There was a DEER in the back yard

[Aerows]

I guess it is getting parched, but a FREAKING DEER within 10 feet of where I was. On the porch.

Holy crap. It was beautiful and flicked it's white tail at me, but for it to come this far in for grazing, it must be bad.

I took a picture, I'll upload it.

[pinboy3niner]

1. Those devious raccoons!

Now they're using a diversion!

Looking forward to the pic!

[Aerows]

10. All of this weird wildlife.

[hootinholler]

21. I was gonna ask if a racoon was riding it

But this is better, a trojan deer!

[poster123]

35. Racoons... real pests. How I dealt..

About 18 months ago Went outside late at night, to find a mom n dad, with perhaps a half dozen "pups," if that's what they're called, sitting on my roof. They were calmly sitting there watching me. But look at them a Little more closely. Raccoons are beautiful, just like skunks, and obviously empathetic parents. Six months later, woken by energetic noises, Found one of the small fry had used kitty's door and was devouring cat food in the kitchen. Not scared or shameful or anything, it looked back at me with curiosity. But from living in the midwest, I know them to be, in fact, carnivorous (even cannibalistic) small bears. They have fangs and claws like bears, they're territorial, and a match for all but the toughest dogs. Any dog in Iowa who gets a 40 pound wild raccoon is practically legendary. This is a league above the breed; rotweilers, Dalmatians, only few yard dogs can take them on; they can and do fight right back. These critters, like bears, will bypass most household defenses such as trash cans, fences, and 'tricks' such as holes, bare walls, and windows. The three things raccoons hate are light, noise, and orange smells. You can almost always figure out the place they use to gain access. This might be along a fence, but usually it's by climbing and using a roof. If you find cat scat on the roof, but it's too big for any house cat you could imagine, you've found a place one or more 'coons feel safe spending time at, and coincidentally, defending against all comers except strong flashlights and handheld foghorns from the local boat store. To regain your property rights takes a trip to the local 99 cent store for the cheapest orange scented item you can find.If you're lucky it'll be orange scented furniture polish, which makes a wonderful, sticky foam no animal would like on its coat. It doesn't dry out the next day or wash off with water. PS never confront these animals without preparation. First, they never saw a movie with a tough marine drill sergeant barking at 60-80 decibels. Secondly, a weapon(heavy stick) beats all furry animals: Smartly handled, their claws can't possibly get within five feet of those soft, domesticated two footed things. Seriously, you cannot hesitate and you CAN give pain without remorse; they sense fear instinctively and will use it to their advantage, same as a house cat in a fight. To win in a scrape, think: Who's the boss? One good kick and you'll suffer serious internal injuries; wanna try me? Feeling lucky, punk? But don't worry, the smell of orange will work,even if it takes several tries.

[Mbrow]

43. I find that you can

pee on them as well, they won't come back after that.

[Brigid]

72. I don't dare ask . . .

How you found that out.

[Aerows]

51. Raccoons are no joke

if you get a flock or herd or whatever they are called of them. They get huge, have no fear and get pissy, angry and hostile if they aren't fed.

They are exactly what you said - small bears, but probably smarter and certainly more cunning.

[csziggy]

63. A group of raccoons is called a "gaze"

Probably because they will try to stare you down!

Frankly I think they should be called the Black Hand when they're in groups!
(Black Hand was a type of extortion racket.)

[Bigmack]

55. Raccoon proofing your place:

Buy small electric fence charger and install it out of the weather.

Drive good grounding stake into soil and attach to charger.

String some wire on insulators. About 1 foot off the ground.

Attach wire to (unplugged) charger.

Tie bacon strips to wire.

Plug fence charger in.

Raccoons will not be permanently hurt, but they are smart enough to avoid your place.

Works on coyotes, too.

If you actually want to keep deer out of your garden, it works if you tie rags soaked in apple juice on the wire.

