Tag Archives: deer

A Glimpse of a Legendary Creature

1 March 2012

5 Comments

The other morning, just as the sun was peeping above the horizon, I spotted  some deer strolling in my yard. It was a buck and his doe actually. Nothing special I thought, as deers abound in our neighborhood, especially around this season. In fact this week, I am seeing them almost everyday in my yard, usually in a group of two to five.

a buck and his "deerly" beloved

However, when looking closer on this buck, there was something peculiar that I detected. No it was not the glowing red butt of this supposed to be whitetail deer. That was just the reflection of the rays of the rising sun. There was something more. Do you see it?

Rudolf, the red-butt deer?

It had only one horn! Is it a nature’s accident? A genetic variation? Or most probably he just busted his one horn during a fight with another buck. Fighting for his “deerly” beloved, his beautiful doe. If push comes to shove, or more appropriately butting heads and antlers with another buck, he probably will gladly sacrifice his remaining antler for her.

one-horned or unihorn buck

Or maybe, my one-horned buck is the legendary elusive unicorn! Did I really see a unicorn? A “unihorn” at least. Will it bring me good luck? Maybe tomorrow I’ll see Bigfoot.

legendary unicorn?

Lesson From A Limping Deer

6 March 2011

Leave a comment

It was a lazy weekend afternoon. I was just relaxing sitting by the window, and my thoughts were wandering beyond the confines of my dwelling. In fact, one of my favorite form of relaxation (aside from blogging), is just staring blankly beyond the blue. It’s transcendental daydreaming.

My quiet musing was disrupted by the sight of familiar visitors intruding and frolicking in my yard. Even though I’m used to seeing deers in my lawn, something was quite different this time.

As I observed them more closely, I noticed that one of the deer was limping. I hurriedly grabbed our camera, and zoomed in to see closer.

I was surprised that one of the hind legs of the limping deer was rotated backward. It appeared that it was dislocated from the hip or fractured above the knee. (Maybe I’ll have a career in veterinary orthopedics.) Perhaps she had a close encounter with a speeding car: got mesmerized with its headlights and did not move out of the way quickly enough. But she lived and did not become a roadkill. And she had the evidence to show of that tragic encounter.

My first reaction was I felt sorry for the deer. That must be a painful experience. And perhaps more painful to struggle with everyday existence with her injury.

Deers are agile animals. They are fast runners and strong leapers. Thanks to their powerful hind legs. But with only one good hind leg, this deer was in a great disadvantage. How could she survive in this cruel world?

I thought of giving her food by bringing it out in my porch. However, something stopped me. First, I may just scare them away when they see me go out. Second, my wife would probably get mad at me, as I know she really hate those deers, for they massacre her flowers. And besides, by providing food for that deer, would I help her situation or just make it worse?

That deer did not asked for my pity. What she asked for is time and chance, to show me and the other creatures, that she is fine and that she can rise above this tragedy and survive on her own (three) feet.

How about us? Do we gripe that life is unfair and cruel? Or maybe we already had been wounded and injured. Do we give up and wallow in self-pity? Do we continue to parade our open wounds so people would show us mercy? Or do we lick our wounds and rise to the occasion and overcome the adversities that life had dealt us with?

I noticed that the deer was moving with ease and had no apparent distress despite of her injury, telling me somehow that her accident was quite a while back already. As she scurry and bounced away gracefully, albeit with a limp, somehow she showed me, that she had learned to adapt to her condition and that she had already conquered her disability. She had three good legs left, and that’s all she need to survive.

Good Morning Deer

14 February 2011

1 Comment

It was a beautiful morning. The sun was barely up, when a visitor arrived in our front yard.

Come and take a seat. You must be tired from your morning jog around the neighborhood.

Can I offer you toast and hot chocolate? How about tapsilog? The tapa is not your kind, I promise.

Oh, you prefer to read the morning paper instead. I’m sorry, but the possum under my porch borrowed it.

And off she goes.

To hunt or not to hunt

20 July 2010

Leave a comment

Growing up in Manila, I was not exposed to hunting until we moved here in Iowa. Hunting is not a part of the culture I grew up with. I was surprised how big hunting is in this part of the world. There are big stores solely dedicated in hunting equipments and everything about hunting. There is even a full TV channel, just showing all forms of hunting as sports. I guess hunting dates back to our prehistoric existence and is so primal to the survival of our specie.

who's the hunter and who's the game?

Few years ago, after we settled here in Iowa, someone invited me to go deer hunting. I hesitated. I don’t know how to shoot a gun, and definitely, I have no skill in using a bow and arrow (during archery deer seasons, guns are not allowed for hunting, only bows and arrows). I was afraid, I will shoot anything that moves and end up shooting one of my hunting partners. I think it’s too dangerous for me, besides the thrill of shooting a deer is not for me anyway. I just don’t have the heart to kill Bambi. Maybe my wife will, when those annoying deers eat her tulips and roses.

Then somebody suggested I go mushroom-hunting. Mushroom hunting??? Now, that’s new to me. Here in Iowa, hunting for morel mushroom is such a big thing. When they say ‘hunting’, I imagine chasing something. So I asked, are these fungus walking, or do they sprout so rapidly and gone the next minute? I was disappointed when I learned that they are just like ordinary mushrooms, and are not moving at all. So what’s the thrill in that? What skill do I need to hunt those mushrooms down?

morel mushrooms

First of all, they told me that I need discernment of what a morel mushroom is, as well as the skill of where to find them. And the thrill? I guess the thrill is gathering and eating the wrong type of mushroom and you end up poisoning yourself. We know that there are toxic and hallucinogenic mushrooms. That sure will bring an adrenaline rush! That’s too dangerous for me also, so I did not go mushroom-hunting too.

Maybe someday I will gather enough courage to try hunting (too chicken?), but for now, the only game that I will devour tonight will be coming from the meat and produce section of our grocery store.