Deer in my yard

[skygazer]

I have a regular herd of deer that hang out around my house. Around here, no one hunts and there are really no natural predators - also the weather is mild so there is a huge deer population. You see them all the time in the middle of the day.

There are around 8 in this group, does and juveniles, and they like to drink from my birdbath. I love seeing them - they're beautiful and because no one hunts them they are pretty mellow about people. I can get to within about ten feet of them, just talking and they cock their ears and watch me.

There are a couple of them just outside my window right now, browsing in the bushes.

[ET Awful]

1. Get some pictures if you can :)

Deer are so fun to watch. I've always loved 'em :).

[mr_hat]

2. Browsing? I hate 'em -- they destroy my garden

for three seasons and steal the birds' food in winter.

[skygazer]

3. I have no garden

And I don't feed birds. I am happy to share my yard with critters. It was their home first. As far as "stealing" the birds food, perhaps they don't realize that it is not there for them. Ditto the garden.

[mr_hat]

4. Yes, there are many things that deer don't realize.

[manly]

5. deer

Damn! If only you had an AK-47, you could probably get all eight!

[TX-RAT]

6. They hang around here all the time

I keep running them out of the yard, they keep coming back.

[Catchawave]

7. You are so lucky !

No natural predators ? I'm afraid you may be looking for a culling in the near future then. That's how our gov handles deer terrorists these days ya'know :(

This is a great website on living with wildlife:



http://www.hsus.org/wildlife/urban_wildlife_our_wild_neighbors/

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

8. Evil hacker deer!

"There are a couple of them just outside my window right now, browsing in the bushes."

They're stealing your wireless bandwidth! And to browse BUSH no less! Thieving freepers!

[Voltaire99]

9. Beautiful sight

They wander into my parents' yard, too. What graceful sleek creatures--to see them in peace, in their stillness, is really something.

Brings to mind that extraordinary poem by James Wright, which though not about deer, exactly, is fitting for this thread...



A Blessing

Just off the highway to Rochester, Minnesota,
Twilight bounds softly forth on the grass.
And the eyes of those two Indian ponies
Darken with kindness.
They have come gladly out of the willows
To welcome my friend and me.
We step over the barbed wire into the pasture
Where they have been grazing all day, alone.
They ripple tensely, they can hardly contain their happiness
That we have come.
They bow shyly as wet swans. They love each other.
There is no loneliness like theirs.
At home once more,
They begin munching the young tufts of spring in the darkness.
I would like to hold the slenderer one in my arms,
For she has walked over to me
And nuzzled my left hand.
She is black and white,
Her mane falls wild on her forehead,
And the light breeze moves me to caress her long ear
That is delicate as the skin over a girl's wrist.
Suddenly I realize
That if I stepped out of my body I would break
Into blossom.

1960

[anakie]

10. there are a couple of kangaroos

in my yard at the moment. Just passing through on a morning graze.