[pintobean]

61. They work together

and attack from behind

[Aerows]

76. I'm sure that's you

In fact, I hope that is you.

[Cleita]

2. I have a small herd that comes through occasionally.

Right now they are looking for water. I put pans of water outside now for the critters.

[Scootaloo]

3. Sounds like every day for me

but then deer are like big rats here, and it's apple season, so the things are all over.

[Aerows]

12. Do you think that is what ate up all of my tomatoes in the garden?

I had a nice crop and then they started disappearing.

[Bjorn Against]

18. Probably, deer love to eat tomatoes

The people here in Minnesota who maintain gardens are constantly complaining about the deer eating their tomatoes.

[IADEMO2004]

66. Iowa Too

If I want to grow sweet corn it needs to be in a cage. I planted a couple rows this year for the first time in many years. Zero crop harvested. Deer started eating it not much after silk stage and later the raccoons pulled the rest down.

[NutmegYankee]

77. They eat the tomato plant too.

They really are walking rats. I take great pleasure every year culling one and making it into steaks.

[Aerows]

80. Venison steaks

:drool:

Venison in the crock pot.

[NutmegYankee]

82. Best when they are fresh from the butcher.

I'm too lazy to do much more than field cleaning, so I pay someone to make the meat products for me. But he does make some wicked spiced venison sausage.

[Aerows]

84. Spiced Venison Sausage?

Hello, please give me his email address!

[NutmegYankee]

89. Any butcher should be able to make it.

You just pick the style and they can make 'em, though the fancy styles are pricier. My favorite is a spiced and smoked style, like polish sausages. The basic style like a breakfast sausage using venison is Bleh.

[Aerows]

90. Anything including "breakfast"

is pretty much bleh.

[Eleanors38]

99. The butcher I use in Austin came up with

chopped steaks, ground very coarse, mixed with seasoned pork, and wrapped circumferentially with bacon, 2 to a pack, and no more expensive than ground burger. Good stuff.

[Enthusiast]

122. Needs more fresh sage.

We make a sort of venison sausage gravy to put on toast or mashed potatoes.

We have found we can never add enough sage. Sage (loads), salt, black pepper and plenty of red pepper flakes.

[NutmegYankee]

124. Yes, it HAS to have spice and added flavor.

I regret ever having it made "mild". Did it once, it was a waste.

[Aerows]

126. It sounds like you cook like me :)

anything without herbs and spices is weak

[ReasonableToo]

109. Fresh venison

Two friends get two deer on opening day. First friend shows second friend how to butcher deer. Points out the tenderloin as the best cut. Wife takes tenderloin as the friends start on second deer.

1/2 teriyaki and 1/2 honey marinade for a few minutes then broil.

Friends nosh on first deer while butchering second.

That's some fresh and tasty venison!

[NutmegYankee]

110. That back piece is my favorite.

Such good tender meat.

[SummerSnow]

129. Do you live near a ketchup factory, they may have stolen your tomatoes

[Aerows]

136. LOL, no Huey. n/t

[MineralMan]

4. Cool. Having deer in your yard is wonderful.

One shows up here very infrequently. But, we've planted an apple tree, so maybe we'll see her more often next year.

[GP6971]

65. Depends .......

If you have vegetable plants, the dear ravage them. They are everyday visitors here......especially a doe with 2 fawns. They particularly are going after our tomato and zucchini plants. To the point that we potted the tomato plants and put them on the deck this year. My wife and I were on the other end of the deck and the doe just came up and started munching the branches overhanging the railing. Plus, I have a really old and large apple tree. They constantly munch on the fallen apples.
And last week I noticed a raccoon with two young ones.....hadn't seen any in a couple years and I hope they move on.

