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Post by ozark on Apr 25, 2009 19:49:06 GMT -5
For several years my wife and I lived in our cabin almost as much as we did at our home in town. Many weeks I went from the cabin to work in the morning, checked on our place in town in the afternoon and then spent the night at the cabin. My wife just stayed at the cabin. We feed and watched the deer and other wildlife plus did a lot of work clearing and keeping the place mowed etc. The deer got used to us but were not pets. I memtion all this to bring up an encounter with a fawn that kept its mother worried half to death. It was probably born close to the cabin and spent much time as an infant watching us simply doing our thing. At any rate it lost its fear of us and the cabin area. One afternoon three or four does along with about that number of fawns came into the area but as usual stayed some distance back as wild deer do. Except for this fawn we named Buddy. It simply walked up to our porch and stood there as if we were harmless. Its mom snorted and made some circles running trying to get it to act like a deer should. Buddy looked at her as if to say: "Mama, these folks wont hurt us." She demonstrated every danger signal deer knows but Buddy heeded none of them. After an hour or so passed Buddy decided it was his nap time and moved to the edge of the mowed part and went to sleep. Its mother came almost to it as if to paw it before she lost her nerve. Finally, the group left Buddy with us sleeping. A couple hours passed and the Mother returned to the area and Buddy jumped up and ran to her and nursed. Afterwards they left together.
We started watching for when Buddy and his Mother came to the area. He never changed and she never stopped her worry about her obviously retarded son. We felt sorry for her but Buddy never worried about us or her either. Just sharing a memory here. I sure miss being able to spend time there but that is life. We do when we can and when we can't we just accept it and cherish the memories. Sorry for boring those who I may have bored with just one outdoor memory. Ozark
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Post by davewolf on Apr 25, 2009 21:21:57 GMT -5
Not boring at all. A relative of my grandfather's was a forest fire warden. When he retired he fed all forms of wildlife. He loved deer and chipmunks, and hated rattlesnakes. He was once paid to shoot them by the state and said he could never get them all even though he knew all their denning sights.
Although he deer hunted, he had a doe like yours, and his wife finally coaxed inside the cabin and had tucked in bed. They has a black and white photo of it!
Somehow the doe alluded hunters for 8-years before they lost track of her--he suspected it was a winter-kill, because he had seen her last in Feb, long after the hunting seasons had past.
Thanks for the memories,
Have a great day!
Dave
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Post by 12ptdroptine on May 26, 2009 19:51:48 GMT -5
Mr Ozark... Just browsing around being bored... I enjoyed you sharing this memory with us...Everyone should have a little "Buddy" in their life... Drop
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Post by chuck41 on May 30, 2009 8:15:52 GMT -5
We too have deer coming around the house regularly, but all are more like mama that Buddy. Had one in the back yard yesterday. As long as we stayed in the house and didn't move too quickly she just went about her business and ignored us. One quick move and she would stare at us, but didn't run away, at least not for a good while. Guess I am going to have to put my feeder back up. I really enjoy watching them.
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Post by wilmsmeyer on May 30, 2009 8:35:44 GMT -5
Have been having fun watching does and fawns out my back window the past week. They are little and you can tell that mom is on her toes. The little rascals are getting their feet going and running around in their new world of only a few weeks.
Put out my trail cam this morning hoping to get some close shots of the little guys and some budding bucks I've already seen.
Nature brings awesome memories...giggles and...experiences. As a hunter, I have to constantly remind myself that one day that cute, innocent amazing little fawn might be hanging upside down on a gambral. Either as a nice buck or an opportunistic doe that gave me a good shot. And I have to remind myself that that's OK, cause right now they are awfully cute and fun to watch and I wonder why I shoot them after they have given me all this pleasure.
When the leaves change, I usually snap out of it immediately!! And I mean IMMEDIATELY!!
