Friday, December 17, 2010

Real Bambis.


Do you like watching deer? I do.

I grew up in a country where "bambi" only exist in book. So seeing a real deer fascinates me.

Each day on my way to work, I would crane my neck looking for a single deer or hope to see two or three. But sometimes I get lucky and see a large herd of deer crossing the road. Bucks, does, fawns, walking and running.

You see, since it started to snow Ken had been the one driving me to and from work. We enjoyed the scenery during the early mornings. We would leave home early so we can take a different route each time. Most of the time we would take the gravel road and as expected, it always seemed like we were the only ones out-and-about. Sure, now and then we would encounter another vehicle, but the timing gave us the road almost to ourselves.

Sitting inside the car on a foggy morning and seeing a family of beautiful deer out in the field is truly a beautiful sight. But of course Ken is acutely aware that a deer may jump into our path from the brush and trees. So he drove slow and always anticipating an encounter with one or more of these fur covered friends.

Sometimes we don't see them, but we know they're there. When we see a deer or group of deer moving toward the road, he would slow down the speed of the car and proceed with caution and also to give us time to watch them.

Like most cities in Minnesota, deer hunting is encouraged here. But even if this saddened me, I know that the deer population has to be controlled as their overabundance could destroy farmlands or wreak havoc in the area that they are at.

As with any area that has many deer, people here also get frustrated with the deer jumping out in front of vehicles and causing accidents or cause damage to a car. In the same way that a hunter can kill a deer, a deer has plenty of ways of killing a hunter.

But whatever their fate, the beauty of seeing these real "Bambis", however briefly, were etched in my mind forever.

3 comments:

Angry American said...

We have a problem with deer causing traffic accidents in OH too, but you almost never see them. I go walking in an area that's almost all woods quite often, but I still hardly see them. In the past, I've seen deer standing next to my parent's garage a few times. We had also found a big old male hove print in dried mud next to the neighbor's garden once. His garden was right in front of his house in the back yard.

Other than that, you can't really afford to look around too much when you're driving unless there isn't much traffic. I'm fortunate enough to have almost 90 degree peripheral vision in both directions, so I notice things off to the sides most people miss. Having ADD comes in handy too sometimes, cause my attention is always drawn towards things most people never notice...like deer coming. lol

I usually keep checking left and right when I drive, because sometimes I speed, and I never wear my seat belt. Lately, there are certain areas that I keep an eye out for that don't have a deer crossing sign, because I've seen near misses happen to the car in front of me. It's amazing how zoned out you get from your surroundings sometimes while you're driving.

I was driving on the freeway and had seen something I hope I never see again. A deer had been hit and was just laying there. You could just tell she was in pain and dieing. I wish to god the animal control officers and the state road crew had come to take the deer away.

She was in the inner lane and was slowing down traffic for miles. I doubt she would've been able to put up much of a fight in her condition, but the assholes probably waited until the deer died to finally come get her. It's just wrong to let any animal suffer like that no matter what the reason.

People keep forgetting, we're in their territory, not the other way around. We don't have a deer overpopulation problem...we have a human intrusion problem. We should have a little more respect for them in those situations.

Odette Bautista Mikolai said...

AA,
last tuesday when ken picked me up from work, he showed me traces of blood on the bridge off bricelyn where a hunter just shoot a deer. that's the very area where we see group of deers almost everyday. ken witnessed how the little dear got killed. the blood is still fresh when i saw it and i feel bad especially when i learned that the hunter killed a little one, maybe just a fawn.
but now the hunting season is officially over, and deer romp around freely. i see them almost everyday. pheasants are becoming visible too and so are the wild turkeys.
xoxoxo

ADMIN said...

You're lucky to live in such a beautiful place.
I hope to see some pictures of the wildlife in your area.
Here we mostly see coyotes and possums, and the occasional fox, and of course rabbits and squirrels.
Enjoy your winter wonderland!

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