[DeadLetterOffice]

94. I will send you mine. All of them. Lots & lots.

They have lost their charm for me, I admit. Cute as all get out as fawns, brazen groundhogs with hooves once grown -- destroyers of gardens, flower & vegetable both, as well as eaters of peaches, pears, & apples. Completely fearless of humans in these parts, and even of dogs, though I think they may retain some sense about the coyotes & coy-dogs. Wandering car-wreckers at all hours of the day and night, particularly in my *driveway* -- ridiculously overpopulated as our farmlands have been bought by second-homers who immediately post their land against hunters.

I want to like the deer, really I do -- but I don't.

[Crunchy Frog]

115. Yeah, getting Lyme disease in your back yard is great.

Happened to my mom three summers ago.

[DeadLetterOffice]

120. Has happened to almost every household on my road.

Lyme sucks.

[Aerows]

128. Thankfully, I have a plethora of opossums in my area.

http://www.caryinstitute.org/newsroom/opossums-killers-ticks

[840high]

157. I leave dry cat good for

the two who come around.

[Hemmingway]

5. Dinner :)

We take a few ever year in the back yard.

[Bjorn Against]

6. We had a bear near my neighborhood earlier this summer

I am on the southern end of the Twin Cities area and we are not supposed to have bear near where I am, they do have them in northern Minnesota but this one must have travelled really far south. Deer are fairly common here even though it is pretty well developed around where I live.

[Aerows]

8. I'd love to live up north because I am so sick of the heat

but bears in the backyard? Goodness. I freaked over a deer.

[Bjorn Against]

14. Like I said, bear sightings are extremely rare around where I live

They are a bit more common in northern Minnesota, although even up there as long as you secure your food they generally don't cause many problems. Bear attacks are extremely rare, the Department of Natural Resources has records of only five people being injured by a bear since they started keeping records in 1987.

As far as the heat goes, you would probably be very disappointed if you moved up here to avoid the heat. This summer was actually cooler than usual, but generally speaking we get very hot and humid summers. Our temperatures can actally rival places like Florida and Texas in the summer months, we just have really cold winters as well.

[Art_from_Ark]

111. One year, a bear was found up in my music teacher's tree

What was really amazing was that her house was in the downtown area, a block away from City Hall.

[Aerows]

127. Holy cow.

I like nature, but I'm certainly not happy about mini-bears (raccoons) I can't imagine what horror would ensue with a BEAR. No thank you. Do not want.

[Art_from_Ark]

139. City Hall was also where animal control and the police station were

I'm not sure which one she called, but one of them came over to tranquilize the bear-- but not before a reporter from the local newspaper had snapped a picture of the confused beast.

[Aerows]

7. So I am not losing my mind?

It flicked it's little white tail at me while it munch on the over grown lot next to the house.

[Jackpine Radical]

9. Want some of ours?

Damn things are getting really bold since our dogs died in January. Matilda the Raccoon is also a frequent guest, along with various turkeys, fox, coyotes, pileated woodpeckers & whatnot. A bear left a load a few hundred feet from the house on my freshly mowed walking trail. It's kinda like living in a wildlife refuge around here. Well, it's pretty much exactly like living in a wildlife refuge….

[Aerows]

11. Holy crap.

Okay, so me seeing a deer seems minor, then.

[Jackpine Radical]

22. Jeez, don't take it that way.

Seeing a deer is a wonderful thing, just apparently more frequent in the countryside where I live than where you live. We have mixed cornfields and woods on both sides of our 12 acres, & have let our little south field grow up into mixed prairie & hardwoods, with a mix of pines, maple, birch, etc. in the little north field. As undisturbed wild habitat disappears, the critters are moving in to regions like ours. When I was a kid, I lived in even more remote, forested land & there wasn't as much wildlife there as we have in our present location. In the old days, there was a lot more uninhabited woodland for the animals to live in. Also, there was a lot more hunting (& violating) on the part of impoverished rural residents, so cohabitation with people was a lot more dangerous for edible wildlife back then. And yes, I grew up as part of that hunting/trapping/gathering culture, even though I left it behind as the need for it diminished in terms on my household economy.

