Sunday Photos: Deer Season In The Texas Hill Country
It’s that time of year when bucks argue with each other over territory and drivers are on the alert for deer racing across the road.
This big guy has been through a few seasons and won his share of debates. Relaxed and comfortable with his position here, he’s a regular around our property. I took the photo nearly a month ago and I saw him again at the foot of my driveway last week.
It’s been a dry fall and we keep the water tub full for him and his friends.
Photograph something you love in a way that gives you joy, or challenges you, or wakes you up to how amazing life can be, because if you don’t feel it, not only will no one else feel it, but what’s the point? — From The Contact Sheet, October 18, 2020 by David duChemin. Subscribe at MyContactSheet.com. I highly recommend it.
First photo by Loretta Prokop.
I saw more deer along the road on my recent trip — alive and otherwise — than ever before. I found a shed antler, too, and wished I could get to it, but there was a fence preventing that. If I’d still had my squirrel, I would have made more effort, as he always appreciated a good bit of bone to gnaw on.
I was surprised that a doe I found in the middle of the road on the Willow City loop allowed me to follow her into the brush, where she proceeded to lay down just like your handsome fellow. There was a property with a rental cabin nearby, and I suspect she was accustomed to both humans and corn.
We’ve been seeing more deer on our property this year, too, both adults and fawns. It turned dry in early summer, but the winter and fall were wet with good browse. It’s my bet that the conditions helped boost the population. We have several deer that grew up on our property and have become very comfortable with our coming and going. I should say we think they are the adult versions of fawns from a few years ago – it’s really hard to identify particular deer. We don’t leave corn out but they always have plenty of water in the tubs and the yard seems to be a great browsing spot. They’re very nice to watch, but it sure limits what we think about planting.
Was your squirrel domesticated enough to be an inside companion, or was he an outside friend that became comfortable around you? I’ve heard squirrels can be good pets.
My squirrel was both inside and outside for eight years. He had a large, limb-filled aviary where he slept in a piece of trunk at night. Otherwise, he often was in the house. The stories are many and legendary. My favorite might be his installation of his personal water fountain. We couldn’t figure out why the floor around the refrigerator was becoming wet. Eventually, we realized every time the ice maker came on, he’d make for the top of the fridge. He’d chewed through the fitting for the copper water line, and every time it came on, he’d run up and get a drink.
Eventually, we had to put a keyed padlock on his inside cage; he learned how to manipulate the combination lock and let himself out.
What did I learn during those years? Don’t ever let a squirrel get into fermented mesquite beans. I wrote about that here.
That’s a wonderful story, Linda. As I was reading I began to wonder about the squirrel going through withdrawal and what squirrel DTs might look like. You answered the question before I finished my thought. And the ice maker fountain is a testament to squirrel ingenuity.
As our feral cat population drops and the last 2 from the colony are becoming senior citizens, we’ve been thinking about the day when we no longer put dry cat food on the front deck every morning. Our squirrels have become fond of it and it has fed a rapidly expanding population. I can’t see continuing to put the cat food out when the cats are gone, but we and our inside cats are enjoying watching the squirrels as they nibble along and watch us as we watch them.
In truth, the feeders outside my windows are as much for the squirrels as the birds. When I moved in here, I noticed one fox squirrel. Soon, a pair of grays showed up. Now, there are at least three fox and four grays, and I have no doubt the numbers will increase. The shelled peanuts can’t be hurting. And, yes: there are a couple of fox squirrels amost brave enough to take a shelled pecan half from my hand. Who needs television?