Let It Grow Organic Gardens

And I resumed the struggle. -Vladimir

Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Am I Talking About Deer, Or Raft Guides?

It was bad enough when they randomly showed up and ate my food, and got even worse when they moved in, but now they're having babies here.
We've found three baby deer on the farm in the last 24 hours. All asleep, all motherless, all spotted and adorable. The first was up on the ridge, just inside the fence. Isiah spotted it when we were up there for a routine fence check. He carried it down the hill, brought it home and put it in a pen with his goats.
The second was early this morning, under an outdoor plant table. I had run a deer off about ten minutes before - the mom? - and then noticed the little baby curled up under a table of potted bee balm and coneflower. The mom (?) had run up the hill toward Sam's barn, so I carried the little baby over to the edge of the hill, put it down, and vacated the scene. It bleated a while. An adult deer came out of the trees, ears pricked way up, and walked around in circles for a few minutes. The baby chased it all the while. The mom (?) went back into the woods, and the baby chased after it.
The third was between a bee hive and some lemon balm toward one side of the house. I found it mid-afternoon, and at this point all reason was briefly suspended. The unlikelihood of this trinity would not penetrate my brain, and I just kind of walked around in a daze all afternoon. Julie got back from market about eight, and I went over and picked it up. I put it down on the ground in front of Isiah, but it hopped up, ran through the blueberries, up the side of the field and out a gate.
The question is: How many others are out there? And why is it that the farm was selected as the maternity ward? Or, are deer population this dense everywhere? I'm averaging one deer per three acres. Is it the same through-out the western part of the state? Will a walk through the woods yield one baby deer every three acres?
How is it that the deer are giving birth here, when they usually just descend in the middle of the night, eat some beet greens, and leave. Or, are they giving birth elsewhere, and bringing their babies here and abandoning them on my doorstep?
I've encountered many demons since I've been here, and exercised most of them, but this babay deer curse is something new. It just may get the best of me.

2 Comments:

  • At July 01, 2010 7:00 AM, Blogger Dana said…

    It just tickles me pink to think of you walking around finding baby deer in every nook and cranny. It's like a Japanese artsy film. I am laughing out loud (which is weird but oh well). Maybe you could add farm raised venison to your repertoire.

     
  • At July 01, 2010 11:00 PM, Blogger Frank said…

    More like Godzilla vs Organic Farmer.
    Glad I could keep you entertained.

     

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