Chapter 6 1996
It wasn't until 1996 that I began jotting down notes about the deer and other wildlife. I made notes in a daily planner kept in a convenient spot to remind me to do so. I often refer back to these notes just to compare the timing of certain events such as the rutt and the loss of antlers and the regrowth of new ones. Daily sightings of all the deer were noted. Birds and other wildlife were rather loosely tracked.
On Monday Feb. 12, 1996 at about 5:30 PM Biggie dropped both antlers at the same time, and I missed seeing it by seconds. Apparently this, at least to an aging buck, was a very traumatic event. He almost immediately went into a shock like state. His eyes glazed, he shivered uncontrollably, and his gums and tongue became almost white. I offered some apple chunks which he immediately took, even though he was shaking so badly I thought he might feel too poorly to consume. Within a minute or two he was coming out of shock. Apparently the sugars in the apples helped speed his recovery. I like to think that anyway. Lillie Boy was with Biggie when this all happened, and he still had his antlers. Lilly didn't try to snag apples, apparently sensing that the timing wasn't good.
A week later Lilly had lost one of his antlers. Pretty Boy showed up with a foot injury of some sort, but he didn't stick around long enough for me to determine what the problem was.
During the first week of March we noted that the house finches were beginning to nest. The Townsend Solitare and Stellars Jays are still here, along with the usual assortment of Robins and Downy Woodpeckers. On March 2nd Pretty Boy showed up with less of a limp and a doe in tow. We don't often see the Bucks and Does traveling together.
Thursday, March 14, 1996 while sharing apples with Biggie, the first Hummingbird of the season appeared. It's always a joyous occasion for us when the Hummingbirds appear. The Broadtails show up first, then the Rufus' and later the Calliope. There are probably others but those are the easiest for me to identify. The Townsend Solitare disappears within a week or two. By the 25th of March Biggie's antlers are about 4 inches long already. They are fuzzy with velvet and very warm, being rich with blood supply.
Occasionally, a Buck would accidentally gouge a spot on a soft new antler, and it seemed like it would never stop bleeding. Also causing further bleeding were the Magpies which always spend a lot of time hanging around the deer, picking off engorged tics and insects, as well as scabbed over areas. The deer mostly appeared to enjoy the Magpies and their grooming efforts, but occasionally they would tire of them and would shake them off. The Magpies don't give up easily they won't leave until they are ready to. It was not unusual to witness the birds riding along wherever the deer went. For the most part the Magpie-Deer relationship seemed to be a symbiotic one.
April 14, 1996; Biggie hung around all day and Pretty Boy spent a good part of the day here. Such a handsome fellow that Pretty Boy. There were no physical similarities to Biggie, so I doubted that they were from the same lineage. I suspected that from the way Pretty Boy carried himself, he would become the dominant buck soon.
By early May more humming birds were showing up, as well as yellow-rumped warblers, and a Blue Heron or two flying by almost daily. Even some Northern Orioles are passing through, but we have them around for a couple of enjoyable weeks. Goldfinches and Siskins abound and we are privileged to enjoy the soarings of a golden eagle or two. Big Boy's visits begin decreasing in frequency. I note that on May 22, Big Boy was frightened off by the power mower. Little did I know how unafraid he would become later on. On June 7 I noted that Biggie had an injured leg, but I neglected to mention which leg or how severe the injury was. We didn't see Biggie much again until July 2, 1996 when he hung around all day. No mention of his injury. Several smaller bucks are now appearing. That would be Biggie's last visit until December. July 2nd I note that a Doe has been hanging around frequently and that on this day she brought her twin fawns with her. They didn't look much more than a month or two old. I resist the temptation to get close to them, but they somehow know that I am not a threat and that they are safe in my yard. About six weeks later the same Doe and twins visit, this time with another Doe and her single fawn.
