Spring Afternoon Surprise

[bobpbx]

I went out for a run tonite with my dog Buddy behind Miller Airpark. I was running up and down the fire trails. All of a sudden I saw a flash of white-tail and Buddy took off after a deer. He does is all the time, but usually does not have much luck.

Today was different. He started yipping, which usually just means he is really hot on their trail, usually within 30 yards of their feet. Thing was, his yelps were close, and you could tell he was relatively stationary. My first thought was that he and a big buck were squaring off for a fight.

I ran towards him, cause he was really going crazy with his yelps. I came to the bottom of a small swale and don't you know he had a yearling buck all confused. The yearling would try to run away and buddy would nip him in the snout. So the yearling would lift his head up and swivel his head around looking for a way out, and not making much progress.

I ran right up to the yearling, and before he could make 2 steps I had him in my arms. Oh my God what a strange feeling I had. Here I had this wild deer in my arms, and although he was straining a bit to get away from me, he was not freaking out or anything, so it was really safe and neat to hold him. I started rubbing my hand along his head and throat to calm him down, and he did settle very slightly. But he was also making a low rumbling hissing noise. I put my hand in front of his snout to see if he'd open his mouth, but he did not.

What a weird feeling. I always thought about grabbing a wild deer (you know, just for the hell of it) but I never in my wildest dreams thought it would happen. His legs were amazingly slim and graceful, at first I thought he had broken one, but no, he was okay. I very reluctantly let him go. What a cool feeling to have had this opportunity.

 

[Teegate]

I ran right up to the yearling, and before he could make 2 steps I had him in my arms. Oh my God what a strange feeling I had. Here I had this wild deer in my arms, and although he was straining a bit to get away from me, he was not freaking out or anything, so it was really safe and neat to hold him. I started rubbing my hand along his head and throat to calm him down, and he did settle very slightly. But he was also making a low rumbling hissing noise. I put my hand in front of his snout to see if he'd open his mouth, but he did not.

What a weird feeling. I always thought about grabbing a wild deer (you know, just for the hell of it) but I never in my wildest dreams thought it would happen. His legs were amazingly slim and graceful, at first I thought he had broken one, but no, he was okay. I very reluctantly let him go. What a cool feeling to have had this opportunity.

Where was your dogs camera?

Guy

 

[BEHR655]

Where was your dogs camera?

Guy

:rofl::rofl::rofl:

 

[bobpbx]

Where was your dogs camera?

Guy

Good one Guy! I told Buddy to back off and he did. He did not even look at me strange when I was holding the deer.

 

[BEHR655]

That is freaking awesome Bob or should I call you "Dances With Deer"?

 

[Ben Ruset]

I grabbed a baby Canadian goose once and it crapped on me.

 

[bobpbx]

That is freaking awesome Bob or should I call you "Dances With Deer"?

I'm gonna get me a hood made out of deer fur.....

There is something strange going on with the young deer. I am finding many dead young deer and fawns, both in the woods and hit by cars. Seems too many to be a coincidence.

I also know where there is a fox hole with Kits. Saw them the other day playing outside.

 

[jokerman]

This story is very tame compared to Bob's amazing wilderness encounter, but it is really weird since I had physical contact with a wild deer for the first time today too. I was searching around squankum (near Howell) when I found an extened backyard far back off the road. I was (as always when near a home) nervous about a dog coming upon the scene. I was walking back towards the rear of the pasture, past an area that had some old pens made simply of wire fencing. I caught an animal about the size of a dog moving to my right near the pens and got scared until I focused to see it was a young deer. At first, I thought it was captive in the pen, but soon realized it was just stuck in there. The pen he was in led to another one, both of which had open gates, but I guess he couldn;t figure it out. He was trying desperately to get out when he saw me, but couldn't get over the fence (only about 5' high) and kept smashing his head through the holes in the wire mesh. I started to approach him and talk calmly, but he kept freaking, of course. Hair was fying off him every attempt he made an attempt to crash through the fence and he had that look on his face with his tongue sticking out, which I know is not good. Then on his next attempt to jump, he slowly fell over on his back in a way that let me know he was really tired. Then he got his head caught in the fence, so I went up and petted his back and felt his heart going really fast. I got his head out while straddling him and I jumped from startlement when he got free! He then stopped and stared at me as if he knew I meant well and he watched as I showed him the gate (by walking through it), which he then flew through, and then the second. He seemed really wasted and I'm not sure how long he was in there. I hope he makes it, because I know they stress really easily.

 

[bobpbx]

Cool story Jokerman. I am always surprised at the amount of land still around in your area. There is a lot of State owned land too that is not marked well.

PS: The young deer in your story seemed confused? Like I said, something is not quite right with them this year. I hope its not some sort of disease going around.

 

[jokerman]

When I moved here in 1979, the whole area and most of the county was still mostll farmland and woods. It is amazing how much has happened here in the last 10 years. But there still are some good woods to roam through here, several old furnace sites too, that are truly forgotten.

This is the first deer I encountered that seemed off. I would assume it was because he was stuck, but then again, how did he get stuck in there and why couldn't he jump a 5' fence? And how did you hug a wild deer?!! lol! I really hope there's nothing wrong with them. I wouldn't be surprised though, due to all the stress from hunting and overdevelopment that is always taxing their ability to survive. I'll keep an eye out now that you mention it and will report any additional pertinent information.

 

[woodjin]

Amazing experience Bob! Very cool! You too Jokerman. I havn't noticed any increase in fawn/young deer mortality in my area. I have noticed that yearlings seem to have little instinct toward self preservation and seem to rely on mimicing the actions of the does in the herd. An increase in the deer population in your area might account for a higher death rate among the young deers by the roadside, but what about these deer you've seen in the woods...I know there is a coyote population near Miller airfield. The dead deer in the woods, have they been ripped apart?

Jeff

 

[woodjin]

Where are the hunters, Rednek and Wis bang may have some insight on this.

 

[wis bang]

Where are the hunters, Rednek and Wis bang may have some insight on this.

Yearling mortality hapens. That's why most healthy doe have twin fawns.

Newborn fawns are sentless and mom 'hides' them while she feeds to keep up her milk. Once they loose their spots and start eating brouse they can be scented and preditors [including cars] come into play. Yearlings stay w/ their maternal group which can include last year's doe off spring and they all follow the oldest doe and develope their instinctive reactions by following and paterning the lead doe. When one observes, un-noticed, a family group you can see the diminishing biody size from the lead animal back to the youngest. If Mom snorts as she senses danger, the group follows her lead instantly. In season, shooting the lead doe causes the next oldest animal to lead the rest of the group away, tail high, senses on overdrive...

Yearlings seperated from the group will be lost [dazed & confused] as would a yearling buck that's just been driven off by mom...until he joins other bachelors and starts learning his status in the herd group of males and completes his 'education'.

BobM is lucky! A more mature animal would have tried to stomp w/ it's feet. The hooves are quite hard and can do alot of damage. Remeber the deer footage from the infomercial for "Annimals gone wild!" video?

Most wildlife enforcement officers will recommend not handling any live wild game as the scent you leave may cause the animal problems with it's family group.