Date: Tue, 3 Mar 2009 08:10:57 -0500 (GMT-05:00)
From: Steve Gravely
Subject: Oh, deer! Many thanks to Aaron Honeycutt.
What an excellent posting by Aaron Honeycutt recently explaining the lives and habits of deer. Since moving to the country in Chatham 11 years ago, I have thoroughly enjoyed observing the many deer that come into my yard, mostly due to the deer corn I leave them. My nearby neighbor hunts them. I was an avid bird hunter in my younger days, but have never cared to hunt deer. I enjoy venison and have been to many a deer pickin’ in my home county of Nash.
My personal feeling is that they and their fomer generations have been on my property for far longer than I and will be there long after I am gone. In a way, I am the guest here. Plus, they are beautiful animals. And it is also fun to watch family groups eat ten feet from my door. But I also enjoy gardening and my plants, so I put my garden near my dog pen and house, plant mostly plants they don’t like, specifically anything with a scent, and fence plants where needed. We get along together just fine. Plus the corn helps. They go where the corn is and leave.
Hunting is the best way to stabilize the growth of the herds and many of my friends are deerhunters. I have nothing against hunting deer except for those ‘weekend warriors’ that come from the city with their $3000 highpowered scope rifles and pop a deer from 300 yards from a tree stand to get a pretty rack on their wall. That is not hunting to me, that is unfair slaughter. True deer hunting, in my opinion, is with a bow or shotgun where the prey has a chance.
Thanks again Aaron for those great fscts. You explained a lot of the behavior I have noticed and enjoyed.
Steve Gravely