Wednesday, May 30, 2012

A Little More Deer



(Yes, I know this video quality is bad. It was late and almost dark)

Yesterday, as the sun set and TS Beryl drizzled, I noticed movement in the backyard as I stood at the kitchen sink.
It was a fawn, tiptoeing through the misty gloom.
She bedded down as I watched, so I went to the dining room window with my camera and shot through the glass, rather than risk sneaking out and scaring her.

(Yes, I know that window needs cleaning ... I hear ya)

Lately, there's been two fawns hanging out in the back of PFHQ. I'm afraid their Momma may have been a doe I saw run through the property with a dangling broken leg a few weeks ago. She was cornered in my garden by a worthless pile of bad DNA pitbull that had scooched under my side fence. At that time, I ran out to confront the pitbull, and for a moment it turned and headed back towards where it had slipped under the fence, but the deer ran the other way, which triggered the dog's pursuit instinct again.

Both animals ran faster than me, the doe with a dangling, flopping foreleg, the pit in hot pursuit. In a moment they had crossed my ten acres and disappeared to the north.
Two days later, there were vultures circling and roosting in that direction.

So, write your own ending.
All I know, is that since then, I've had two fawns in the back woods that don't seem to ever have a doe around. They seem weaned and healthy, so I make every effort not to disturb their area by walking Bear only in the front of the property and staying out of thick, brushy areas that might attract a deer needing a safe resting spot.

The last thing I want to do is scare them over the fence and possibly in the direction of the pitbull.

So that is the preface, even  though it fell in the middle of the story about the window deer.
I wish there had been two fawns bedding down under the oak outside my kitchen. It makes me wonder and worry about the other.

Still, I'm glad it felt safe there near the house.
I'll be patching that scootch under spot along the fence line this weekend.

7 comments:

Floridaze said...

First of all, dont clean the window...you'd be so busy you'd miss the very finer things in life...seriously...who cares! I would say shoot the pit bull if I wasnt such a darn dog lover...thanks for the peek into the finer side of Florida...the side I remember and dream about...as I watch the fireworks from Disney...ugh!

Shelllady said...

Very cool, I hope you are able to keep them (the fawn) safe....and I am a dog lover and still think you should shoot the pit bull!! Thanks for the really cool video, and the wonderful stories from PFHQ...one of my favorite blogs of all time!!

threecollie said...

Damn people who let dogs run anyhow...any dogs... It isn't fair to the neighbors, the wildlife, domestic livestock and it isn't fair to the dog either. Bah.

Anonymous said...

Ah...my heart does break to read such things altho I know I will occasionally run across this when I read blogs. Still, will always enjoy your blog.
Momadness

Anonymous said...

Your little motherless fawn reminds me of the one we found in the yard at the house we were renting, when we were looking for a house to buy a few years ago. We put out chopped apples for her. She came around very often, and slept under the trees. This fawn in your yard is a bit luckier, no snowy harsh winters in her future.

I have nothing but contempt for people who let their dogs run wild. Our neighbor's little dog was killed the other day. It may have been coyote, but since it wasn't really eaten, I suspect it was some wild dogs. Grrrrr...

Miz S said...

That's a sad little story, but as always I thank you for telling it.

Julie Zickefoose said...

She's just lovely. I hate to think it, but better the doe went down quickly than try to live with a bad break like that. Curses on those who breed dogs for ferocity, then let them loose.