June, October and November are peak months for deer-vehicle accidents, according to Bill Jensen, big game biologist for the North Dakota Game and Fish Department. "Motorists are advised to slow down and exercise caution after dark to reduce the likelihood of encounters with deer along roadways," Jensen said.

Most deer-vehicle accidents occur during the dawn and dusk hours when deer are most active, Jensen said. "Deer-vehicle accidents are at times unavoidable," he added. "However, motorists should be aware of warning signs signaling deer are in the area."

When you see one deer cross the road, Jensen cautioned, look for a second or third deer to follow. Also, motorists are urged to pay attention on roadways posted with Deer Crossing Area caution signs. "Obviously, deer are known to be in this area," he said, "that is why the sign is there."

American Family Insurance provides a few precautions that can minimize your chances of injury or property damage in a deer-vehicle crash.

• Always wear your seat belt.
• Don't swerve or take the ditch to avoid hitting a deer. Try to brake as much as possible and stay on the roadway. Don't lose control of your vehicle or slam into something else to miss the deer. You risk less injury by hitting the deer.
• If you spot deer ahead, slow down immediately and honk your horn.
• No published research supports the effectiveness of deer whistles on vehicles. Deer can't hear ultrasonic frequencies.

The deadline applies to muzzle-loader, regular gun, gratis and nonresident landowner, and youth antlered mule deer applications (specifically for antlered mule deer in units 3B1, 3B2, and 4A-4F). Deadline for regular statewide youth licenses is Sept. 1.

Individuals can apply online or print out an application for mailing at the game and fish website, discovernd.com/gnf, or apply by calling 800-406-6409. Applications are also available at county auditors, license vendors and game and fish offices.

Persons mailing applications to the department are advised to mail early because some post offices use the following day's postmark for mail received after regular hours. The department's online application feature will be deactivated June 8 at midnight.

Birding, wildlife and nature are all featured in a variety of free workshops and seminars including nature landscaping, wildflower identification, bird watching, birding by ear, nest and egg identification, and global positioning systems. Hands-on activities for youngsters are scheduled for Saturday, June 18.

Guided bird walks and tours of Kellys Slough National Wildlife Refuge, Lake Alice National Wildlife Refuge and Sullys Hill National Game Preserve are also offered during the festival.

All festival events and tours are free and open to the public. For more information and to pre-register for classes, tours and workshops contact Sullys Hill Wildlife Refuge Society, PO Box 286, Fort Totten, N.D. 58335; 701-766-4272; www.sullyshillbirdfest.com.

Sullys Hill National Game Preserve is located southwest of Devils Lake near Fort Totten, North Dakota. It has long been recognized as one of state's natural treasures, having been set aside as a national park by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1904, and continuing in that capacity until 1931 when it was transferred to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Features include a 4.5 mile auto tour through a big game enclosure and a 1.5 mile self-guided nature trail running through wooded terrain.

"The law really didn't change, we just cleaned up the language a little bit by applying more specific standards," said Robert Timian, law enforcement chief for the State Game and Fish Department.

Previously, the BUI regulation was more generic - it was illegal to operate a motorboat or vessel while intoxicated or under the influence of any narcotic drug, barbiturate or marijuana. "There was the possibility of some loop holes," Timian said. "Now everything is clearly stated."

Senate Bill 2141, signed into law by Gov. John Hoeven, went into effect May 1, and makes it illegal for someone to operate a motorboat or vessel, or manipulate water skis, a surfboard or similar device, if any of the following apply:

• A person has a blood alcohol concentration level of at least .10 at the time of a chemical test.
• A person is under the influence of intoxicating liquor.
• A person is under the influence of any drug or substance or combination of drugs or substances to a degree which renders that person incapable of safely operating a motorboat or vessel.
• A person is under the combined influence of alcohol and any other drugs or substances to a degree which renders that person incapable of safely operating a motorboat or vessel.