By late September we have Ruby Crowned Kinglets, a Western Tanager or two, Nuthatches, Grossbeaks, Cedar Waxwings, Siskins and probably dozens of other species. The Hummingbirds are beginning to trek Southward, but we still have some stragglers. We are always saddened when the hummingbirds are gone. We never tire of their antics. Many Robins and House Finches remain here for the winter. October 10 was a "wildlife" day. We had about 8 Doe and fawns, a Stellar's Jay, A Yellow Bellied Sap Sucker (never had one of those before) a ton of Robins and a Grey squirrel that we also had not seen before or since.
December 3, 1996 Biggie is back, so I assume the rutt is over, or nearly so. I note that his knee is looking worse and that he limps a bit, but that he otherwise looks good and is sporting a huge rack. He responds to me right away and doesn't seem to need to get to know me again. He hung around all day and left later when he followed a Doe out of the yard. I guess the "season" wasn't quite over after all. Biggie makes frequent visits now, staying all or part of many days. On the 17th of December Lillie Boy returns, so I am assuming, again, that rutting season is over. On December 25 I describe some 12 or more engorged ticks releasing their hold on Biggie and dropping to the ground. I would usually smash them, but if the Magpies were around I would let them feast on them. On that same day I also note that there is still a Honeysuckle in bloom, in spite of recent sub-zero temperatures. I am in awe as the magic of this place makes a visible statement once again.
Chapter 7 1997
Here we are in 1997 and Biggie is here much of the time now, 23 days for the month of January. Lillie Boy accompanies Biggie 11 of those days. On the 28th I experience, for the first time, a behavior that I rarely see in Biggie. He was very reluctant to accept apple pieces, and although he seemed to want them, he would only sniff them, then gum them a little, and then leave them alone. I could sense a frustration that he really wanted them but he just couldn't quite take them. I wondered if the soap I had just washed my hands in was having some effect. Some soaps make effective deer repellants. But then this happened a few other times when I hadn't had any contact with soap recently enough to be suspected as the problem. Very puzzling behavior indeed, but I'm relieved that it is only temporary and brief. Even more puzzling, and yet humorous, is the fact the Biggie wouldn't allow Lillie Boy to have any apples either. I could almost hear Biggie thinking to himself, "if I'm not having any, neither is anyone else." Any time Lillie would try to approach for apples, Biggie would run him away from the "feeding zone." When Biggie was eating, he would allow Lillie to share, which in my observations is quite unusual. Normally the dominant bucks won't allow any others to invade their "feeding zone," a zone usually encompassing 2 to 4 yards within whatever the food source may be. "I guess you're going to have to find something else, Lillie," I would say. "Biggie doesn't want any and he thinks you shouldn't get any either." I spent a lot of time talking to ALL the deer, whether they could understand me or not I guess I'll never really know. I frequently sensed that there was at least a hint of understanding and sometimes even a mysterious, almost telepathic communication. I like to think they can though because many times they act like they do. An hour or two later the strange behavior was gone and feeding behaviors returns to normal.
