• o •• •• III I"V1 i 11, •• Prices effective through • June 11, 2013 Ilanapenuini lertim o pin! Pharmacy Hours: Mon.-Thur. 9:30 am to 6:30 pm Fri. 9:30 am to 3 pm Closed Sat. Et Sun. BIG USDA Choice Beef Boneless Cross Rib Roost $1.99 lk Pillsbury 15.15 oz. Select Varieties Coke Mixes 99( USDA Choice Beef Boneless Tri-Tip SAVINGS Johnsonville 11-14 oz. Select Varieties Boneless Pork Western family 5 oz. Asst. Burritos 3 for $1 Regular or Attalla Sirloin (hops $1.19 lk Hunt's 14 oz. Asst. Pasta Sauce 10 for $10 MOMS .69( ea. Steaks or Roost $5.99 lb. Fresh Scratch Bakery Fresh Baked Apple Cobbler - 1 pkg. $5 Dozen Fresh Baked Onion Cheese Dinner Rolls - $1.99 (ream Cheese Iced Red Velvet Single layer fakes $4.99 ea. • ••••• •••••••••• ••••••••• ••• USDA Choice Beef T-Bone Steaks $9.49 lk Brats or Dinner Sausage 1 for $5 Shur SOW 4 Qt. Asp. Ice Cream or Sherbet $3.99 Crisp Cucumbers 2 for $1 Ripe Whole Cantaloupe .39( lb. USDA Choice Beef Boneless Lye of Round Roost $199 lk Fresh Service Deli 10 pc. thicken Deal - f legs & 5 Thighs $1.99 Not I Ready Burritos - 89( ea. •••••••••••••••••••••••• |
