Welcome to JOYFUL REFLECTIONS. Also welcome to MARCH!!!! My header picture this month is a photo I took of the pretty Crocus blooms in our yard... The Crocuses and Daffodils are the first signs of spring here in Tennessee. I am definitely ready for SPRING...

Thursday, October 6, 2011

Deer on Bald Knob, West VA

This is our guide.. The deer obviously know him.  He is taking them a 'goodie'!
On September 16, 2011,  George and I were in Cass, West Virginia riding an old steam engine train up to Bald Knob (elevation 4700+ feet).  IF you missed my post on this ride,  click HERE to read about it.   As I mentioned in that post,  when we got to Bald Knob,  we enjoyed watching some deer coming for some snacks...  Apparently,  they come every afternoon when the train gets there--because they know that someone will bring them some treats!  Here are my photos of the deer at Bald Knob!!!!




Mama Deer will come right up to our guide... The baby is not quite sure!!!!!





The guide walks closer to the train... Mama follows.. Baby stays behind!!!





Now --there are THREE interested deer around!!!





Looking up at us (on the train),  the deer is saying: "Anyone got any food for me?????"





Mom and Baby are leaving.. Guess they got enough to eat!!!!!





We are leaving ---but the deer is still standing there hoping for more food..  (The guide had told us to throw crackers/bread/popcorn out for them.  They got alot of snacks!!!)
This was just so neat ---watching the deer 'begging' for food...  Our guide was just marvelous.  He talked to us on a microphone the entire trip---giving us history of the area all along the way...  He'd tell us when to look a certain direction for great views... It was awesome!!!!!

IF you ever get to West Virginia,  be sure to go to Cass --and ride the train... SO much FUN!!!!!

Have a great day.
Hugs,
Betsy 

48 comments:

Ms. A said...

Awwwww, the deer are adorable!

A Brit in Tennessee said...

Wow, she really is friendly and unafraid !
Usually it's the baby that comes close, and mama stays behind urging them to stay away :)
Love your pictures, what a lovely experience.
~Jo

Carol Murdock said...

One of my favorites sites are graceful deer! XO

Dorothy said...

I just love this sort of thing, and you got such great pictures of them!!!!

Catherine said...

What a fun thing to do to be able to watch these deer! Aren't they beautiful!
xo Catherine

Anonymous said...

What an experience! The train ride and the wild life encounter must have been good fun and I believe that the journey took several hours (if I remember correctly from your last post about it), so I'm sure it was another wonderful day out.

Out on the prairie said...

Being that close is remarkable. The Black tailed were like that on Mt. Olympus in WA.

Lisa @ Two Bears Farm said...

We were amazed by the friendly deer too!

Ruth Hiebert said...

I am sure the whole trip was great,but seeing the deer that tame would be amazing,worth the trip.Hope you are having a great day.

MadSnapper said...

would love the train ride and seeing the deer

Beth said...

Hi, Betsy. That train ride looks like so much fun---I'd love to do that someday. I haven't riden a train since I was four years old and rode the train at Tweetsie! What a thrill that was to my four-year-old self. Thanks for sharing your day with us.

Karin said...

We keep saying that we really should take a train ride - I think they must be much improved from the one we had in the middle fifties, LOL!! I would love to take the tour you did! All those deer and any other wildlife - what a bonus!

Unknown said...

Just added the train to Bald Knob to our list of things to do. There's a fairly large herd of deer on our ridge because everyone knows "There ain't no deer on Pine Ridge!" They're used to seeing me sitting in my Adirondack chair out in the yard with a camera and will come within 10 yards or so because they know I'm not a threat. Any closer and I'll make a sudden move or noise to make them keep their distance, just in case someone with a rifle or bow instead of a camera decides to try their luck.

Arkansas Patti said...

Like Chip, I kind of worry about "tame" deer and the hunters.
They are such beautiful creatures. How wonderful to see them so close.

Tabor said...

I am always concerned when we feed wild animals that they will approach too closely without natural fear to protect them to either hunters or that rushing train. I hope this will not be the case for these deer.

Thoughtfully Blended Hearts said...

Awesome!!!!

TexWisGirl said...

i'm assuming these deer are in a protected area so hunters won't take advantage of their tame nature. :)

reba said...

