Gas Pains

Tom grew up in Milwaukee, bartended in Wauwatosa in the '70s and moved here in 1984.

Commentary, observations and musings about the outdoors, life in general and maybe Tosa politics and personalities will be the order of the day. He savors a lively debate as much as terrific cooking.

Born on the Fourth of July

Critters, Deer Biology, Family, Labrador Retrievers

Almost...

A couple of days ago the girls and I were out for a walk on the farm and the Labs stumbled upon a really humongous prize.

Tipping the scales at maybe seven pounds and only as long as the length of my forearm it wasn't precisely humongous.  Nevertheless it was a spectacular start to the day. An absolutely, brand-spanking-new, new-born deer.  As a matter of fact it hadn't even completely dried-out following its birthing.  Until now this old hunter has yet to witness as fresh a start as this,  And I have to hand it to the dogs. They demonstrated remarkable restraint and didn't disturb this new-born deer beyond giving it a cursory sniff.  They've lived-up to their training. 

Leave it!  Good dog!

It isn't unheard-of but it is a bit rarer for a whitetail deer to be born on or about the fourth of July.  And this youngster was just birthed. Unable to stand on its own it gave the Labs a couple of feeble bleats before we beat it out of Dodge.

Newborn deer are largely scent-free - affording them a mechanism of defense against predators   As evidence of this I offer up the fact that my hunting dogs spied this deer not by scent - but by visual means.  

For a spell, mama will even remain apart from the fawn's hiding place so as not to impart her scent to the newborn.

As near as I can figure if this gangly little fawn can make it for another week it stands a good chance of surviving to adulthood.

Bon chance!

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