Living with the deer. Yes, I am thát lucky!
Every day I am looking out the window hoping to see the frequent weekly visits of deer. I spot 3 further into the yard! I must add my house is surrounded by wood, and wildlife comes and go as I am the one seen trespassing. And not the other way around. Quick, I make some tea and settle by the window. Still amazed at their sight each time I see them, even after living here 32 years.
Surreal
Seeing them move reminds me of some Jurassic animal, it is a little surreal. As I am taking this opportunity to write about this, one spotted me, even though I am in the house quite a distance away. Their eye sight is really sharp. Standing still, his gaze doesn’t leave me for one second, and this goes on for a while. Some time goes by, I have time to get another cup, this time walking really slow back to my window desk. Not feeling that I was a threat, my buddy is back grazing the ground with “her” friends. Those 3 deers are Does that have been hanging out together for a long time, safety in number. It seems only a few months ago, one of them was still a child that no longer wore it’s dots on it’s fur.
Shhhh! Do not disturb.
I went outside, step by step, trying to get as close as possible, to take a few photos for this article, a step forward, then I stop, and so on, while they stare at me. One run away, tail up, showing it’s white fur underneath to signal the others. One follow, the other stays, still staring. I turn around and go back to the house, not to disturb them any further.
Wild animals
Even though they are very gentle mild animals, they are still wild, and startling one can get you kicked in the face. This came close to happening to me a couple of falls ago, when walking around the corner of the house, I came face to face with a Buck, who was snacking on the apples on my tree. His reaction was to turn around on the spot and kick. I backed out in time. Probably the father of those three, and many more I am sure. I haven’t seen him since, most deer that come near the house are does.
Stress relief
In the winter, their nutrition lacks sodium. Putting a big salt lick brick out for them not only attracts them but provide the mineral as well. Living among deer puts things under perspective, and the visual experience has it’s special calming reward of stress relieving, and keeping me in the present moment.
