Imagine my delight when we saw this guy/gal in our yard!
He/she has been wandering in and out for over a week now. Our neighbors spotted it first, about 2 weeks ago.
Mostly, he/she eats the leaves off of the lower branches of the cherry and plum tree, but it leaves the fruit untouched. Go figure.
I hope it can find its way back home, as I'm sure it misses its companions.
In the meantime, so long as he/she stays out of the veggie garden, he's welcome to a few leaves here.
On a humorous frugal note, my first thought when I saw the deer, "oh meat!" And then the next day, my son asked, "can you milk a deer?" I googled "milking wild deer", and apparently other people have wondered the very same thing. No, I don't think we'll use this deer for anything other than visual enjoyment.
It looks like a doe(she). We love having venison when my husband goes hunting. It will provide most of our meat for the year. Yum!
ReplyDeleteHi Deb,
Deleteokay, we were thinking it was a doe, but not at all sure. Our "deer" experience is limited to a theme park in So Calif from the 70s (Japanese Deer Park).
That must be such a great feeling to have all of your meat set for the winter/year.
It looks like a doe(she). We love having venison when my husband goes hunting. It will provide most of our meat for the year. Yum!
ReplyDeleteDeer are beautiful creatures. As long as she doesn't bring along all of her friends and start eating everything enjoy watching her.
ReplyDeleteHi live and learn,
DeleteI thought something similar. "What if she has a fawn, somewhere, and then next year more and more deer, and then in a few years an entire herd?"
But what I think happened, as does happen in our area, I think she crossed a busy road and hasn't found a quiet time to get back across to the wooded areas. I hope she can make it back to her home, friends and family safely.
I grew up in the country and we would take drives to look for deer (for fun, not to hunt them) so I think country folks enjoy deer as much as city ones do. But they do like to gobble up garden food so be prepared!
ReplyDeleteAnd no, I don't think deer would be a good source of milk. Consider getting a goat ...
Hi Kris,
DeleteThat's what I have heard, about them eating everything fresh and tender. I really don't want to have to scare her off, but I will, if she gets into the garden, or starts in on the blueberry patch.
I think wildlife around here, in the suburbs, get confused as to what they're "supposed" to be eating. We had a rabbit in the yard, one year, who ate nothing but fallen cherry tree leaves, meanwhile the lettuce and carrot patch was 3 feet away from him We had a pack of coyotes who ate plums off the plum tree, instead of being the carnivores I've heard them to be and eating the squirrels, moles and rats that abound in our area. And now a deer who eats the cherry tree leaves, but not the fruit. The wildlife, here, must be city-folk, too!
Hi Lili,
ReplyDeleteShe is beautiful, enjoy the view while you can.
I grew up in the country so we always had deer & wildlife around, even a bear once. Since I got married we live in the suburbs & I miss the deer.
When my husband & I were dating we were talking in the driveway one night at dusk at my parents house & about 5 deer ran right through the yard about 30 feet from us & he was so stunned. I said that is normal around here.
Rhonda
HI Rhonda,
DeleteOoooh, I would love to see a bear!
How funny! About your husband and the "deer crossing" in your driveway. I have to admit, I would have been stunned, too!