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Texas Parks and Wildlife | April 14, 2020

With more people enjoying the outdoors and working from home this April, you may start to notice more wildlife in your Texoma backyard, neighborhood or surrounding area. Species including birds, deer and snakes are active this time of year and their young often stray or appear to be abandoned. But wildlife experts caution against lending a helping hand.

The deer fawning season begins in early to mid-May. A newborn fawn’s mottled coat and mother’s care usually hides them from predators. But as fawns mature, they shed these coats for a more adult color which causes them to catch the eye. With mothers leaving fawns for hours at a time, you may spot one lying alone in tall grass or in a brushy area.  Well-meaning people sometimes pick up these fawns, thinking that they have been abandoned by their mothers and need help. This is rarely the case.

Leave all young animals alone unless it is obviously injured or orphaned. To be sure, spend time observing the wild animal from a distance in order to make that determination. Staying too close may deter the mother from returning, so be sure to practice your social distancing skills. By interfering too soon, you may be doing more harm than good.

The same applies to young birds, who might be out of their nests but cannot fly. If the bird’s eyes are open, it has a coat of feathers and is hopping around, it is probably fine. Grounded fledglings will usually be up and flying within a few days.

If it is determined that a wild animal is sick or injured call the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s wildlife information line, (512) 389-4505, during business hours for a referral to a licensed wildlife rehabilitator. After-hours callers can get the names of rehabilitators from TPWD’s dispatch line at (512) 389-4848 or by checking the department’s web site.

What began as a lighthearted act of defiance to welcome spring in 1978, the Burning of the Socks has taken on a life of its on and the tradition of  saying good bye to winter by burning those old, smelly socks, has spread from east to west and in between.   

Traditionally held on the Spring Equinox, marinas and yacht clubs across the country will celebrate the return of Spring, Sperry topsiders, flip flops, and best of all: boating season.

Ode to the Sock Burners

By Jefferson Holland, Poet Laureate of Eastport, 1995

Them Eastport boys got an odd tradition
When the sun swings to its Equinoxical position,
They build a little fire down along the docks,
They doff their shoes and they burn their winter socks.
Yes, they burn their socks at the Equinox;
You might think that’s peculiar, but I think it’s not,
See, they’re the same socks they put on last fall,
And they never took ‘em off to wash ‘em, not at all…
So they burn their socks at the Equinox
In a little ol’ fire burning nice and hot.
Some think incineration is the only solution,
‘Cause washin’ ‘em contributes to the Chesapeake’s pollution.
Through the spring and the summer and into the fall,
They go around not wearin’ any socks at all,
Just stinky bare feet stuck in old deck shoes,
Whether out on the water or sippin’ on a brew.
So if you sail into the Harbor on the 20th of March,
And you smell a smell like Limburger sauteed with laundry starch,
You’ll know you’re downwind of the Eastport docks
Where they’re burning their socks for the Equinox.

Lake Texoma Burning of the Socks Events

Big Mineral

9:00 – 11:30 am Beach Clean-up

11:30 am – 1:00 pm “Burning of the Socks’ Bonfire (BYOS), free hotdogs, chili dogs, chips, tea & lemonade, Free flipflops to the first 50 partiipants

Buncombe Creek Marina

10 am: Bounce House, Dunk Tank, Live Musioc, Carnmival Games by locals, Plarl Bear Plunge, Chili Cook-off, Free Hotdogs

Cedar Mills Marina

St Patrick’s Day Event, Bonfire for burning socks, and Bingo Blast benefiting Texoma West End Lunch Program (Tickets for Bingo $35)

Eisenhower Yacht Club

Members Only Customer Appreciation food and Raffle

Highport Marina

Fire pit to burn socks, with donation bin to donate new socks to be donated to a charity. Shrimp boil at the Island Bar & Grill

Flowing Wells Resort & Marina

5 – 10 pm – Customer appreciation and benefit for the Locust Volunteer Fire Dept. Food, bonfire, and sock burning

Stay tuned….I’ll bet there will be more to come.