July 23, 2007
Photo by: Gayle Rich-Boxman
After living at Fishhawk for awhile, some folks get used to our visits from
meandering deer in the area, but for those of us who are softhearted about
wildlife and nature, the feeling of awe never quite goes away.
It’s especially delightful when encountering a “youngster” and seeing him
as he matures. This fella has been
spotted munching in many yards and generally hanging out around the Fishhawk
Creek area, sometimes dragging a female friend along.
My first view of him a week or two ago was while he moseyed along the
backyard of the Posts’ home. His
newly forming antlers are a dead giveaway that he’s the same teenager that I
caught sight of along Fishhawk Road, just yesterday. He was so calm that he gave
me several opportunities to get some shots of him from every angle.
The conversation inevitably comes up about how casual and trusting the
local deer are about humans, and so the next thought for this wildlife lover is
that once this guy is full-grown in all his splendor, will he then end up
becoming someone’s trophy as he has falsely learned not to hasten a retreat when
two-leggeds come into his midst??
It
presents a double-edged sword when having a young buck grace our community with
his presence. One can only wish to
remain hopeful that he lives a long and healthy existence in our slice of
paradise.