[Aerows]

30. Oh Heavens, JR, I didn't take it wrong.

There are just a bunch of critters around here, and it astounds me every day!

[Jackpine Radical]

33. I love living where I do, and have always been happiest

when I'm in the woods or at least around wild things.

Last weekend when stepson & his GF were here, they kept seeing a doe & her fawn around the house. This is not an unusual sight for us (our house is in a little clearing surrounded mostly by woods), but they were completely enchanted by the sightings. They live in Hyde Park, Obama's part of Chicago.

[Aerows]

134. It astonishes me daily

the wonder I get the benefit of seeing.

[Boudica the Lyoness]

40. When I moved to my husbands ranch/farm over 30 years ago, it was years before I saw a deer here.

It's dry sage brush dessert country. The first one I saw was incredible. It was in a panic and bolting along. I called my neighbor, about 1/2 a mile away, and told her to look out her window. She was thrilled as well. Well........ now we are knee deep in them. They have little fear of humans now. Just a few days ago there was 10 big bucks eating all my stuff. I shout at them and they just stare at me.

Point of my story, one will show up and check you out, then he'll tell his friends and so on. Pretty soon they will be actually mating/fighting/giving birth on your lawn.

But you'll never forget your first one.

[Aerows]

48. I think they are what decimated my garden.

Now that I know it is happy to come along and munch on anything handy, now I know what happened.

[DeadLetterOffice]

95. They are groundhogs with hooves. Cute, but disasterous to green growing things...

[Aerows]

108. I'm discovering this

and may i say that your moniker is hilarious?

[DeadLetterOffice]

119. Why thank you!

I have a thing about Bartleby the Scrivener -- "I would prefer not to." Classic.
That, and I like REM.

And may I say I'm sorry for the loss of your veggies? The deer really are beautiful & graceful - it's a shame they can be so destructive.

[Aerows]

131. Indeed, DLO :)

[CaliforniaPeggy]

13. My dear Aerows!

I think you're very lucky to see deer so close up. I wish I had them here, but there aren't any in this SoCal neighborhood!

I'm looking forward to seeing the picture!

[Aerows]

15. Every time I turn around, it's something else

Raccoon, Possum, my cat dragging home god only knows what, a hoot Owl that likes to hoot at me, and now deer wandering around.

Good gracious.

[pinboy3niner]

16. Must be your animal magnetism

[Old Codger]

25. Oregon Mountains

Deer, Elk, Raccoons,Bear, Possums, Skunks, Coyotes,Foxes and on occasion a Mountain Lion... always something around most times several different ones every day...

8 foot high fence around garden or would not have a crop at all...

Love having the various critters around makes things much more interesting...

[Aerows]

79. I must say, I love critters. n/t

[Old Codger]

83. You bet

the parade of critters is one of the main reasons I live here... along with a lot less people

[Aerows]

93. "a lot less people"

LMAO. I wish I was more social, but yeah, less people.

[Aerows]

17. I got a picture of it's shadow

and a picture of my foot.

Damnit. Maybe I am insane. I'll try to get another one if it comes by again, but I *SWEAR* it was here. It was about 38" high, no horns or anything, and was munching on the grass at the neighbors house.

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

19. Too many fences in our neighbourhood.

I saw a deer in the parking lot of the apartment complex I lived in through part of college, but none in my yard nowadays. We're lucky to see woodchucks, raccoon, possum, or rabbits. Plenty of field mice and squirrels around too, but I'd like to see chipmunks again. Haven't seen those for a couple of decades.

[Hangingon]

52. In Austin I have seen deer clear an 8' fence.

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

73. Well, they could go side to side between yards, but

My back fence (and that of everyone on my side of the block) is a 12 footer with barbed wire at the top, since it used to be a fence around a large field owned by the local steel corporation where they tested weather resistant coatings. I cut down the barbed wire on my section, but most of the other people left it in place as far as I can see.

