Missy, a Black Tail Deer, brought by her baby for a visit yesterday. The kid was all legs and just a few days old. (Photo by Peggy Mekemson.)
I had intended to put up a blog on Big Sur today, but then one of the does that hangs out on our property decided to bring by her fawn for a visit yesterday evening. It was just too cute to ignore and Peggy quickly grabbed her camera. So Big Sur can wait until later in the week! I’ve also taken several photos of the local deer herd over the past few weeks and one very bad squirrel, so I am adding them to the post. It has been a while since I’ve featured anything on the zoo we normally call our yard. Enjoy…
Missy and her baby. The kid’s older sister was there too and joined in the grooming, which is something I hadn’t seen before. Normally does drive off their kids from the previous year when they have a new baby. (Photo by Peggy Mekemson.)
Wait up Mom! (Photo by Peggy Mekemson.)
Our five acres on the Upper Applegate River in Southern Oregon at times resembles a zoo as I’ve already noted. A deer herd, foxes, coyotes, skunks, raccoons, possums and squirrels make their home here. Earlier this week, our neighbor reported that a momma bear with two cubs was making the rounds. We quickly put bungee cords on our garbage cans!
My writing chair looks out on our backyard, which can be hazardous to the writing process. I glanced out the window the other day and a whole herd of deer had settled in for a nap.
We call this guy Little Buck. I think he is commenting on the lack of apples. He’s another of Missy’s children. Actually, he was born two years ago. Missy had driven him and his sister off last year when she had a fawn. When the fawn had an unfortunate encounter with a car, Missy re-adopted her children.
Another shot of Little Buck. His antlers are still in velvet. Bucks lose their velvet in late summer in preparation for mating season debates over who gets the girl. Little Buck will likely be a spike with no points on his antlers this year, which will leave him out of the competition.
This fellow is obviously on his way to becoming at least a ‘forked horn’ with two points. The bucks usually join together in a guys’ club until mating season. Little Buck, who is something of a momma’s boy, still hangs out with Missy and his sister.
I took this photo of Missy in our backyard a few weeks ago before she had her fawn. She is maybe 15 feet away from where I write and often keeps me company along with Little Buck and Sis.
There are lots of gray squirrels who live up in the trees and ground squirrels who live in burrows on our property. And they all love birdseed! If you accuse them of stealing it, however, they all deny they have been anywhere near the bird feeder. They claim things like executive privilege, or say they can’t remember, or plead the fifth, or argue that the information is classified. I have a T-shirt I like to wear that reflects their behavior.
Birdseed? What birdseed?
A close-up. The cheeks are an absolute give-away.
Three days ago I caught a culprit with the goods up on the railing of our deck. He still denied any knowledge of bird seed even though sunflower seed shells were scattered all over the railing. When I pointed this out to him, he, um… well, wait and see for yourself.
I looked out our bedroom window and spotted a ground squirrel eating what looked a lot like bird seed.
When I pointed out that he was surrounded by empty sunflower seed shells he claimed they proved nothing.
When I suggested he was lying, he spit out a shell and gave me an internationally recognized salute! Check out his right paw.
Just in case I didn’t get it!
That’s it for today. (grin) On Friday, I’ll be back with the post on Big Sur.
Wandering through Time and Place 
I can see why Missy brought her fawn over for you to see. When you’re out writing and she comes to visit, do you talk to her?
Love the 3 squirrels, Curt!!
The deer and I are always having conversations, G. Peggy talks to them too, especially when they are eating her plants! Glad you enjoyed the squirrel. He was pretty funny. –Curt
My husband has been battling squirrels over birdseed too. He put up a bird feeder, and the squirrels were 4-0 for a while. But by placing the baffle up really high, my husband finally got a win. 😄 But it’s not very aesthetically pleasing!
I have a bird feeder that the squirrels can’t get into, Carrie, but some of our small birds are such sloppy eaters that they drop as many seeds as they eat. Often there is more action on the ground than in the feeder! 🙂 Congratulations to your husband! –Curt
Ha, true, we still see the squirrels scurrying around on the ground for leftovers.
OK, Curt – I’m super busy today and was going to forgo any blog reading, but the word “fawn” jumped out at me from my inbox, and I bit! The beautiful deer and those cheeky squirrels (haha, in both ways) brought big smiles; I’m glad I stopped to enjoy the fauna in your yard for a few minutes! I know they can be pests (at least at our mountain house), but deer are just so precious – I love them. Thanks!
Glad to bring a smile, Lexi. I was enjoying the show and decided it needed to be shared. I have far more shots of animals around here than I ever could post! –Curt
Squirrels and chipmunks are sneaky thieves when it comes to birdseed.
That they are, Lulu. 🙂
Smiled the whole way through. Too cute to ignore is right, including the squirrel and his “salute”. The opening photo is a beauty. It really is a zoo at your place isn’t it?
Alison
Yes it is Alison, except we are the ones ‘caged’ up while the animals run free! 🙂 –Curt
No Squirrels in Australia as yet. Plenty of rabbits, possums and foxes. It must be nice to watch the family of deer lounging around.