In addition, the bill also changes the administrative penalty for offenses that result in suspension of privileges during the boating season. Previously, a 90-day suspension for boating under the influence could have been administered at any time during the year. With SB 2141, the penalty now must be served between May 1 and October 1.

"For the suspension to have any meaning, it should occur at the time of the year when you can actually operate a boat," Timian said.

If the person is unable to serve the full prohibition within the time period in any given year, Timian said, the person must serve the remaining portion of the suspension during the same time period in the subsequent year.

These defenses, however, are sometimes not enough to protect fawns from wild predators or well-intentioned humans who "rescue" the animals from their tallgrass hideaways because they appear to have been abandoned by their mothers. In most cases - be it white-tailed deer, cottontail rabbits or some other species - the young haven't been deserted, and mom is likely watching discretely nearby, waiting for intruders to move on.

It's illegal to take wild animals home, and captive animals later returned to the wild, biologists say, will struggle to survive because they do not possess learned survival skills. The best advice - and this goes for all wild baby animals - is to not touch them.

Most of the time, young animals found alone are not abandoned, reports Jeb Williams, North Dakota Game and Fish Department outreach biologist. "Young wildlife are purposely placed into seclusion by their mothers to protect them from predators."

A doe will often move her young twice a day for about the first month of life, trying to stay one step ahead of predators. She will also visit a couple times a day to nurse. These visits are short, reducing the chance of her young being discovered.

A fawn that is touched, biologists say, will be taken back by its mother. But a fawn that is removed by humans from the wild faces a bleak future. "While we understand and are sympathetic to one's feelings on this issue," Williams added, "the best advice we can offer is to let Mother Nature work."

Female rabbits make a nest by scraping out a shallow depression in the ground, lining it with grasses and fur. Young are born naked, blind and nearly helpless. But they develop rapidly, enabling mom to move from the nest to eat. So, if you stumble upon a hideout of cute bunnies, move on because mom, like the whitetail doe, will be back.

The same care should be afforded to neighborhood-nesting songbirds. If a young falls, or is pushed from its nest, it should be left alone. Biologists say the only time a person should pick up a baby songbird is if it's found on their doorstep. Then it should be moved nearby to suitable habitat.

Handling wildlife is risky as wild animals can transmit a variety of diseases to humans, and aggressive actions are typical of mothers protecting their offspring.

Motorists are also reminded to watch for deer along roadways. June and November are the peak months for deer-vehicle accidents because young animals are dispersing from their home ranges. With deer more active during these months, the potential for car-deer collisions increases.

Things happen in the wild for a reason. Young are purposefully isolated from their caregivers to be given a better chance to dodge animals that want to eat them. And sometimes, despite the best nature-made camouflage and nearly odorless beginnings, the cute are found.

"We met our goal, but it was one of our longest seasons because of the weather," Weigel said. "The walleye spawn was especially difficult because of cold, windy days."

The weather cooperated for the northern pike take, as the spawning run occurred relatively fast because of warm days in April. "Eggs were equally split between Lake Ashtabula and Devils Lake," Weigel said, "and the quality was good."

After hatching, fry were stocked in hatchery production ponds, and will be distributed as fingerlings to waters around the state by the end of May.

Even though fisheries crews surpassed their goal by collecting 48 million walleye eggs, weather conditions from late April to mid-May didn't make it easy. "It was not a good run because of poor weather conditions," Weigel said. "There was never a calm day. Our crews were constantly fighting cold temperatures and windy conditions."

Crews were able to take 27 million eggs from Lake Sakakawea, and 21 million from Devils Lake. "Working conditions led to few eggs, which is why we had to be out there almost a month to achieve our goal," Weigel said. "Water temperatures dropped more than 10 degrees in a week, and when you have a water temperature of 39 degrees the first week in May, it really works against the walleye spawn."

Despite the weather, fisheries crews were able to come to the aid of another state by taking extra eggs. " Pennsylvania put out a request for help because they had a difficult year and couldn't meet their stocking needs," Weigel said. "They have been such a great partner, providing us with fingerling tiger muskie for a number of years."