[Eleanors38]

105. Yep. It's sometimes sad when they don't clear a fence...

and end up injured and hung up in the wire (often goat). My hunting buddy and I came upon an axis deer caught in the wire. He grabbed hold of the animal from the rear, and I pushed and pulled at the wire till she was free. She looked at us a second, then took off without a limp. I think she was confused: A day before, she was fair game, but the hunt was over, and she was "spared." You take what you need.

[Warren DeMontague]

20. They're all over the place.

In fact, that's the one common thread I can put through most of the places I've lived in the continental US, and that includes several different states and geographical locations- deer.

But, then, I've never really lived in the desert.

[RKP5637]

23. ... thankfully it wasn't a raccoon. BTW, whatever happened to the raccoon that was

taken away and came back?

[pinboy3niner]

24. Funny you should ask...

Somehow he managed to find a deer costume...

[RKP5637]

26. I knew it, I just knew it, a Trojan Deer with a raccoon inside!

[Aerows]

28. It's strange, but he showed up twice

and then never came back. I've been scrupulous about picking up cat food dishes and taking my shoes in. I freaked when I saw it sniffing my shoes.

[RKP5637]

71. Yep, I would freak out too! Glad he's gone. Now, you've got a deer! I would

prefer the deer ... but I bet that's what's eating your garden!

[Aerows]

75. 100% prefer the deer eating the garden

than a horde of raccoons!

[pinboy3niner]

78. 4 out of 5 doctors recommend...

...not having to treat Aerows for rabies again. She's as ornery as a rabid raccoon when she gets the bill!

[Aerows]

81. It's okay, I prefer the deer too

Because hunting season starts soon.

[blogslut]

27. They're the prettiest rats I've ever seen.

Just be very careful driving at night and in the fog.

I had many a morning where I would walk out to the front of my country house to see the sun rising over the top of the canyon and ten-fifteen deer silhouetted at the base. The only thing that spoiled it was the fact that they were all grazing at the dumpster. Hence, the rat reference.

[Aerows]

29. Rats aren't that tasty

Not that I've eaten rats, but I live in the south so I certainly know what venison tastes like - especially cooked slow in the crock pot

[Aerows]

31. See, my problem is that I am insatiably curious about critters

Hence the raccoon incident. I'm trying to tone that down, but when turtles, hoot owls, woodpeckers and now deer keep coming around, it gets difficult to restrain myself.

[malaise]

32. I saw a recent link about a racoon attack

in Florida. Thought about your horrific experience.

[Aerows]

38. Honey, they are NOTHING to play with

they can get upwards of 40 lbs. and travel in groups. A big bunch of large animals that move quickly? Oh hell no. Never EVER want to deal with that again.

I would advise anyone to never, ever encourage them because they turn into pests and then into a menace.

[malaise]

54. i've never seen one in real life

and I'm not sorry.

[Aerows]

96. They are small bears (22Kg)

that travel in packs. Nobody wants anything to do with them.

[cwydro]

58. I had to shoot a raccoon a couple months ago.

Would not leave my chickens alone.

Possums, on the other hand, are quite welcome.

[Aerows]

86. Possums are welcome

have 50 teeth, have a body temperature too low to contract rabies and destroy Lyme disease bugs.

http://www.caryinstitute.org/discover-ecology/podcasts/why-you-should-brake-possums

I'd rather have a hundred of them than one raccoon. They are truly interesting animals.

They aren't pretty, but their place in the biosphere is beautiful.

[Aerows]

133. PS. They might hiss and such

but they are actually quite friendly if you don't scare them. God didn't grace them with looks, though, that is for sure LOL. The prettiest one I saw had symmetrical black lines down her face that obscured the warts. Then there was the tail. Sigh. She was almost beautiful. ALMOST.

[cwydro]

147. My wee family of possums are almost tame.

Lol, I do think they're beautiful.

[Aerows]

148. All a matter of opinion, I guess

after I learned about them, and some of their interesting traits, I've become a LOT more fond of them.

