We concentrate on birds at the Bottoms. There are lots of other critters that are every bit as photogenic and as interesting as the birds. A lot of the drama and stealth of the Bottoms occur in the mammalian and reptilian world. I have considered doing an article on just the reptiles, but I don’t know enough of the facts of these creatures to be coherent. I’ll search for an expert to give us all some valuable information.

Let’s start with the big things and work our way down to the small things. The biggest size-wise are the deer. You would be surprised at the number of big deer that live in the Bottoms. One of the best bucks I ever harvested came off the Bottoms. It is always fun to see the does hide their babies in the weeds along the dikes. You will see a spotted fawn that fell into the water and was exhausting itself trying to escape. I always wish for video—when mom jumped in and herded that youngster to a safe escape path it was such a relief. I’m eternally grateful that I didn’t have to try. I can’t even start to imagine that headline. Tim Higgins called me last week and reported a mule deer buck roaming around out there. That’s an uncommon finding. I found one a couple of years ago that had only one horn. 

You would think that a few beavers would rearrange the marsh and add to the scenery in a good way. That’s not true. They dam up equipment and water transfer stations and cause lots of havoc and misery. They are not welcome visitors, but some migrate in from the river on occasion. 

We used to have muskrats all over the marsh. I remember one year when Jason called me and said every muskrat in the marsh was moving. I think it had rained and they had to move dens and babies. It was a magic moment with all the muskrats moving around. I found one doing yoga exercises close to shore. I don’t know where they went in the drought, but I very seldom see one since that event.

I have only found badgers one time—they were behind pool 2. The kids were playing in the water, and mom had a fit when she spotted me. Skunks are fairly common, and armadillos are occasional visitors. They are moving further north all the time. If you are lucky enough to spot a mink, be grateful. I usually see them only when everything is frozen and they must travel on land. 

Raccoons and possums are relatively common, but foxes are pretty rare. They are so quick and delicate and can disappear on a dinner plate when they need to hide.

Bobcats are so nocturnal that we seldom see them. I was lucky to find a mother out teaching the kittens about frogs and such. There is a frog season and frog legs are great table fare. You would be surprised at the number of people who go out at night with gigs and lights and collect frogs! Yes, we have cranky water snakes and Massasauga rattle snakes—I’ve never heard of any person being bitten. Brian Hanzlick’s labrador got bit one year during the flood. Did fine—tough just like it’s dad... .

Keep your eyes open for the critters of the marsh—they have a story to tell!

Doc

Doctor Dan Witt is a retired physician and nature enthusiast. He can be reached at danwitt01@gmail.com.