The deer often look in our windows, checking out the strange two-legged creatures who live in a cage. Or maybe they are looking for apples.
We’ve been working hard on the bike trek— me writing and you reading. It’s time for a one post quicky, one long on cute photos and short on words.
I sometimes think that Peggy and I live in a zoo, but we are the ones in the cage (house) while the animals run around free. When we returned in June from our ten-week revisit of my 10,000 mile bike trip, a herd of deer had encamped around our house. They had taken over. There was even one sleeping on the doorstep to our sunroom! Who needs a dog?
Little Buck has decided we are part of his family and comes around everyday in between grazing. Here he is resting on the door mat of our sunroom. A giraffe sculpture is off to the left.
Those of you who have been following this blog for a while know that Peggy and I live on five acres of land in southern Oregon. The Applegate River runs through the front of our property while a million acres of national forest land are out the backdoor. It’s no surprise that a number of wild animals and birds consider our property part of their territory. Foxes, coyotes, raccoons, bears, deer, and skunks wander through our yard at will. There have even been cougars and wolves spotted in the area. Bigfoot is rumored to hang out in the Red Butte Mountains you can see from our deck (grin).
The Red Butte Mountains as seen from our deck, front room and sunroom. They are 10 miles away in Northern California. Doesn’t this look like an ideal home for Big Foot?
Except for the skunk who wants to live under our house and the bear who is known to go a few rounds with our garbage can on occasion, they are all welcome. The skunk was particularly irksome when it got excited as the toilet flushed and decided to spray under the house. Then there was the time he got in a territorial battle with a raccoon in our back yard and let go. (I caught that one on my night camera.)
The bear earned a barrel of demerits when he tackled my heavy Weber Grill and tipped it over on our back porch. Our daughter, Tasha, was visiting at the time and sleeping in the bedroom next to the porch. “CURTIS!!!” she screamed. Did you hear her? I’m surprised she has been back. And we still haven’t convinced her to let the grandkids sleep outside.
The deer (along with a variety of birds including wild turkeys) are the most obvious day-time visitors. They camp out in the shade, receive regular lectures from Peggy about not eating her flowers, and try to wheedle apples out of us. Here are some shots we’ve taken in the last few weeks. Enjoy. I’ll be back with the bike trip in my next blog.
The moms have started bringing their kids by to introduce them.It is one of our favorite times of the year.
It almost seems like this doe is doing a curtsy. “Let me present my two babies.”
The fawns are so tiny at first.
This tyke has a long ways to go to grow into its legs.
“What are these two-legged creatures, Mom? I bet I can out run them.”
Mom has to work hard to get enough food to feed her babies, especially when she has twins. Here she is munching on white oak leaves in front of our house. Peggy struggles to find deer resistant plants. The deer is welcome to the leaves.
Five bucks hang out on our property. These include Big Buck seen here, a bigger buck, a forked horn, a spike and Little Buck.
He really is handsome, and seems to know it.
This forked horn’s antlers are still growing and in velvet. By September the antlers will lose their velvet and this fellow will be ready to pursue his lady-love, or, as he prefers, lady loves. The action around our place gets pretty hilarious.
Little Buck is too small to get in on the action. It isn’t that he won’t want to, but the bigger bucks will chase him away. Here he seems to be commenting on the unfairness of it all.
My last photo for the day. Little Buck looks cute in hopes of earning an apple.
47 thoughts on “We Live in a Zoo… A One Post Break from the Bike Tour”
Sue Slaght
Could they be any cuter? What a wonder it must be. The skunk scenarios not quite so great. When you see Big Foot sleeping on the mat then you know things are getting out of hand. 🙂
Curt Mekemson
When Big Foot arrives, Sue, we will invite him in for dinners. 🙂
Animalcouriers
How wonderful (well, mostly) to have such a great number of warders. Guess they might just accept that you live there too now 😉
Curt Mekemson
They do indeed, AC. 🙂 Beyond scoring the occasional apple and bird seed, they more or less go on with their normal life, providing us with hours of amusement. –Curt
ralietravels
I’ve seen other photos taken on your property but was not aware where you were. On our spring trip, we had dinner with relatives in Medford and after going to Portland drove down 101. It is such a beautiful countryside.