I'd rather have several of them than a bunch of prettier animals that cause more harm than good. Ugly is as ugly does .

[cwydro]

149. They're just so sweet.

My cats completely ignore them when they come in to eat the cat food.

[Live and Learn]

34. Did it look like one of these?

Deer crossing the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco.



http://news.yahoo.com/deer-golden-gate-bridge-video-150412230.html

[Warpy]

36. Climate change is affecting food sources

and wildlife is starting to risk the suburbs and even some cities in order to find enough to eat.

Bear season here is spring and fall. In spring, they emerge from hibernation hungry. In fall, they're trying to put enough fat on to last the winter. Fortunately we haven't seen too many this year, we had almost a real monsoon season and they had enough wild food to eat.

I'm seeing far fewer prairie dogs around the area and that's sad. They're one of those food chain species that supplies a lot of other species.

[Aerows]

135. Bear season?

You live in NM, correct? Bears live there in the desert?

*has minor stroke* Uh, I live a few states over on the coast, are there bears, here, too?

*Holy Shit*

[Warpy]

138. NM is a southern Rocky Mountain state

The valley floor is high Chihuahuan Desert. The tops of the mountains here are Alpine. You move through about 4 distinct climate levels as you go up. Bears ordinarily live on the other side of the mountains here, the wetter side where there is more food. They wander into the city in spring and fall, hoping to feed on garbage, a rich food source for them. Animal control is kept very busy some years sedating, giving medical checks, and releasing the bears far from people.

We're too far south for Grizzlies, but black bears can do a lot of damage.

Still, people outside the city need their long guns. To their credit, warning shots are always fired first. They only shoot the one bear in a million with a bad enough attitude to charge.

[pipi_k]

37. Wildlife is awesome, which

is why I love living where I do.

We see deer, moose, coyotes, turkeys, black bears, foxes, and one time I saw a bobcat.

anyway, here's one of my favorite deer/turkey photos taken a few years ago.


Deer: "What the ?????"

Turkey: "Hey, there's a new sheriff in town, Bambi!!!

[Aerows]

44. The turkeys are hilarious

I'd probably run them all off just laughing at them.

[Brickbat]

39. They're annoying, here.

Destructive, and disruptive on the road. Tasty, though. November's coming!

[Aerows]

41. I didn't *precisely* look at it like dinner

but ... venison in a crockpot with some potatoes, carrots and celery cooked slowly all day . Crusty bread, and well, it's pretty, but would probably end up pretty tasty.

[pinboy3niner]

42. To me, that would be SO cool because I'm...

Bambidextrous.

[Aerows]

46. Well, once I got over the shock

I started thinking ... Hmm. New recipes?

[Jackpine Radical]

123. You think we're gonna fawn over you for that?

[progressoid]

45. I'm happy when deer AREN'T in my backyard.

Last week they broke through my fence and ate my two new apple trees. Now I have two sticks in the back yard.

[Aerows]

47. I think that is what decimated my tomatoes and cucumbers

They were growing nicely and suddenly ... nubs.

[progressoid]

49. Probably.

Our tomatoes and cukes are in a different fenced in area. A couple cukes grew under the fence and they ate them too.

They also like rose buds and day lilies and hostas and ivy and tulips and ... It's kind of frustrating.

Our neighbor has an electric fence around his garden. It's against the law to have an electric fence in town, but nobody seems to care.

[Hangingon]

50. We had deer on the deck in Austin

There are deer in small herds here. Every golf course community in South Texas has a deer problem. It is fun to watch as they grapple to solve this problem.

Neighborhoods split on the issue. Some folks insist on feeding them and anger their neighbors with carefully tended yards. Some fools try to hand feed the animals and regret it. Meanwhile the car wrecks continue.

At one neighborhood meeting the idea of deer relocation - at about $!K per head - was shot down. The deer are released on ranches where hunters shoot them. The idea of an urban hunter who would thin the herd was nixed. Even though the deer meat would go to homeless. Feeding urban deer whose diet consists of Chemlawn nurtured plants - too cruel.

