Sharing with my friends

[Dave Grubb]

I guess I have to say that I am a recovering deer hunter

Aided by the presence of woods on two sides of us and fields beyond the barn, the deer are comfortable here and "our herd" have made this the core of their range. Add to that, I did not plant any winter wheat this year and so the field below the barn, which I stopped mowing in late September, is the highest food value they have.

The normal routine is to come to feed about 4:15 and they stay for about 30 minutes and then go off to the woods.
Last night was a perfect example of how flexible their schedule can be when the weather prompts them. It is cold here, above freezing is only a memory at this point and lows are playing on both sides of zero.

Last night they began showing up a little after 3 PM and were still feeding when the light faded into darkness. They feed with purpose---there is no energy or time lost with playfulness. At least some of the buck have regrouped with the doe and some may have already lost their antlers. Last night's count was 13, but I know that is an undercount because there were deer behind the barn that missed my count.

I have no concern that they will have enough feed there to get them through the winter. My only concern is for a heavy snow with a crust on it, that can disrupt their access to the grass. I have been known to plow out open areas in the snow.

They provide daily entertainment and satisfaction---we help each other

[Sandman]

I would do the same.. post the property as no hunting and then watch (maybe even feed) the wildlife..

I'm thinking about hanging a bird feeder to play with the squirrels feeding the birds is a byproduct.

[Dave Grubb]

It has gotten up to 27 F here and they are coming out to feed now--very early for them.

Years ago when the boys were home I did feed corn. I had the feeding area set up with flood lights in the trees with motion detectors. We spent many hours after dinner watching the comings and goings---it was a great chance for the boys to see the different personalities of the individuals. I no longer feed, partially because it is frowned on by the Game Commision, but they can't (and I would not expect them to) stop me from feeding grass.

As for the birds and the squirrels---if you have squirrels bird feeding will always be a byproduct

[Sandman]

Have a kizillion squirrels.. several Fox in the neighborhood keep the squirrels on their toes.. and a hawk that we have seen “ giving a squirrel a ride” on more than one occasion.. widening the Interstate (two blocks away) has slowed down the deer traffic in the neighborhood (deer used to have a tunnel, aka stream bed).. they can’t ove the stream but they can disrupt the privacy of te tunnel.

[Dave Grubb]

I think that NJ was first or one of the first that provided "safe passage" for wildlife crossing I-78.



They have three bridges over I-78. Two are for wildlife only and the third is "shared occupancy" with a road on one side and the wildlife area on the other.

I believe what drove this accommodation was the bisection of the home habitat of some rare turtle that mates on one side and inhabits the other side--the bridge serves as the migratory route.

While I am happy for the turtles, I must confess being a bit put out by all the State's attention and assistance. My mating urges never solicited even a hint of support or aid from my State

[Truckman]

My mating urges never solicited even a hint of support or aid from my State

Although it may not have been state supported, I do recall a clearly marked, well-trodden footpath from the side door of the Eifelhof Gasthaus in lower Dahlem, West Germany, to a local house of horizontal refreshment two doors down occupied by a smiling middle aged lady and a rotating brood of her many nieces who offered dance lessons nightly......Ben

[Dave Grubb]

Ah yes---I do recall we had similar accommodations in Asia---but I suspect the access fee for us might have been a bit less than yours

FWIW---and I only heard stories of this, no first hand experience---the fee for such access was based on the time of month and the rank of the "buyer". I was told that by the end of the month it was possible to drive a very frugal friendly arrangement.

[Truckman]

Yes, I too must rely only on the half-remembered rumors passed on by the more experienced adventurers......Ben

[Dave Grubb]

I was sure that was the case

[Dave Grubb]

Back to the deer---they came out early again yesterday with the temperature about 25 F at 3 PM.

The fed for about an hour when it began to snow and they were out of here

Not sure of this, but it might have been to find dry leaves to bed down in before everything was covered by snow---there is far more deliberation in what they do than most would give them credit for.

Years ago, I used to maintain a wild flower patch in an area that was difficult to get into to mow. I would often see a fawn laying in those flowers when I went past on the tractor. Eventually, I learned the reason for that (through reading), the doe placed them in the wild flowers so that their own scent would not be detectable by predators.

In a similar vein, sows are prone to place their cubs near trees with rough bark because it is easier for them to climb.

This little guy and two siblings were "parked" in the midst of a grove of red oak trees while mom was off foraging.