Curt Mekemson
Medford is our “shopping center.” We live about 30 miles southwest of the town, Ralie. I was born in Ashland but moved away when I was like three months old. My grandparents on my Mother’s side had owned a large pear orchard in Oregon. We had come through doing genealogical research when Peggy saw Jacksonville and declared that we should retire in the area. –Curt
Yvonne
Oh, thank you so much for this post. What a variety of critters you see and smell!
Curt Mekemson
Glad you enjoyed it, Yvonne. Peggy and I love watching the antics of the wild animals that consider our home their home. We’ve been lucky to see them in all phases of their lives. It is like having our own nature school. Thanks. 🙂 –Curt
Andrew Petcher
I like the dear but would be nervous about the bear. Urban foxes, Seagulls and neighbour’s cats are our visitors.
Curt Mekemson
Bears are large animals with big teeth and sharp claws, Andrew. It’s wise to be nervous about them. I’ve had numerous encounters over the years, however, and am still alive to report on them. 🙂 I’ve blogged about the time I woke up with one standing on top of me. Urban foxes (like urban coyotes) fascinate me, as do other wild animals that adapt to living in close proximity with people. –Curt
FeyGirl
What sweethearts! Since we’re in the city now, we have a crew of raccoons, possum, and of course our TNR stray / feral kitties we care for — but apparently there are some neighborhood deer in the area I’m not aware of, even here! But when we find a place… Eeks! My guy already sees the swarm and knows it will just be quadruple-fold. 🙂 I love your wildlife angels, though! The skunk has me intrigued…. I know they only go stinky when really, REALLY threatened (as in, they give 2-3 other warnings), so hopefully you’ve all been nice and non-smelly!
Curt Mekemson
Laughing about your guy and his resignation/awareness that lots of wildlife goes along with the territory of associating with you FeyGirl. 🙂
I know that skunks need to be irked or surprised to let go. I enjoy having them around (for the most part). I’ve been in a couple of situations over the years when they have been standing on their front legs with tail and blunderbuss pointed at me. Fortunately they never let go. I froze and eventually they returned to all fours and waddled off. –Curt
Holistic Wayfarer
The animals that come to your door! They sense the love inside. =) Those are some amazing cumulus clouds.
Curt Mekemson
Or, they at least know a soft-touch, D. The clouds over the Red Buttes often put on a show, although it usually isn’t that spectacular. Mainly it is in looking like something: a dog, a dragons, a fish, a pelican and whatever else my imagination can come up with. 🙂 –Curt
shoreacres
I’d put out apples for Bigfoot if it would let me live in a place like that. It’s just wonderful. There’s nothing more appealing than deer, and that one curled up at your door is just the best. What a world. Thanks for the photos — well worth breaking the narrative.
Curt Mekemson
I thought my blog followers, not to mention me, deserved a short break, Linda. And it is fun to catch the deer in real time as opposed to blog time, i.e. when I can get around to it. We realize how very fortunate we are to be living where we do. Peggy and I spent a whole year looking for our “ideal” location in southern Oregon that was also affordable. And that was after we spent two years wandering around the country to choose an area. 🙂 –Curt
Alison and Don
What a sweet place to live, but I too could do without the bears and skunk. Deer are really cute though 🙂
Alison
Curt Mekemson
The skunk really isn’t bad as long as it behaves itself, Alison. The bear usually only comes by for one reason. Food is short up on the mountain and it is interested in varying its diet. I always do what I can to chase it off, including moving the garbage to our shed. As for the deer, we’ve planted deer “resistant” plants. The degree of resistance varies depending on the hunger. We’ve fenced in our garden and some native shrubs we to avoid becoming deer food. –Curt
susan@onesmallwalk
I would be storing up the apples and giving them away generously. I suppose that would be a bad idea….????