[pinboy3niner]

53. I like the idea of putting up Deer Crossing signs...

...so they know where to cross and they can get back to their normal habitat safely.

[scarletwoman]

113. They put those damn signs up on busy highways! It's like they WANT the poor deer to run across roads

where there are already a bunch of cars speeding along at all hours! How the hell does that help the deer, I ask you?!?

[pinboy3niner]

114. I wouldn't blame the deer if they boycotted the crossings altogether

After the bad steer we've given them!

[scarletwoman]

116. Yes! They definitely ought to buck the System!

[Aerows]

130. I should tear ewe a new one

for that one

[scarletwoman]

140. As Homer Simpson would say,

Doe!!!

[Aerows]

141. There antler a follow up for that one :D n/t

[pinboy3niner]

142. Prong again

[Aerows]

143. I'm not able to hoof it quite like they can. n/t

[pinboy3niner]

144. I get stag-fright, myself. nt

[Aerows]

145. Makes me want to hide. n/t

[pinboy3niner]

146. Good way to avoid the rain, dear.

At least, that's what I herd.

[scarletwoman]

150. Maybe if you rack your brain, you'll come up with something at another tine.

[pinboy3niner]

151. Good points. nt

[scarletwoman]

152. I just hope I didn't tick her off. nt

[pinboy3niner]

153. Nah, I don't think you crossed the lyme. nt

[scarletwoman]

154. Thanks. Otherwise I was thinking I'd better high tail it out of this thread. nt

[Tsiyu]

118. Oh yeah. I hit one last winter

I slowed way down as soon as I saw it but it still came across the hood and destroyed the passenger wiper, then rolled off and ran away. At least it didn't crack the windshield.

I drive a lot slower at night now.

That freaked my shite.

[jberryhill]

156. They always put those signs in bad places for deer to cross

[chillfactor]

57. i see deer in my back yard all of the time....

what is more exciting is when a have a black bear in my yard...or a coyote

[DeadLetterOffice]

98. The coyotes are ok. The bear freaked me right out though...

...especially because she had a cub. Didn't go woods wandering for a bit after that.

My favorite lately was the red fox that passed through a couple of weeks ago. Haven't had one local for a few years (as you can tell from the blossoming bunny population...).

[LWolf]

59. I've been seeing a lot of deer,

but I think that's because of seasonal changes. They're always here, I just don't always see them.

I'm leaving for work at the right time...sky just beginning to lighten, but sun not over the horizon. They're everywhere. I spent a lot of time waiting for them to cross roads, including my own, last week.

I've got a large buck who's been visiting the water trough in the front pasture and bedding down in the brush nearby. He comes in just before complete dark falls, and is gone when I leave for work.

Watch out for your landscaping...if they're coming in that close, your shrubs are going to get pruned early.

[cwydro]

60. I kind of live in two places. One is in the country.

Where of course I see deer, coyotes, foxes...you name it.

But in Charlotte, NC...where I am a lot of the time...I see deer every morning, and this is a big city.

[mnhtnbb]

62. We have deer here all the time. My husband is not too happy they've been eating his squash.

As an example, I'm watching the Panthers game and looked out the window to see one of our friends
who often takes a rest by the house next door.

[URL=.html][IMG][/IMG][/URL]

[Blue Owl]

64. And there was a FISH in the percolator!

n/t

[pinboy3niner]

69. I HATE it when my coffeemaker gets scaly. nt

[Brigid]

74. You need one of these:

[wandy]

67. Darn, that got me missing Broom County NY................

Having deer in the yard was almost always. I did nothing to attract them, the garden was fenced in and still they were uses to humans. Getting out to the car early morning they would just kind of move out of the way but not run off.
Then and again there were all kinds of critters including the occasional bare. Funny thing about bares, they always were willing to lend a helping hand when I was working on the car.
The raccoons may have unnerved you but it was the skunks that were the most troublesome. Especially if you came upon one late in the evening when you might have been drunker than they were.

