Duck, duck, MOOSE

[a.k.a. Rodney]

I was walking DerbyDoodle this afternoon, and on my neighbors drive was a full sized male deer.
Man, did I take a double take. He was standing quite still...and his antlers were fuzzy and looked immature ...as if they were growing
I prayed DerbyDoodle. Didn't make a sound or freak out when she saw him..she did neither, but here's the kicker.....how dangerous are they? Could he have charged us? Think you have a tic problem....we have at least a dozen living in the small wooded area near our house. That's why I a.m. In con flight over using a flea/ tic preventative

[F, Calla & Luca]

We have lots of deer here but you never hear of them attacking although when. Cornered they may usually they just will take off when approached. Before my place was fenced I practically had to chase them to get them to leave but eventually they would for a while. I always use tick preventatives on the dogs and get the Lyme vaccine too.

[Carol and Banjo]

I was thinking of you yesterday F while reading tips on repelling deer.....one trick is to use "shavings" of Irish Spring Bar Soap around your plants......make your garden smell good too!   ; - )

[F, Calla & Luca]

Thanks Carol. Now most of my plants that the deer love are behind the fence. I have read about your tip and others but apparently the deer get used to everything.  do try to plant aromatic plants, like artemisia or mint etc., outside the fence and luckily they don't like peonies, won't eat daffodils and some others.

[Kyoko]

http://youtu.be/TY-FKI_VOCg

I thought they are dangerous.

I don't know why I think that, but I think they can hoof (?) you to death.

When we are at the big park and the dogs are off leash, I look out for the deer, since my dogs chased them once. I was really scared that the deer would attack them.

[Cathy, Fozzie & Shaggy]

One morning last spring, I walked through the field behind my house toward the woods with the boys so they could do their duties, Shaggy was only about 11 weeks old and Fozzie 3.  Two deer cam out of the woods at the same time, one on the left and one on the right.  They were snorting and prancing around.  At the time I thought, how cute they seem to be playing and teasing my dogs.  Shaggy had no clue what to do, Fozzie was to busy sniffing something on the ground and Gus just didn't really care.  So after watching them for several minutes smiling thinking I'm lucky to have seen such a sight, we started to head back to the house.  Suddenly Fozzie bolted back to the woods forgetting I exhisted and that he knows what "come" means.  He disappeared into the woods for only several seconds and came back out with a treasure...very fresh venison.  I yelled for him to drop it and leave it, he remembered those commands thank goodness.  As I got closer I saw it was a newborn fawn just minutes old and not able to even get up yet.  I didn't see marks or blood and it was moving/breathing so I collected the boys, a lot more firmly this time, and went back to the house.  Then it hit me that what I thought was a playful morning romp was actually mom and ? trying to get our attention on them and away from the baby.  They didn't try to chase us away they wanted us to chase them!!  Anyway, it ended well, at least that's the story I'm sticking with. Knowing a fawn will stand up and begin walking very soon after birth and hoping the mom would stick around to be there when it was able to move, I kept the dogs away from that field for 24 hours.  When I went back out the baby was gone.  I didn't see any blood, drag marks, or deer parts, so I'm dismissing the idea that a fox, or coyote "took care of it", I prefer to think the family is now living "happily ever after", at least until deer season =;-))

 

I'm not a deer expert but it think, Rodney, the only thing you likely have to watch out for with deer is them running into you like they do with cars and bikes and Derby wanting to run after it. 

[Pat and Traveler]

Fozzie was carrying the fawn??  What a story!  Hope that baby got back with mom.

[Cathy, Fozzie & Shaggy]

Yes Pat, Fozzie trotted out of the woods fawn in mouth with head and tail held high so very proud of his "catch".  I seriously do believe it was able to get up and walk away.  I didn't touch it so no smell from me was left on the fawn and  Fozzie didn't shake or bite on it. 

Joanna, I don't know if I did the right thing, I'm just glad Fozzie came to me with the fawn and dropped it.  He's been known to look at me and say "nope, it's mine" and take off with some of the treasures he finds, but that's a story for another time :)

Lori, I've had some fun at my sister's expense over the "fresh venison" my doodle brought me while her GR keeps bringing her disgusting rotted chunks of venison (head, leg, rib cage...).  I've suggested her Charlie  find a new venison supplier!

[Joanna, Zoe & Bender]

OMD how scary!  I wouldn't have known what to do!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I think deer are pretty timid and will run rather than fight. Not much of a danger to you or Derby.

Living in FL and visiting IL in the summer, you really shouldn't be in conflict over using a flea/tick preventative. It's a must. The benefits far outweigh the risks.

[a.k.a. Rodney]

if you say that then i'm in conflict NO longer!!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Good! 

[Lynda Kamrath]

Nice that you see wildlife in your area, but with the wooded area, I would definitely suggest using a tick preventative.  This is tick season and we get them about every time that we are out in the woods.