Lovely shots. We took a ride on the Durango Train in Colorado, was so much fun. We saw some deer but not up close like that.Thanks for sharing. Have a nice day.

I Am Woody said...

Definitely something I would love to do! No matter how many times I've seen a deer, I always get excited when I spot one:)

Cheryl @ TFD said...

Hi, Betsy,
The train trip looks like a lot of fun! So hope the deer are in a no-hunting area, though.
Have a great day!

Diane AZ said...

Hi Betsy, That must have been a fun train ride. The deer look so sweet. I enjoyed your pictures. :) Have a nice day!

Diane said...

The deer shots are great Betsy. They won't let us feed the deer around here but we have them and it's hard. Nice post. Diane

Ginny Hartzler said...

Goodness, this is amazing to me, tame deer! They are just so skittish around here. Amazing pictures of this, he actually led them to the train!! Did you throw out any food? Were people even prepared with food?

Anonymous said...

Hi Betsy, Yet another great place to add to my "Must see list" here. I am amazed at the behavior of the deer - but then very trusting animals do get used to those treats. Have a super nice day!

Anonymous said...

Such wonderful wildlife! The only wildlife here in my neighborhood are the birds and the feral cats!!!

Sally Wessely said...

I loved the photos of the deer. Thanks for posting it. It awakened a sight I saw on our trip that I wanted to remember. I will have to record my memory of seeing baby run to her mother to be fed. I love when we are blessed with wildlife sightings.

HolleyGarden said...

How adorable! I wonder how many years they've been feeding the deer. That baby will be back with her babies! What a great experience.

Big Dude said...

My trip up the mountain was over 40 years ago, I believe it's time to go back with Bev this time.

Mary said...

They are beautiful...would be fun to feed them. I love seeing fawns.

happyone said...

Great shots of the deer, but I wonder how wise it is to feed them all the time though.

Lady Di Tn said...

A nice fun ride with little critters at the end to feed. Peace

imac said...

Choo choo Betsy.
Great to see the deer so friendly.

Linda@VS said...

Love the pics, Betsy, especially the bottom few where the deer were closer to you. The train ride sounds like a whole lot of fun!

Anonymous said...

Very sweet photos, Betsy.

Connie said...

What fun to see the deer come out to be fed. Nice pictures, Betsy. I love seeing deer. They are so graceful and beautiful.

Rose said...

I would love to have seen this!

Chatty Crone said...

I would like to go there and be with nature and those deer myself. Some red head ones at that. sandie

Susie Swanson said...

Wow that is amazing to see them do that. No wonder you call it Joyful Reflections.. It is a joy to visit here, Blessings, Susie

amy @ Life in Pink Hi-Tops said...

What an adventure! I can't believe that deer just came up to your guide like that--amazing!

Angela said...

We always know we are at Canaan Valley when the deer come right up to us and give us our welcome here greeting! They are so friendly hoping for a treat. The deer here around my house aren't that way at all. They will snort at you and stomp their feet if you are in their yard even though it's my yard! lol

Pat @ Mille Fiori Favoriti said...

I love train rides and seeing the countryside that way. This looked like a remarkable experience with the deer, Betsy.

mudderbear said...

You always get the best pictures.

SquirrelQueen said...

The deer are so pretty, you got some great shots of them. While it is nice to have them around it worries me that they are getting that used to humans. I am really surprised the guide encouraged everyone to feed them. That just makes them more dependent on humans and less able to fend for themselves.

Neal said...

Talking deer huh? :) They are so cute!

Linda at To Behold The Beauty said...

It's always a treat to see wildlife up close and personal. Looks like this was a fun trip. But then, I think you and George have fun whatever you're doing. :)

Lynda said...

It looks like a fun day in some beautiful weather with God's adorable animals to entertain you. We love the grace of deer but so many do not like them because they eat their gardens and flowers.

Annesphamily said...

I would love riding the train! What fun! It is gorgeous here too!

Loren said...

Aren't they just adorable!! We have had 4 baby deer. They are just the cutest things ever!! I have been amazed @ how quickly they grow.

I never tire of seeing all of them walking through our yard and it is especially wonderful when our little grand-daughter is here to see them. She just gets sooo excited!