OMG!!!!! Thrilled, excited and grinning from ear to ear!!!!

[SerendipityCrafts]

I didn't think I could be more pleased with our back yard and the forest beyond. Our house is in the burbs (close to all amenities) but with the forest behind our place, I can still go out on the deck and listen to the birds and watch the squirrels. I have seen woodpeckers, bluejays, cardinals, chickadees and nut hatches to name but a few but just a few moments ago .... DH calls me -

"Quick, quick, quick - COME HERE!!!! LOOK LOOK LOOK!!!!"
I see him looking beyond our yard but I was looking at our suet feeder and didn't see anything out of the "norm".
"What???!!!"
"LOOK LOOK LOOK!!!! In the forest!
And then I saw him (or her) ..... we have a deer back there!!!! :)

We wondered if it was possible for the forest to support deer but we discounted the idea since it is bordered on 4 sides by suburbia and since many many people use the trails to walk their dogs. I guess we were wrong :)

Ok so what do I want to put out to attract them? A salt lick? What do they eat besides apples?

http://photos-c.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v273/165/122/716941196/n716941196_1116442_1773.jpg

http://photos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v273/165/122/716941196/n716941196_1116440_1033.jpg

[Jacklynn]

I don't know what to get them to come to you, but I just wanted to say that, that is exciting!

[kgvettegirl]

They love salt. They love bulbs, tulips, daffodils that kind of plant but it can get expensive to keep those in your garden just for the deer to eat. Corn, soybeans they are always in those fields at the farm. In fact my brother leaves a little on one edge so they have something to eat.

Please know that not everyone loves deer. Yes, they are beautiful to look at but they also destroy gardens they are carriers of disease that can infest your pets. Ticks, fleas and the disease they carry are harmful to people as well. I wouldn't get to close. Not to mention the hurt and damage to your vehicles. There were 8 in the field last night as we were leaving mom's.

We have so many deer we allow hunting but only if you are going to use them for food. We have some guys that come up from Va Beach and they donate their deer to the food bank. They have decimated my brothers melon patches this year so that he hardly had any for sale.

[SerendipityCrafts]

I do realize that they are not always "loved" :) but I don't think they will venture too far out of the forest. Today might just be the last time we will see one back there.

I have already decided not to plant bulbs since the squirrels love them too and I don't necessarily want them in my back yard, but they are just so nice to look at. With no leaves on the trees now, we can see further back and so, I thought I would walk back into the forest a bit further and hang a salt lick from a tree.

Speaking of squirrels ... I had no idea that they liked pumpkin too. LOL Those dang rodents have been gnawing away at my front porch display!

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3154/2989484007_5d58d13813.jpg?v=0

[kgvettegirl]

Pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, peanuts, corn on the cob.

http://i275.photobucket.com/albums/jj303/kgvettegirl/cornonthecobfeeders.jpg


Acorns, walnuts, pecans if it has a shell they love it.
I you feed them in certain places they will go to that place each time to get fed that way you could move them off your front porch.

[WebLady]

I personally think wild animals are best admired from a far. Getting them too close to civilization is a danger to them as well as potential danger or trouble to us. They are wild and should have a healthy fear of us ... if they are not as afraid and think they can get food they will wonder out more and risk getting run over and/or causing trouble.

Maybe get some binoculars and/or a camera with a good zoom lens for bird/animal watching :)

[RosieAngel]

Haha, you want them to come to you, and we went through great measures to try to keep them away! If you dump your vegetable and fruit scraps from cooking in your backyard, they will be there to munch them, and anything else they can get into their mouths, really. :)

[He_calls_me_Angel]

Also if you do put anything out make sure you look into laws, I know in some states that are popular for hunting it's illegal to feed them certain things regardless if you are hunting or not, I can't remember for sure.... but I think my dad got in trouble by a game warden for having a... I want to say corn feeder... but I do know that deer flip for corn and persimmons (sp? I can't spell lol) but like they said above, they can get violent if they feel cornered! Aren't they pretty though!?

[ktmb34]

Theres moose here in Alaska that are civilized. We had 2 in our courtyard last night. One baby was laying on the ground next to the cement pathway and had licked the cement in a circle, licking up the salt and snow. sooo cute. heres a picture.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3204/3039870166_56deb66ba6_o.jpg

[wpv82]

cool moose!

[NOTKT]

That's really cool! I hope the animals can stay safe!

[SerendipityCrafts]

Awwwww :) How sweet.


The squirrels have been busy destroying my porch decor. Apparently they don't like pumpkin rind - because they are spitting it out to get at the inside :rofl:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3296/3036544304_c87d5185f7.jpg?v=0

I finally gave up and put the pumpkins at the back for them.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3068/3036544312_ee55f87f3a.jpg?v=0

[Scrwballsgrl]

to cute! I know what ya'll mean about wild animals, I took the dog out last night after it was dark & kept hearing something scrambling around on the barn roof. But it was too dark to see, so while I'm staring blindly into the dark at the barn trying to see whats making all the racket, off to my far left, In another dark patch of yard I hear russling around in the grass and a snort!?

