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...

Monday, November 18, 2013

DEER: Love 'em-Hate 'em!!!

Beautiful Mama Deer in the lot across the street
Living here in Fairfield Glade (where all critters are protected),  needless to say,  we have MANY critters around --including squirrels, chipmunks, groundhogs, skunks, raccoons, opossums,  turkeys,  DEER,  etc.... We were even told that a black bear had been spotted in the Glade last spring... We are also on the boundary of the Catoosa Wildlife Management Area ---so I'm sure there are MORE critters which we haven't seen, or don't want to KNOW that they are in the area!!!

Because we share the land with these critters,  life can get interesting sometimes for those of us who have gardens.  Many people don't realize that squirrels and chipmunks do more damage than other critters who 'nibble' on our plants/flowers.  Chipmunks dig tunnels in the flowerbeds and dig up/eat the bulbs...  Squirrels also dig holes while they bury or search for nuts... They also dig up bulbs...  I don't have a love/hate relationship with these two little critters..  To me,  it's ALL hate (no matter how 'cute' they are).  I have never taken a photo (and never will ) of either squirrels nor chipmunks...

BUT--another critter I do have a Love/Hate Relationship with for sure is the  DEER.   I love DEER.  They are SO gorgeous.  I always get excited when we see one (or more).  There are many deer in Fairfield Glade.   I LOVE seeing them as long as they 'Stay Out of our Yard'.....

Because of the large deer population here,  George and I use a spray called "Liquid Fence" (spraying it on our roses and plants).  We had tried many other options --and have found that the Liquid Fence works the best (even though we use it ALOT during the summer --and it is expensive).  It's worth all of the extra work and money to us to protect/save our roses/flowers/plants!  The Liquid Fence works about 90+% of the time --so right now,  it works for us!!!  The spray stinks for awhile --but does not hurt any critter.   The deer just don't like the smell/taste---so they won't eat the flowers/plants.

I went back in my archives searching for some of my favorite deer photos... I didn't realize that I had so many... SO--I picked out some of these fav's and am sharing them with you today.  The photos were taken during all seasons and over several years. Hope you enjoy seeing the "Deer of Fairfield Glade".    Be sure to click on the photos to enlarge them.





A very young doe ---resting near the golf course fairway in back





As Little Bambi grows---her little legs get very long!!!





Most Mama Deer have 2 little ones at a time;  This Mama has THREE little ones!!!  They are near the golf course fairway in the back.





We caught this little one (along with 3-4 others) in our yard one afternoon.  They took off once they saw us!!!  I captured a couple of good photos of this one.  Here he/she is taking off from one of our flowerbeds near the mailbox..





After leaving the flowerbed,  this pretty little doe took off prancing quickly up the street toward Mama and her brothers and sisters.  Isn't she gorgeous (or it is a he)?





We see the deer in the daytime more during the winter when they are searching for ANYTHING to eat!!!!  I do worry about them (and all critters including our birds) when it's bitter cold and snowy!





This was taken one snowy day in our front yard.  I always loved that photo.
Speaking of snow,  I am hoping that we will get a little snow this year.  We didn't get much at all last year.  BUT--I'm sure the deer and other critters would prefer the weather to stay warmer JUST for them!!!!

Hope you enjoyed seeing some of my Deer Photos.   I do love these beautiful creatures!!!!

Hope you had a good weekend.  We had storms with tons of wind yesterday --but luckily,  nothing severe here.  Today it's cold again!!!!  Have a great day.

Hugs,

50 comments:

Twilight Man said...

I love these critters in US as I don't have them here except skinny looking squirrels. The deers are really handsome animals with lovely eyes! The deers certainly reminded me of the winter days in Erie, Pennsylvania.

Linda P said...

I knew you had deer in your glade, but I didn't realise you had other creatures perhaps because you don't feature them! The deer are beautiful and I love your photos of them, especially the snowy one. Hope you and George keep warm this week!

Ann said...

I'm all for animal rights and detest cruelty to animals but an area where all critters are protected sounds to me like it could get out of control.
I love all your shots of the deer.

eileeninmd said...

Betsy, I love seeing the pretty deer too. And the spotted fawns are adorable. My dog usually spooks the deer away. Lovely visitors.

Anonymous said...

Hi Betsy, Your Deer look so cute and innocent. I love the last shot of the Deer in the snow, it would make a beautiful Christmas card.

Squirrels are the problem critters in our yard so hubby decided to relocate them to a lovely wooded area. # 19 was safely relocated yesterday :)

Hugs :)

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Tabor said...

You have a lovely collection of deer photos! We also have that love/hate relationship but we have a real fence and that helps ... for the deer ... but not for all those other chompers.

Donna said...

Deer are such beautiful creatures. Thanks for sharing all of the photos!

We have a large deer population here with woodlands in our backyard and nearby creeks. They haven't bothered anything in our yard except the bird feeders. We just make sure we don't plant anything that they want to nibble. The only thing I worry about is finding one in the road while I'm driving. I almost hit one going to work about 10 years ago. It bolted across the road, and I missed by inches.

linda m said...

