Home, home on rural land, where the deer and the antelope stand….okay, no antelope. Wrong part of the nation for that. But we do have a plethora of deer and an assortment of other wildlife that traverse through our property out here in the country.
Critters of all kinds use our 2.4 acre yard as a bi-way from one wooded area to another. Our “wildlife refuge” has included bear, wild turkeys, quail, skunks, raccoons, groundhogs, rabbits, red fox, opossum, birds of all kinds, even a turtle, and of course, white-tailed deer. Lots of deer.
In just one year’s time, two have met their end via vehicle on the road in front of our house. When hit, those unlucky creatures flew through the air and landed dead on arrival in our yard. You haven’t lived until you walk to your mailbox and find a dead deer lying beside it.
Mostly, the deer run through our yard on their way elsewhere early in the morning or at night. Oh, we know they’ve stopped occasionally to chow down on our garden because we see their tracks all through it. This summer, they found our strawberry plants way too delectable which is why Papa had to put a fence around it to keep them out.
Hardly ever though, do we actually see deer grazing in our yard especially in the middle of the afternoon. But last week, one brave, young doe decided to stop for snacks at our place.
After lunch, Papa left to finish some repairs at our daughter’s home, so I plunked myself down in our home office at the desktop to write a blog post.
After working busily and steadily, I needed a break so I ambled out to the kitchen to make myself a cup of hot tea. While filling the teakettle at the kitchen sink, I gazed out the window and spied her.
She was nibbling away at some bushes that produce some type of inedible-for-humans, red berries in our back yard. Just munching away and taking her good old time doing so. Unusual, especially for 2 o’clock in the afternoon.
I grabbed my camera and attempted a photo through a kitchen window because I didn’t want to scare her away. Taking a picture through not only glass but also a window screen did not satisfy me at all and the doe’s head was hidden by the bush as she plucked berries off there.
So I hurriedly stepped into some shoes (it was pretty cold outside), and slowly opened the French door leading to our backyard deck. She heard me, of course, but didn’t take off running. I was thoroughly surprised by that. Instead, she simply stopped eating and peered at me through the bush.
I stood stock still for a few seconds, and she commenced chowing down once more. I then quietly and slowly slipped out onto the deck and snapped a photo.
The click of my camera caused her to pause, then peek around the bush at me. I didn’t move. She didn’t move. We stood that way for a minute or so. But the lure of those berries, which must have been delicious, caused her to resume snacking.
Cautiously and ever so slowly, I moved towards the deck railing to try some closer shots. Again she heard the clicks and stared straight at me. We engaged in a staring contest much like my kids used to do when they were young.
Who would blink first? Who would flinch first? Who would move first?
For a few seconds, we just watched each other. And then, in a soft quiet voice, I asked her “Are those berries good?” She never moved. She never flinched. She just kept watching me, curiosity causing her to stay.
I’ve never experienced that with a wild deer before. Why wasn’t she afraid of me? Usually, deer are so skittish, they dart away as soon as they spot a human. I’m not sure how long we both stood there keeping our eyes on one another.
Suddenly, the sound of a vehicle coming down our driveway broke our reverie. Boom! Like a shot, she was off, dashing away as fast as her four spindly legs could carry her, back into the tree line that separates our property from the farmer’s field behind us.
I can’t help wondering what her fate will be. Will she meet her end from a vehicle or from the blast of a rifle or a piercing of an arrow during deer hunting season?
Whatever transpires, she gave me a pleasant, little gift that day. A moment of tranquility amidst the noise of the world’s craziness right now.
That little doe feasting on berries in my yard made me smile, provided a moment of delight, something I truly needed.
In this November month of Thanksgiving, I consider the blessings – yes, I will count them one by one – that God bestows on us even in circumstances that are trying and difficult. And I count that little doe visit as one of them.
It reminded me, as always, how grateful I am to live here in the country – in rural land, in what some folks call “fly over land.” I wouldn’t trade it for any other place because I can find happiness right in my own back yard.
“I don’t have to take a trip around the world or be on a yacht in the Mediterranean to have happiness. I can find it in the little things, like looking out into my backyard and seeing deer in the fields.” ~ Queen Latifah
©mamasmeptynest.wordpress.com 2020
Mama's Empty Nest 
We have three to five dear who visit us a few times a week in our backyard. They don’t seem very afraid of us or our dog. They seem to know that the dog is on a lead and can only go so far so they stand and watch her while she barks. One day I went out and took some photos and they just stood there and watched me. This spring/summer there were two does and it appeared they both had two fawns, but we aren’t sure. We wondered if the one had triplets. It was fun to watch the fawns fur change from their spring coat with the spots to the dark winter coat they are wearing know. They ate our hostas this year, our sunflowers, and part of the neighbor’s flowers. The neighbors said they have been pretty bold the last couple of years, eating up vegetation in the neighborhood. For some reason they stayed away from our trees this year, but the man who owned this house before had wrapped them in mesh to keep them from destroying them more — they already ate the bottoms off. It isn’t even a surprise to see them now or to hear our dog barking at night when we let her out. We figure she’s barking at them. My friend’s son said one day a doe was standing on the neighbor’s trampoline – inside the netting even! I have to wonder about the fate of these deer too, but I’m relieved that we are still seeing them, at least for now. And that we haven’t seen the bear and her cubs!
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Deer travel through our yard regularly but this was the first time I’d seen one stop for so long especially in the middle of the afternoon. Usually, they run through in the early morning or late evening.
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Ours just hang out and eat our vegetation. I think I’d rather have your deer some days. 😉
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Yep, here too. We had to put a fence around the garden.
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How lucky you were to see a deer close up, eating the berries from your burning bush. I’ve had deer in/around my yard many times – they nibble on my plants and leave their droppings everywhere, but I’ve only seen a pair of young ones (twins) run through the yard twice! I’m going to hang a “deer feeder” (made from PVC pipe and filled with pelleted deer food) on the one tree they seem to visit often (my hostas around the bottom were a favourite dish this year) and see if I can get a closer look. I love all God’s creatures!
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It really was a nice little surprise. They come through our yard all the time but this was the first time one stayed around for so long. She was a sweet, little thing.
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That’s so nice you get them right in the yard. Here we have wild horses and they will pose for pictures from time to time.
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I think I’d rather see wild horses than the deer though! Deer are abundant in our area and cause so much expensive damage to vehicles when they’re hit on our roadways. Not to mention how they can destroy gardens, shrubs, and flowers and carry and deposit deer ticks in our yards (which cause Lyme disease to us humans and pets). But I did enjoy my little “meeting” with this young doe.
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What a lovely series of photos. I suspect distance helped, and she may have been young enough that she’s not developed a fear of humans. In any event, lucky you!
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She was young and curious and probably hasn’t been scared off by booming shotguns yet.
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