Season 5

The White-tailed Deer is our most familiar large Mammal -- and our number one big-game animal. In states like Pennsylvania, its popularity makes it one of the most controversial creatures. The abundance of Whitetail here proves that certain wildlife can thrive in man's world. In following this lovely Deer, we learn how it now epitomizes the history of game management.

We sometimes think of ducks as clumsy barnyard birds that waddle around quacking like cartoon characters. A duck on land is awkward, but in the water it's totally at home, swimming as smoothly as a sailboat, or diving like a submarine. And in the air, wild ducks winging across a sunset sky is one of Nature's prettiest sights. Two of the world's most beautiful ducks happen to be American natives; the exquisitely-colored Wood Duck, or "Woody," which feeds primarily on plant life near the surface, and the elegant Hooded Merganser, or "Hoody," which feeds mainly by diving for fish. These two ducks are quite different in their feeding habits. But both prefer to nest in hollow trees or man-made nest boxes, which brings them into competition. Females sometimes even lay eggs in each other's nests. This behavior can lead to amusing mix-ups for "WOODIES AND HOODIES".

In a confrontation with a Rattlesnake, this snake will win. Unharmed because it is immune to the venom, it swallows its victim whole. This amazing serpent is the Kingsnake. Reigning monarch among Reptiles, it is a world-class beauty, with a medley of patterns and colors. We see combat, mating, egg-hatching and feeding behavior in several kinds of Kingsnakes.

Is there a peaceable kingdom? Not really. Wild animals have "sibling rivalries" just like humans. Ironically, related species compete more frequently, and more intensely, than do non-related species. These family conflicts can be fatal when it comes to the crucial concerns of food, territory, or affection... and it's not always the larger or more powerful "cousin" which wins the competition!

Each summer, as Salmon make their spawning run, a gathering of the largest carnivores in North America also takes place. Up to a hundred huge Brown Bears line up along the McNeil River in Alaska. Each Bear stakes out and defends its fishing territory. The cast of characters includes sows with playful cubs, battle-scarred boars, and juveniles, with comical fishing styles.

Texas is big! It's also wild and incredibly varied. In this state, there are at least six dramatically different life zones -- desert mountains, flat grasslands, hill and brush country, piney woods and swamplands. For viewers accustomed to seeing the Lone Star State as a land of livestock and oil wells, this look at little-known wild areas promises many surprises.

Two hundred years ago, unbroken prairie stretched over 1000 miles of America's heartland. Today, little remains of that vast expanse, where not only Deer and Antelope, but also Elk, Bison, Bears and Wolves, once roamed. Can we afford to protect a portion of our remaining National Grassland heritage, or must all of our birthright disappear under the plows of progress?

Most predators and prey have evolved in unison. They are so closely matched that every day is an "Animal Olympics." Intimately linked together are two birds -- the speedy Goshawk and the alert Ruffed Grouse. Many predators pursue the Grouse, but none is so well-adapted to catch it as the Goshawk. This is the story of an unerringly precise natural balance.

If I were a wild animal, I'd be a River Otter. Now, some of you would probably be a Grizzly Bear, big and powerful. Or a Bald Eagle, beautiful and free. But as far as I'm concerned, a River Otter is the one animal that really knows how to live. This fun loving member of the weasel family finds a good time wherever it goes. It plays every chance it gets, it makes a game out of practically everything it does. It's a streamlined swimmer with a passion for downhill sliding, and it will climb up and slide down a river bank for hours on end. But the Otter has a serious side, too. It's a skilled hunter and a faithful parent. Both mother and father share in raising the young. So let's take a look at my favorite animal. We follow a family as their young grow up in these wild mountains of upstate New York, for this animal portrait "OTTERS OF THE ADIRONDACKS".

Family camping trips take on added interest now that Marty and Diane Stouffer's daughter Hannah is old enough to keep up with them. There's fun to be had and lessons to be learned as they share with Hannah the secrets of the wild creatures and wild places they love. We see that a child's enormous capacity to learn from Nature is one of our most precious inborn gifts.