During the first 2 weeks of January Lillie Boy is hanging around almost as frequently as Biggie. Several other bucks of various ages are also appearing often, if only briefly. There is some unspoken communication among the bucks and they all know that no harm will come to them here. On at least two occasions in the last couple of weeks Biggie has "snuck up" behind me and gently brushed his antlers against the backs of my legs. These episodes were a bit scary because I wasn't sure what Biggie was doing and I was a bit startled by these advances. Biggie's head would be tilted low to the ground, such that he would peer at me with one eye, just after brushing against my legs. With that one eye and some of the white showing it was a bit intimidating at first. I think it must have been on his third attempt that I finally understood what this ritual was to mean. I was thoroughly surprised and so very deeply honored that I had been invited to "spar" with my good friend Biggie. Words can't describe the excitement I was feeling. I knew I mustn't get careless either. My head and my heart were racing one another and I could barely compose myself. I knew that Biggie could sense the state I was in. I slowly reached for Biggie's lowered antlers and I gently took the outer most tips in my hands. His antler spread was so wide that it was a stretch for my arms to reach them both. Biggie didn't move much until I gave some signal that I was ready to spar. I know I was thinking to myself that I must be nuts…..this big boy could dispatch me in seconds….but I was so thrilled with the invitation I couldn't refuse. Besides, Biggie and I had become good enough friends and our trust in each other was solid. I had to take this chance. As Biggie raised his head I slowly pushed, pulled and twisted on his enormous antlers, trying to emulate another buck sparring with him. It was easy to tell that he was letting me control the pace and force of the match……he was essentially letting me win, if you could call it that. I could feel Biggie's submission to my unworthy sparring moves, but I could also sense the power that was available to Biggie should he wish to use it. Biggie was extremely gentle with me. This first sparring match of twisting and pushing lasted maybe 25 or 30 seconds, largely because I didn't want to push my luck and I had to stop and relish the moment. I was transported to a totally different place and I didn't think I could ever come off the high from that first sparring session. When we were through I thanked Biggie for inviting me into the brotherhood. I knew he understood as he turned and walked slowly and confidently over to one of his favorite spots, under the shade of "his" Maple tree. He took the rest of the day off. I must have worn him out with my powerful wrestling moves. And me, I was stuck in a dream state for a very long time as I pondered the whole chain of events and their special meaning. "How do you top that?" And how do you tell others what feelings you just experienced? Impossible" I thought to myself. This has to be among the rarest and most special of events between man and wild animal. We were now communicating on a new level and our relationship had been cemented forever.
All that day and into the afternoon, Biggie, Lillie and another younger buck stayed and lounged in the yard. The others watched Biggie and I interacting, and when I think back to Biggie's previously misunderstood sparring invitations, there was always at least one other buck around. I can't help wondering if that was intentional, as though some others from his herd had to be present for this initiation ritual to be valid. The excitement of the day came to an abrupt halt when a stray dog came into the yard and chased all my friends away. The deer could always escape by bounding over fences, but there was always the risk of injury from these hasty retreats. Deer run into traffic or get tangled up in fences or volley ball nets. We have seen far too many of these "injured by chase" deer. There was one incident in which a pair of German Shepards had cornered a doe in our yard. The poor thing was frozen in terror. I came to her rescue by chasing the dogs off, allowing her to escape in the opposite direction.
Another of my favorite interactions with Biggie is when, while feeding him apple pieces at the bottom of the steps from a deck, he would stretch his neck over my shoulder as I petted him. He would then rest his head on my shoulder and I could get in all the petting and hugging he had time for. Of course he had to be through eating before he partook in this activity. His antlers were so wide that he usually scraped the stair railings as he put his head on my shoulder. I had to be careful about ticks, but I rarely saw anything but engorged ticks which posed no immediate threat. These were moments of outward affection that I took advantage of as often as I could.
Feb. 1997, Biggie is here 24 of the 28 days. Lillie Boy and some other buck accompanies him on all but one of those days. Two does visit on one of the days that Biggie doesn't show up. The most memorable day of the month was the 27th when Biggie dropped both antlers at once, and nearly at my feet. I was able to observe first hand just how traumatic the antler shedding can be, at least for an older buck. Normally one antler at a time drops off and bucks can be seen sporting the remaining antler for up to several days. Biggie went into what appeared to be a state of shock almost immediately. His eyes glazed over, he began shaking and his gums and tongue became very pale.
