Early this morning, about 1:00 a.m., I opened my front door to let our cat back in the house. Across the street, under the light, was a mother deer and her baby. She was nibbling the leaves in the tree and the baby was eating grass. They were so beautiful. I watched them for about 5 minutes until they began making their way through the neighbors yard and when the mother went to step on the driveway, it looked like she tried to tip toe across the concrete driveway....I guess they have learned their hooves make noise on the concrete. She walked so carefully and quietly and then her baby followed. At this point, that put them on the side of the street where our back yard is and I just knew our dogs were going to start barking, but they managed to stay so quiet it didn't even wake our dogs. As I quietly opened the screen to let our cat in the door, another female deer came up to the road and followed the pair. Beautiful.
The down side to all of this is that we live in town. The deer population continues to grow and there have been times we've seen as many as 10 deer across the street. Part of our neighborhood sits up on a hill and the yards slope down into a valley like setting with a dry creek and lots of trees. It's a perfect setting for the deer. They can quietly walk behind the houses and feed off the bushes and grasses. Once in awhile they get curious and walk up to the street.
As beautiful as it is to open your door or look out the window and have the opportunity to watch the deer, I feel sad that they are coming in to town more and more. It is not good for them to be in town and not good for us either. I have friends who will no longer plant a garden because the deer eat it up. They even jump the chain link fences to into yards and eat the plants.
Considering that all around our town are rural farm areas and fields, and densely wooded areas, it's hard to believe that the deer are coming in to town in large numbers. There does not appear to be a shortage of food or water for them. You would think the lights, barking dogs, cars, and strange smells would make them fear being in town but it doesn't appear to. It's almost like they are curious.
The last house we lived in had TONS of deer around. Same deal - in town, just more open space than some areas. I agree, it breaks my heart to see all this wildlife hanging out in civilization. Of course, we destroy much of it and where else do they go?
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