Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Doe, fawn, fawn fawn



I've been enchanted by frequent sightings of deer and fawns this season but now I'm starting to worry. A doe and three fawns of different sizes were grazing in the neighbors garden at mid-morning.

This is worrisome because deer usually feed in the early morning or evening. Under normal circumstances, they avoid being out in the open--especially with young. The fact that they are often feeding in full view in broad daylight indicates that they are starving. In fact, the youngest fawn seemed quite thin.

There is a "green corridor" that crosses from St Paul up into neighboring Roseville, Minnesota. There are woodsy trails, lakes, parks and a dog park along the route. As a result, there's considerable wildlife in the areas surrounding it. I truly love being so close to it all.

Sadly, it seems inevitable that the DNR will be "culling" the urban deer herds this fall. It seems such an ugly fate for the dainty, lovely animals. The numbers have exceeding the capacity of the area to support them and they will starve.

The upside is that the venison will be provided to charities and food shelves. The hungry deer will then be feeding hungry people--and that is good.


5 comments:

Linda Starr said...

Oh gee that is sad, too bad they can't be relocated to provide food for predators like mountion lions and wolf. Still they are beautiful.

Linda Myers said...

So well camoflaged, those babies!

Nancy/BLissed-Out Grandma said...

Deer are so beautiful, I always hate to think of them being killed. And yet that's how nature stays in balance. Happily, I don't have to be there while it's happening. It's great that you get to see the deer. I wonder whether there's a spot where kids could see them. It would usually have to be early in the morning, I guess.

Teresa Evangeline said...

I never get tired of seeing deer, especially the little spotted fawns. I have a family that's walked through my yard this summer, mama and papa and two spotted babies. I cannot bear to think of them being killed, no matter the circumstances.

Anonymous said...

What a nice family this is. Four deer. Here in Ohio the deer population seems to always be growing larger. They have two hunting seasons but that doesn't seem to make much difference. I am glad for them. I wrote a piece once, "Where a Doe Goes" to have babies? Imagine that yourself - where would you go that offers shelter, food and water, safe enough to give birth? Thank God they make the right choices most of the time.