All in all, if deer feel it safe to come into your yard, you are probably doing something right.

[Rex]

68. If food is hard to come by, they might be expanding the area in which they are searching.

[woodsprite]

70. I was driving down the road in town the other night and saw a skunk

I live in the woods and don't see too many. If figure it's because we have such rocky soil that burrows are difficult to build. This one really stood out walking across the lawn in front of the campus Health Svcs Building because it was the whitest skunk I've ever seen. Only had a black edge around it's bottom and face and black legs. It looked like a waddling white toupee!

[Omaha Steve]

85. IF you are in an area that allows hunting, ...

Don't encourage it or feed it. We are lucky here. The closest hunting it two weekends a year with a bow only. It is about a mile away. We do have an overpopulation. A few have jumped through windows and glass doors around here.

Because of our bird food, we attract deer. This is about the time we have to try to be sure deer can't get anything. Their stomachs go through a change for winter so they can eat bark etc. Eating seeds, crops, etc can slow that process down.

Females tend to stay on the other side of the fence. Males tend to jump over it.

OS

[pinboy3niner]

87. Where's the princess?

Your backyard wildlife pics always look like a scene from Disney.

[Omaha Steve]

88. We have a couple birds of prey thinning out our flocks

We have a hawk and an owl that have decided we have a great buffet. Disney's circle of life.

[Aerows]

92. I miss my hoot owl (Great Horned Owl)

She has taken up near where I live, and gets upset if I don't hoot at her in season.

She migrates, but I know she will be back. Odd owl, but I adore her.

[Omaha Steve]

155. Not always....

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10025506896

[Iamthetruth]

91. I have dozens behind my house

On a daily basis, not living is a big city is a wonderful thing.

[pinboy3niner]

97. I have a signed and numbered White Tail Deer lithograph...

...that was commissioned to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Shenandoah National Park. I picked it up on one of my visits there because it was always a treat to see the deer coming around my rented cabin there while I was having my morning coffee.

[Aerows]

125. I can't help it

I'm fascinated by wild life.

[KittyWampus]

100. I have deer in my yard every single day. Broad daylight or nighttime. They don't bat any eye

when I get within 10 feet of them.

There are too many of them here.

[Aerows]

106. They kind of look like goats

Don't they?

[shenmue]

101. I've seen whitetailed deer in the woods near where I live

They have cute butts.

[Aerows]

107. Little waggly tails. n/t

[NYC_SKP]

102. I love this kind of thing! Yay!

Last month I saw whales on one day and then a week later while swimming was met by two seals, like 20 feet away, I tried talking to them.

The whales, especially, deeply impacted me.

We should be humbled, the beautiful creatures around us are just very awe-inspiring.

I wish we could be more like them.

[Aerows]

103. You get it!

The wonder around us!

The beauty.

Take a deep breath and look around, you will be shocked by how much beauty you will see.

[Aerows]

104. All I can do is share wonder and awe with my fellow DUers

Perhaps I'm sappy or dull, but what I wish to do is SHARE it with you all, that you may feel the same wonder and joy.

[NCarolinawoman]

112. *

[MFM008]

117. critters everywhere

In WA state. Especially with apples. Havent seen a bear but they have been around. Saw a chipmunk for the first time ever not long ago. Even seen bald eagles. There are large areas of forest around here. We dont see a deer we see small herds. Pretty neat.

[B Calm]

121. I have a small farm pond in my front yard and I see deer walking

through my yard everyday. They do a lot of damage to my plants. I don't know what it is about hosta plants, but they like munching on the leaves. Chunks of Irish Spring soap around my hosta plants help.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

132. Doe? A deer?

A female deer?

[Aerows]

137. LOL

She was pretty and it was amazing to see her just stroll by.