Always fun, Gerard. At least once a day, Peggy and I stop whatever we are doing to check out the antics of our wild companions. –Curt
So funny! Love the squirrel’s finger paired with your very timely commentary. A lot of things are a zoo these days — not just your yard! It’s enough to make you say, “Oh deer!” Great photos!
“A lot of things are a zoo these days.” One more reason why it is fun to escape back to nature’s zoo for a few moments of humor and sanity! 🙂 Thanks. –Curt
Mel’s uncle in NJ used to have deers coming into his yard which was a patch of forests. The fawn that follows mom are soo cute! And the squirrels, they always seem to be playing catch me if you can around the trunks of the trees!
Endless entertainment, Suan! –Curt
Yep. Better than the movies these days…pity they can’t “transform” LOL
Love the Tee Shirt Curt. No deed or fawns for me, they can’t open the gate but plenty of fox cubs every night!
Fox cubs, what a delight Andrew. I’d be out at night trying to photograph them. 🙂 As for the deer around here, if your fence is under 6 feet, you are fair game for everyone except the fawns! –Curt
Oh my gosh they ARE cute. You are so lucky to have such wonderful wildlife visitors to entertain you and grace you with their presence. I love the photo of
Missy on your patio and Little Bucks antlers.
Your shirt and the squirrel are both too funny!!
Peta
It’s never dull around here, Peta. The deer actually walk around the house and stare in our windows. They seem to be as curious about us as we are about them. And the squirrels and their antics are always good for a laugh. Thanks. –Curt
Oh I loved this post Curt. You are so so lucky to see the deer this way. Seeing the photos of the fawn made my day. Thanks for sharing.
You are very welcome, Sylvia. Peggy and I wake up every morning realizing just how lucky we are. 🙂 –Curt
Enjoyed the photos! Cody said, “See, they do have pets!”
Tell Cody he is an observant young man, Tasha. 🙂 –Curt
I have never seen a fawn (other than the pictures🙂), this is soo cute, looking straight into Peggy’s camera.. Great shots! As for bungee cords.. aren’t other animals going through your cans?.. We put bungee cords here in Toronto on all garbage bins.. not for bears LOL .. but for raccoons, they are so smart..
Hi, Christie. Raccoons can be a royal pain! 🙂 They live down in our canyon but have never got in the habit of raiding our garbage can. Knock on wood! Bears only seem to bother us a few times a year, for which we are grateful! Fawns are around every year at this time. As the does have become more accepting of us, they’ve tended to bring their babies around more frequently. –Curt
Such a joy to witness. Something about these sweet young animals that melts the heart.
It was our first fawn of the season, Sue, and Peggy and I were enthralled. We watched it until Mom took it back into the canyon where she hides the baby. –Curt
What amazing pictures! Love the picture of Little buck where he is shouting at you. The little squirell doesn’t look particularly happy in the last picture. Maybe you disturbed his meal. Keep up the great work 🙂
I think the little squirrel didn’t like me questioning his veracity. (Laughing.) Thanks. I have a lot of fun blogging about the animals around our house on occasion. –Curt
Oh this baby fawn is too adorable. You and Peggy are so fortunate to get to see so many wild animals near your home. And the squirrel is too funny. That’s quite amazing to be able to shoot these portraits so close to the animals.
Glad these creatures won over Big Sur 🙂
The animals accept us as part of the environment, Evelyne, and as a source of food. For the most part, they are more than willing to hang out while we go about doing our chores. 🙂 –Curt
I always enjoy your animal posts, Curt — especially if a squirrel is involved. But, yes: the deer are delightful, and I don’t think there’s a person alive who doesn’t respond to a fawn. If there is, they’re probably the ones hunkered over their “device,’ hammering out well-informed and cogent commentary on Twitter or Facebook. 🙂
I think I remember that shirt. It’s such a fun one: a perfect take on the three monkeys my grandmother had on her knick-knack shelf.
The squirrels are true characters when it comes to stealing sun flower seeds. And the fawn has a guaranteed, ah-factor. The squirrel T-shirt is a take off on the monkeys for sure, Linda!
Agree on the nose buried in the smart phone… but I suspect even they would take a break for the fawn. –Curt
Gosh, how sweet! Cuteness overload! 🙂
Doesn’t get much cuter. 🙂
🙂 🙂
They all sure make themselves jolly comfortable chez vous! Hardly under the thumb at all 😀
That they do AC. Sometimes there is a question over who owns the place. The animals or us. 🙂 –Curt
Surely you know the answer to that!
I almost died laughing at the squirrels reaction. I read ALL of you deer presentations and I love em, and that they are REALLY funny too! I hope you continue to make more of these! (did you name the squirrel?)
Always have more animal posts coming depending on what the animals are up to. They should bringing their fawns by in the next few weeks. As for the squirrels, those guys are really hard to tell apart. 🙂 Thanks. Really glad you enjoy our little animal kingdom. –Curt