Let’s be Friends

This the season! Carols, lights, crowded malls, office parties, the smell of fresh gingerbread you ask? No, not that season! I’m talking about the season when deer become dear. When unsuspecting does become the objects of affection of crazed bucks.

As I was getting ready this morning, I glanced out the window and saw three does running past the window at lightening speed. I thought to myself, “I wonder what they’re running fr…aah, I see. Here he comes, hot on their heels, a rather large, 10 point buck, and he was moving fast! An intruder!

We have about four does that live in our yard. They could easily jump the fence, but they’ve decided that it’s safer in our yard. There is plenty of grazing, room to roam, plus we put out a small trough of water for them during the hot months. It’s a regular Shangila here! This guy jumped the fence to visit these ladies and he was ready for some “company”.

I know what you’re thinking. You’re wondering if the deer eat our plants, right? Well, they graze on the tall grass, and they graze on the short stuff. We don’t have a garden, so we don’t worry too much about them destroying much. We do have some planters, so we thought we’d outsmart those tricky nibblers and plant some “deer proof” plants in them. We picked out th healthiest of the bunch, dark green leaves with lots of pretty yellow flowers on them. We took them home, potted them, watered them, and went inside.

The next day as I was leaving, I headed down the driveway and something caught my eye. It wasn’t so much the beauty of our newly planted shrubs as it was the sight of said shrubs cometely eaten down to a nub, right at ground level. So much for deer proof plants (sigh).

At any rate, back to this morning’s activities. I stopped what I was doing and watched for a bit. They all stopped, he’d dip hid head and show off his antler as if to say in his very best Joey Tribiani voice, “How you doing?” As he’d get close to one, they’d run off, but not too far. Then they’d came back, walking up quite coyly.

This is nature at work! I need to get JD so he can see this, he loves all things nature! Ugh, it’s still early and he’s still asleep. Should I wake him up? Will he think I’m nuts because I woke him up to watch deer play cat and mouse? Of course he will! “JD, a wake up! You have to see this! It’s right outside our window!

Poor guy sat straight up and popped right out of bed. I think he actually thought there was a real emergency! We watched for a bit and he (the buck, not JD) would approach each doe one by one. Eventually, he found one he liked, and I don’t have any idea what kind of “communication” took place, but they trotted off into the woods. If deer could hold hands, that’s what these two would have done. There were stars in their eyes, hearts floating in the air. It was like the spaghetti scene in Lady and the Tramp. Oh, and incidentally, JD thanked me for waking him up (the man loves nature!)

We stood there and actually wondered how the other does must be feeling to not have been selected. Were they deerly disappointed? Buckin’relieved? Haha who knows, but one thing is for sure…he will be back, and next summer we will buy new plants for the deer and their new fawns to eat ;0)