Curt Mekemson
Right, Susan! 🙂 The deer would gladly substitute apples for their natural diet of leaves, grass, moss, acorns, etc. They’re voracious eaters. Plus they would tell all of their brothers, sisters, moms, dads, grandparents, children and first, second, third, fourth, and with cousins. Still, they mange to wheedle a couple of apples a day. I think the moms have figured out they are more likely to get an apple if they bring their fawns around. –Curt
susan@onesmallwalk
What civilized and intelligent deer you have at your place!
Curt Mekemson
🙂 And always hungry…
Annika Perry
Ahh…these are so cute! 😀😃 Lovely to hear about your home and all your friends there – not too sure about having a skunk nearby though!
Curt Mekemson
Skunks are really rather peaceable given a chance, Annika. 🙂 They just don’t like being threatened or surprised. I have a theory that their defenses makes them feel invulnerable, however. Otherwise, why would so many get run over? 🙂 –Curt
The Wild Wayfarer
That is absolutely beautiful! Where I live the most we would get is a rabbit, hedgehog or fox and even they overwhelm me! You’re very lucky to be so close to nature 🙂
Curt Mekemson
That we are. Everyday We wake up with smiles on our faces. 🙂 –Curt
Jill Barth
How incredible!
Curt Mekemson
It’s quite a lot of fun, Jill. And also educational. Thanks for commenting. –Curt
avwalters
It’s hard to enjoy the critters when they’re eating your garden. Recently I reluctantly tried a product, “Liquid Fence.” To my shock, it’s working. I understand there are home made versions–recipes on the net. I’ll probably mix up my own in the future, now that the commercial product has proved its mettle.
Curt Mekemson
I’ll check it out. Thanks. Mainly we have fenced off what the deer would like to eat and have plants in the open that they don’t like. –Curt
Mél@nie
I want them all… ❤ in the small woods, @ 5'-walk from my home… 🙂
Curt Mekemson
Smiling Melanie. It is a joy. –Curt
aruna3
Every lonely n dear dt deer as ur pet.beautiful California.now I m remembering d song of c aliforniya….
Curt Mekemson
The deer are indeed beautiful! Thanks. –Curt
aruna3
Yeah.i like d deer.welcome.dear.
aruna3
Oh .now i rememberd dt i have send u a song on Californiya sung by james blunt-stay d night.realy ur Californiya is most beautiful.
Curt Mekemson
And a very nice song it was Aruna. Thanks. –Curt
aruna3
Most welcome.dear.
aruna3
*sorry no lonely bt lovely.
Crystal M. Trulove
Aww, look at these lovelies. You know, I have to say the bucks have colouring like antelopes, don’t you think? My whitetails are a grey-brown without the lovely markings of yours. What kind are they? Apples grow wild all over this area, and deer are very happy about that. It doesn’t stop them from visiting yards to munch apples that people would otherwise claim. I’m a big softie though, and leave the lowest ones for them. I love that they feel so safe at your place. Sleeping on the mat – now that is something.
Curt Mekemson
There were seven outside this morning telling us how much they would like to share an apple. They come up to the window and look in at me as I write. Their big brown eyes are ever so hard to resist. Last year we went over to an abandoned apple orchard and gathered up some for the herd. There was more bear scat than deer cast there! Apparently deer aren’t the only ones who enjoy apple treats. The deer here are blacktail deer, Crystal. Fun how you leave the lower applies for the deer. Do they rear up on their hind legs to get the higher ones? –Curt
Crystal M. Trulove
Yes, they do get up on their hind legs to pick the apples, Curt!!
Curt Mekemson
Isn’t that fun… 🙂 Imagine if they could just learn to climb a ladder!
Crystal M. Trulove
What a bunch of beggars, too, looking in at you while you write, blinking those big eyes. I think you are a softie too.
Curt Mekemson
Definitely. 🙂 They were back tonight with three bucks: two beautiful three pointers and a forked horn. The bucks have figured out that our property is a safety zone during hunting season. –Curt
Crystal M. Trulove
For some reason, mine disappeared last November. Elk too, who had been bedding down back by the pond…disappeared in hunting season and I have not seen them since. I’m glad at least the deer came back, but I’d like the elk to come again too.
Curt Mekemson
We don’t get elk here. Wish we did. Heck, I’d settle for Bigfoot. 🙂