Those are some beautiful pictures of your deer. We have some deer in our area but they don't bother us as much as those pesky chipmunks and squirrels. Also the rabbits this year ate all my host plants no matter what I sprayed all over them.

Shug said...

Good morning! Deer are such beautiful creatures, and I so enjoy seeing them with their spots. (Great picture)
We have had so many around here this year and let me tell you, they can sure cause some damage to a field of 10,000 apple trees that are about ready to be dug and sold! Chipmunks? they are so cute, but I'm sure they can sure bring a lot of havoc when they start messing with flower beds and bulbs. Doesn't take long to destroy what you've worked so hard on. I certainly enjoyed this post...
have a wonderful day
shug

Dorothy said...

Enjoyed you deer pictures, Betsy! Yesterday, we saw Bambi beside the road and I barely had time to get one picture and one blur!

Peaches McGinty said...

Hi Betsy!
I'm glad you are fine! the weather in the U.S.A was on our news last night, very scary.
So many critters near you, it's like a nature reserve, and the black bear eek! the pics of the deer are gorgeous, my favourite is the proud trotting deer (3 pics from the bottom) x x x

Out on the prairie said...

I have to replant most of my bulbs often. I rotate beds each year and hope to see a few I don't redo. I also plant turnips when my neighbor clear at the back of my land tills part of his field. These feed the deer far away, and are a delight all winter.

MadSnapper said...

all your deer are fantastic and i would so love to see them. i have a love/hate with the squirrels here, the possums and coons i don't love, just hate, because they tear up our fence and come in the yard through the wholes they make, but they were here first is what i say

Janice K said...

I do understand the frustration. Right now our deer seem more interested in acorns--Of course, the flowers are dead! Even the squirrels, chipmunks and raccoons have been staying off our decks--at least for now. I guess they are getting ready for winter.

Have a happy day!

Big Dude said...

Gorgeous shots Betsy. So far I really like our deer but I'm sure if they ate our stuff, that would change. I don't know if it's an abundance of other food or the several dogs that run around the area or both, but so far we've escaped their attention. With no natural predators, I do like the hunters keeping the local herd thinned out some.

Sylvia K said...

I do love your deer, Betsy! Such delightful captures!! Thanks for sharing! Hope you and George have a wonderful new week!!

Anonymous said...

Hi Betsy, When we were always home at our then little farm in Crossville (across the street from Lake Mohawk near Lake Tansi), we did not have a deer problem. When we took a vacation, we came back to a totally eaten 1/3 acre vegetable garden, eaten to the ground in a lot of cases. So, I am anti-deer but still think the deer are very cute. Have a great day!

David said...

Betsy, We do get a lot of deer in our yard, walking down our road and wandering through the woods that surround our home. We love them too and, since we're not really into gardening...perennials are our plants of choice, the deer do minimal damage to our foliage. The trouble makers are squirrels, rabbits (they love hostas), skunks (love to dig!) and an occasional possum. We don't worry about any of it too much as we figure that we're living in their woods. Take Care, Big Daddy Dave

A Brit in Tennessee said...

Beautiful deer Betsy, we love to look at them too, but I wish there was some kind of birth control the Wildlife management would use. There are many car accidents everyday ourself included, it's just a matter of being in the same place at the same time they are running across the road, especially now it is rutting season.
We have raised two sets of twins this past year, now they run wild together with their herd, I'm afraid there are just so many of them.
Thanks for the tip on the repellent, we need it ...lol

Lisa @ Two Bears Farm said...

Deer are so beautiful. I don't know how anyone can hunt them. I could never have the heart for it.

Linda at To Behold The Beauty said...

The photos are all gorgeous, but that last snowy picture is especially lovely.

Ms. A said...

Great photos! I LOVE the one in the snow!!!

My mother in law lives in a golf course community and they've been dealing with feral hogs tearing the place up. They've been trapping and relocating them.

Small City Scenes said...

We have plenty of Deer here too. We always leave plenty of apples on the trees so they have some Fall and winter food. Of course they love any new shoot on any plant in the Spring. And the garden gets a work out from them too. this past summer they learned to like tomatoes and peppers. they can be so maddening but are so lovely too.
Your pictures are great. MB

Rose said...

That last shot of the deer as it is snowing would make a beautiful Christmas card!

Liene said...

I'm with you on the squirrels ( we don't get many deer in the city)- last spring they bit the top off every little sunflower seedling that was coming up! Didn't bother to eat them, just killed every last one of them. Despite our two cats they dig up our bulbs and gnaw on our deck - pests! Lovely photographs, they remind me of when I lived in the country...

Connie said...

Great pictures, Betsy! I love the little one prancing up the road--so cute! I can understand why you would have a love/hate relationship with them though, because they can do a lot of damage. Hope you have a great day!

Arkansas Patti said...

Those pictures are worth every cent you have to pay for liquid fence. That prancing deer was my favorite.
I understand you dislike for squirrels and chipmunks. I have neither but do have cute little voles that ate me out of house and home till an owl took up residence. Bye.

From the Kitchen said...

A few summers ago, on a very hot day, a young deer walked into a corner store in Chicago's Loop and hopped into the cheese and meat color. I thought that was very cute and smart. The store owner did not.