The whole time the dog is just pointing & staring into the dark like she's seeing something I can't but its not a threat b/c she's not barking or growling or nothing. Anyway, so I come back inside and tell my Dad and he says "Oh, that was probably jsut a deer, I saw some out back the other day." Okay so I'm comforted about the snort, but what was that on the roof????

So when he went out later he took a light with him and what do you think it was?

Raccoons, He said there were two big fat ones running around on top of the barn:)

[SerendipityCrafts]

Okay so I'm comforted about the snort, but what was that on the roof????

I would prefer to think that it was Santa's reindeer doing a trial run :rofl:

Ironically, I was into City Hall today to pay our "welcome tax" :icon_barbar: and I mentioned seeing a deer in the woods. The surprised clerk told me that I should go see the people at the Parks and Recreation office and tell them about it.

I went over there and they were also surprised. They said that it's not like they haven't ever heard of an odd misplaced deer being found in the area, but the last time one was reported seen in the park, was during the 80's. They gave me the name and number of a citizen's group devoted to the park.

I still have no idea of how he might have got there or could leave without being smushed by traffic.

[Whitewater]

I know you're excited and it's probably cool to see a deer from afar, but trust me, DON'T attract them.

They're like mice. For every deer you see, there's ten you don't see. Deer carry diseases, encourage parasites like ticks and fleas, they WILL ruin your lawn and eat your flowers -- and say good bye to your garden! Deer are vicious when cornered or if it's mating season, they've been known to attack their own reflections in a window (and then you have a deer who's crazed with fear and pain in your house, always fun. . . ), and if your deer starts wandering out into the streets that I see are close by your house, it WILL get hit by a car eventually, and in that case, bye-bye car. Deer-car accidents are often fatal for the humans also and I wouldn't want to feel responsible for that.

If by some miracle there really is only a single deer, well . . .Once your deer figures out that your place is Deer Food Court, he'll bring his friends. And THEN you will have a problem. Our local conservation department actually has bow hunts in *urban* parks (not suburban, URBAN) now because our deer population has gotten too large. They don't allow guns for obvious reasons, but deer hunters no longer have to drive to the boondocks to hunt in my state.

This is personal experience talking. Resist the temptation to encourage Bambi!

Although I'd get your local Department of Natural Resources out (or whoever it is that tracks migratory patterns and keeps tabs on animal populations where you live) and have them trank and tag your deer. If you haven't had a deer in that park since the 80's . . . what is making him/her/them return? And is your loner actually a vanguard? Is this the beginning of an invasion?


Whitewater

[SerendipityCrafts]

Resisting the urge :)

Although I am still baffled and intrigued. I want to know more :)

The park is only 45 hectares / about 110 acres in the middle of a lawn mowing/car pooling/hockey mom/full blown suburbs.

Where the heck did he come from (the nearest real forest is miles and miles away!) and why would he come? Check it out ... this gives you a better idea of how isolated this nature park actually is.

It's the green space beside the circle -
http://www.ville.pointe-claire.qc.ca/En/services/MapBo/carte2006web.pdf

This shows all the hiking trails throughout the park. Not too much room for Bambi to hide out - kwim?

http://lh4.ggpht.com/_Z6P1kFVm1Fs/RTKwhizjABI/AAAAAAAAAQE/yFL5k0Ttv4s/IMG_2199.JPG

[MrsDM]

My parents live in the forest and feed the deer. They get big bags of corn feed and they absolutely love it (so do squirrels though)! Also, apples. Once you start putting the feed out, they will start coming at say dinner time, so if other critters are a problems, wait until an hour or so before they come so they get enough!

I don't know, I guess I was raised too much of an outdoors girl to not feed the animals!

[SerendipityCrafts]

We haven't seen the deer since I first posted and judging from what we have been told, I am thinking we aren't likely to see another one for ohhhhhhh about 20 years.

But ................ I do have other wild life. My birdies!!!

Mr. Cardinal
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3223/3096506726_7d4f149950.jpg?v=1228858078

Mrs. Cardinal (and chickadee)
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3182/3096506720_048df3b5ae.jpg?v=0

and Woody Woodpecker (in the pic he might be small but he's really big when compared to the suet feeder that he's feeding from)

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3093/3096506736_afbaf289d4.jpg?v=0

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3005/3096506730_59e54ac707.jpg?v=0

[WebLady]

ooh, I love the bird pics :D

[SerendipityCrafts]

ooh, I love the bird pics :D

I love the bird watching while I am painting LOL

I took lots of pics through the window but the trouble is, by the time I get the camera outside, they are gone LOL

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3100/3096495580_9e7238e82c.jpg?v=0

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3182/3096495586_ca733d919d.jpg?v=0

[WebLady]

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3182/3096495586_ca733d919d.jpg?v=0Oh I love the little chickadee!

[Kirby]

What a gorgeous yard and perfect location! I am jealous!

[SerendipityCrafts]

What a gorgeous yard and perfect location! I am jealous!

Right place, right time??? - I don't know but we feel that we lucked out. :)

I believe I am turning into the crazy bird lady :rofl:

[Jacklynn]

Nice bird viewing spot!