Out of my window

[Dave Grubb]

"My" small herd of deer has become a fixture---to the point that I think if I were to leave a barn door open they would move in

Last night three apparent yearlings were playing---and there was no question that they were playing. They were running after each other from one side of the field to the other, jumping and kicking up their heals as they went. As they were totally engaged in this play the adults simply stood still and watched---right along with me. The play continued until they were tired out---and I am sure they slept well.

This morning they are back in their dinning hall. Without question they are rejoicing in the approach of spring and the greening of the grass. I cannot remember ever seeing a herd of deer that were clearly this relaxed. They are perfectly comfortable with being out in the day time and on occasion will lay down right in the field.

Until hunting season begins again in the fall, they really have nothing to be concerned about.

To the left of this picture is a wild flower patch---and a parking lot for the fawns. In another month the doe will put their fawns in the middle of the flowers while they feed. They do that to further mask any scent of the fawns with the smell of the flowers.

[Truckman]

Dave, I took the liberty of enhancing the picture for clarity...Unfortunately this is as clear as I can make it without distortion due to my limited skills......Ben

[Dave Grubb]

Thanks Ben

I stopped enlarging it. What isn't apparent, is that they are 200 yards away and I took that on a phone!

I had the thought of how far we have come to be able to have even that much clarity with the tiny lens of a smart phone. I remember well when my big Nikon lenses and 35mm film would not have done much better---and I also remember
how much I paid for those lenses

[Truckman]

and I also remember
how much I paid for those lenses

I was hoping not to be reminded of that as Canon is no cheaper......Ben

[wacojoe]

You must not have anything you do not want eaten. When we had our farm and acres of gardens that tours of people came to see, deer were not welcome. We had big dogs whose job was to keep plant-munching critters in the woods. With deer you have to make a choice — either them or your plants — unless you like really high fences. They are very bucolic though. In Texas, when drought hits, they get really aggressive eating everything green in sight. They even ate my bluebonnets from time to time. I wish you could have both happily.

[Dave Grubb]

It only becomes a problem here if the snow cover gets too deep. Then they will come up to the house. The first to go are the azalea buds, next the rhododendrons then the mountain laurel. After that they prune the orchard.
One year which was particularly bad they took every bud off the azaleas above the snow line. That spring the front of the house looked rather strange---only the lower portion of the azaleas had flowers--the uppers were barren. There was an obvious line along the front of the house.

When the boys were home I had flood lights on motion detectors set up in a clump of pine trees about 50 yards from the house. We fed shelled corn. I couldn't guess how many evenings were spent watching the comings and goings. It was a great way for the boys to observe different personalities in the deer. They all became familiar to us and many were given names.

One of our favorites was the "old man". He had a declining rack, always unbalanced and nasty looking. He was easily identified by a large scar on his right side--apparently "won" in a fight. Despite his obvious age and decline he maintained the attitude of the "alpha buck". He was always alone and when he would come into the feeder the others would scatter. On the occasion one would forget their manners he would butt them under the mid-section, often lifting them off the ground. We were all a bit sad when it was obvious the old man had moved on to other pastures.

I don't feed corn any longer but I do keep a field of winter wheat beyond that tree line beyond where the deer are eating and always leave a few rows of corn standing.

[Honda]

Thanks for sharing Dave I too love to watch the deer browse around behind my house. Somehow it's very comforting.

[Blue74]

I was hoping not to be reminded of that as Canon is no cheaper......Ben

I still have two Zero Halliburton cases full.

[mgrist]

I had a possum in my garage eating the dog food a couple of weeks ago. Not quite as exciting as deer in the field though.