As a sidenote: When the clutch of newb woodchucks come out with mom....Mom gets it first and then it's a shooting gallery. One day when they start growing horns I'll have to rethink this. LOL
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Post by ozark on May 30, 2009 15:34:40 GMT -5
I never knew that woodchucks were good swimmers until back about ten years ago. I was fishing upstream at a point where there was a wide gravel bar between the river and woods. I noticed a grown woodchuch crossing the gravel bar about thirty yards upstream from my position. I stood still believing that it would get itself a drink at the waters edge. Instead it simply waded into the water and swam across the river (twenty yards wide) climbed out on the opposite side, shook the water off and entered the brush and weeds. This one was an excellent swimmer so I am guessing most are.
Luckiest shot I ever witnessed: It was probably around 1938, My older brother, Truman wynn, and myself were going down Buffalo in a boat and had just entered a long hole of water. About two hundred yards away a blue crane was standing at the edge of the water where it met a gravel bar. Truman picked up a .22 and said: "Watch me kill that crain." He shot and we seen the bullet hit the water a bit over half way and then again about fifty yards short of the bird. Then the bird simply fell over. Later we discovered that after two skips the bullet had hit the birds neck. Pow, richochet, richochet and then dead bird. I have seen some other great shots but for distance with a .22 this is tops.
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Post by deadeye on Jun 1, 2009 8:16:45 GMT -5
we have a buddy here in indiana,he will come up & nibble on your arm. we painted a bright orange X on both his sides so hopefully no one will shoot him. i just hope all the deer dont get this way! ;D
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Post by raf on Jun 2, 2009 16:04:14 GMT -5
we have a lot of deer around our cabin at the lake. The neighbor feeds them and I used to until someone stole my feeder  . Mostly they're quite tame and don't run off when we're in the yard. A couple are really tame and will eat out of your hand. the neighbor has gone out with an apple, cut it into wedges and feed him. At times he'll his arm around the deer's neck with one arm and feed him with the other. This deer has was right up to the edge of our deck and stand there looking at us. He's begging. Grab a handful of sunflower seeds and he eat right out of you're hand. Last year the neighbor was feed him and I guess he wasn't getting enough fast enough so he kicked at the neighbor. Well no damage was done and the neighbor kicked him in the rear end. The buck jumped, then walk over with his head down as if to say sorry, nuzzled up and begged for another piece of apply. It's a good thing it a game preserve up there 'cause he wouldn't stand a chance in hunting season. First hunter he'd see, he'd run up looking for a snack  . |
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Post by huntingmike on Jun 2, 2009 23:58:29 GMT -5
Raf,
I also like to see and feed deer and other wildlife. I just want to say though that your neighbor is putting people in jeopardy. IMO that buck he is hand feeding has lost the fear of man and could when it goes into rut hurt some one. I know people have heard of a few deer who attack. The ones who do attack are the ones who have been hand fed or raised and set free. Bucks who have no fear have no brains when in rut.
Rev. Mike
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Post by raf on Jun 4, 2009 10:09:50 GMT -5
Raf, I also like to see and feed deer and other wildlife. I just want to say though that your neighbor is putting people in jeopardy. IMO that buck he is hand feeding has lost the fear of man and could when it goes into rut hurt some one. I know people have heard of a few deer who attack. The ones who do attack are the ones who have been hand fed or raised and set free. Bucks who have no fear have no brains when in rut. Rev. Mike Yup, it worried me too. I rarely see the bucks during the rut. Don't know where they go. Not too many does around that time of year either. They're likely off in the bush taking care of business "Bucks who have no fear have no brains" Good one and I'll go one more. Bucks in rut have no brains |
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Post by chuck41 on Jun 4, 2009 14:35:54 GMT -5
Just came home from Branson on Monday. Had seven out behind my camper one night. Saw one new fawn last week that was still very unsure of his legs. He ran up the street in front of my truck and the legs just seemed to flail everywhere. Finally turned off into the brush where mama could be seen just off the road a bit.
I think I will refill the feeders around here. Don't have 400# of it like Ozark though so I hope my deer are not as hungry as his.
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. Mostly they're quite tame and don't run off when we're in the yard. A couple are really tame and will eat out of your hand. the neighbor has gone out with an apple, cut it into wedges and feed him. At times he'll his arm around the deer's neck with one arm and feed him with the other. This deer has was right up to the edge of our deck and stand there looking at us. He's begging. Grab a handful of sunflower seeds and he eat right out of you're hand.
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