Hope you didn't have much damage come through yesterday. We ended up just fine but many didn't.

Best,
Bonnie

Ruth Hiebert said...

Beautiful pictures of the deer. The winter one is my favourite. I do not like the squirrels,but will occasionally take a picture of one. I do have a hard time taking or keeping a picture of a House Sparrow.For some reason they annoy me,even more than the squirrels.

Terry and Linda said...

Like you say love 'em and dislike how they eat all your plants!

Linda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com

Cheryl @ TFD said...

Betsy, we have all the same critters you have, except for chipmunks, on our Back 6 and in our yard! The deer can be real pests and dangerous too as many have caused serious car wrecks. One took the life of a pastor's son on our highway just a few miles away years ago. I like watching the squirrels and have never really had then bother much.
Your photos are awesome as always!

Dr. Kathy McCoy said...

What beautiful creatures they are -- and what gorgeous pictures! I'm so glad there is such a thing as "Liquid Fence" that keeps them -- mostly -- out of your yard so you can enjoy your flowers and garden as well as the lovely deer sightings!

Rose ~ from Oz said...

They are totally gorgeous Betsy and I've always loved your DEER photos, I can't help but wonder if the authorities that be, have a management project for numbers to stay healthy. Over here we've seen hundreds of kangaroos starving to death because the do-gooders step in the way of a managed cull, they would rather watch them starve I suppose. Anyhow, I digress, the area in which you live is such a wildlife wonder - lucky girl!! But watch those darn squirrels!! :)

carolina nana said...

I like to watch the deer also but around here we have to keep an eye on our pasture fences because the deer will get caught in them and tear them down.
We only got 1/2" of rain yesterday,today was 65 sunny degrees,who knows what tomorrow will bring !!!
Blessings
Marilyn

DeniseinVA said...

Your deer photos are very special Betsy. That product sounds very interesting.

Elizabeth Edwards said...

sorry i hate them. but they keep my hubby in a job - so i love them for that reason. i prefer other wild animals .. i guess because i see deer way too often!! i have hit several over the years. ( :

love them with spots.

SquirrelQueen said...

I love all of your deer photos Betsy but the prancing girl is my favorite. We don't see a lot of deer in our neighborhood but there are many out in the fields surrounding our area.

You know I love squirrels. The ones here never bother anything (well they do tease the cats but its funny to watch). I sometimes wish they would help me dig up some bulbs especially the ones that want to grow right at the foundation of the house.

Carletta said...

You know I have them in my yard on a daily basis and are one of my favorite critters. Have to say I take as many photos of chipmunks and squirrels, but five acres affords me and them plenty of room. :)
I might feel differently if I put the work in my immediate yard that you and George do.
I saw a small fawn right before dark that was born in the spring and still looks very small. I worry that it won't make it.

Anonymous said...

Gorgeous shots - love the last one of the deer in the snow. I guess deer have got to eat too, right?

Jo said...

Betsy, how clever you are to use a harmless repellent to ward off the deer. They certainly ARE very, very pretty and cute. There are obviously no dogs in your neighborhood. They would chase / kill the deer. (Well, African dogs would...) Thanks for a beautiful post with stunning photos as usual. (((Hugs))) Jo xxx

Neal said...

You got some great shots Betsy....as usual.

Busy Bee Suz said...

Cold? Well, it's cold here too….cause our a/c is running 24/7! :)
The deer are so pretty, but I can see why you don't LOVE them to pieces. You have a gorgeous yard to protect.
XO

Anonymous said...

We have seen deer once since we moved here. Our biggest problem now is a mole. No matter how many times we "crush" his trail, he comes back!!!

Brenda Kay Ledford said...

Oh, Betsy, I absolutely love your deer photos. They are fantastic. I really like the little deer prancing up the street. It's so cute. I know what you mean about the love/hate relationship with these animals. They sure can destroy a garden and your flowers, but they are so cute and I love to watch them playing in the yard. I especially love the fawns with their lovely spots on their coats.
I hope you and your family have a wonderful Thanksgiving.

Chatty Crone said...

Betsy I totally understand - I feel the same way about those dang squirrels. They have gotten into my (protected) attic more times then I can mention!

Grandma Bonnie said...

I just love all your Deer photos. I always enjoy when deer come into our yard. We live beside a game reserve so we also have all sorts of critters hanging around. The squirrels usually leave our yard alone since we have three barn cats hanging around.

Joy said...

They are so adorable:) I am not so lucky to have them in my neighborhood:)

Kay said...

I saw you on Sally's blog and thought I'd hope over to take a peek at your Tennessee. Wow! What gorgeous photos. Deer can be a nuisance, but you've sure shown us their beauty.

Jazzmin said...

I love deer, too. They have such a sweet look about them and are so neat to see when they're prancing around in a group like mamas and babies.

I feel the same way about them in winter though- I worry about them in the cold months. Even though it doesn't snow here much, there are still freezing days.

Love that shot you caught of one prancing up the sidewalk. Don't deer have such a delicate little walk.

Hope you are having a blessed day!!