I felt so bad for Biggie. The only thing I could think of was "apples." I cut up several apples and the instant Biggie saw those, he came right over, still shaking and shocky. Maybe the sugar in the apples helped, but whatever it was Biggie seemed to come out of the worst of his condition almost immediately. Blood oozes from the holes left where the antlers had been. The younger buck that was still in the yard knew that he now had the upper hand, and while Biggie was still not feeling well, he lowered his ears and snarled at the younger buck. Sorry Biggie, but the little guy would have none of it and he growled back at Biggie. That ended that. A personality change accompanies the antler shedding. The once dominant bucks suddenly fall into subjection to any buck still wearing his battle gear, and the shedee has to undergo a role reversal. I could sense a very real humiliated and emasculated behavior in Biggie when his symbols of "manhood" fell off. It must feel like a cruel trick of nature to be kicked off the throne so suddenly, and my heart saddened for Biggie's sudden demotion. The younger bucks seemed to delight in their newfound power, and they could be frequently seen "lording it over" their former tormentors. Oddly, Lillie Boy never seemed interested in taking advantage of the situation, even though his younger antlers always came off later than Biggie's. These pals were bonded in some special way.
Even the next day Biggie was still shaking a bit, and I am amazed at the severity of the trauma. Biggie left one or both antlers almost every year, as did Lillie and several other bucks. I think my yard has always been a shedding ground. We had a chandelier made from several of those sheddings and we installed it in the top of a 2 story, stonewalled stairway entry. What an appropriate and beautiful fixture it made.
March 3, 1997 Lillie Boy appears with one antler. Pretty Boy is now visiting on a regular basis. The March statistics show Biggie here 29 of the 31 days, Lillie 18 days, Pretty Boy 8 days and one or more others a half dozen times. By the end of March all antler shedding is done and the pecking order is back in place. Biggie seems much happier, and I do too. Neither of us enjoyed his role reversal episodes and we both felt better when things were back in their proper order.
April 97 was a very cold a snowy month, one storm dumping about 18 inches and producing temperatures in the single digits. Spring can be rough on the vegetation here too. We typically see very warm temperatures in the early spring, which coaxes vegetation to sprout leaves and flowers, only to have them frozen by an unkind cold front. This type of weather pattern is more the norm and we have to endure a lot of damage and late blooming. It is especially hard on the tender fruit trees. We feel lucky if we get a good peach crop in one out of 5 years, but when we get one they are sinfully delicious. The deer love peaches too, and we always marvel at how quickly they dispatched them. At first we thought they ate the seeds too, and we feared that they might be harmful. On closer observation we saw that they were very adept at spitting out the seeds and that the seeds were clean of any flesh. Biggie visits 26 days in April, Lillie 13 and Pretty Boy only 5. Our first hummer of the season appears on the 20th……happy day! The single most notable event involving the deer happened on the 29th. A group of 5 deer, including at least one Doe come into the yard. A younger buck (the nerve of some bucks) was growling at Biggie, whereupon Biggie stood on his haunches and boxed the young buck out of the yard. I had never seen that before. It became clear that Biggie wasn't about to be pushed around by some impudent younger buck.
May 1997 was a sparse Biggie month, being here only the first 3 days along with his sidekick Lillie Boy. Typically the bucks disappear in the spring or early summer and don't show up again until after the fall rutting season, usually late October and into December. I was never able to discover where the bucks' summer and fall territory was, but I always felt that many of them went up into the foothills about a mile west of us. May is always one of the most unpredictable weather months. On the last day we saw Biggie, it had been 70 degrees during the day, then it dipped down to a chilly 28 degrees at night. This is not exactly favorable tomato growing weather. Biggie's absence was tempered somewhat by the arrival or appearance of a wonderful and exciting variety of birds. Siskins, Housefinches and Gold Finches were plentiful. Hummingbirds were entertaining us daily. Others included the Stripe Headed Sparrow, Grossbeaks, Crossbills, Ruby Crowned Kinglets, Yellow Rumped Warblers, Rock Wrens, an Orange Oriole, a Lazuli Bunting, a Pine Grosbeak, and a Wilson's Warbler. I may have missed a few.
June 5, 1997 is slightly over a month since I last saw Biggie and he's back. He is sporting a large growth of some sort on his right ear, near the base, causing his ear to "flop". He took apples right away but he seemed a bit timid. As was the usual case, whenever Biggie had been gone for some time, he always needed a little time to warm up to the same level he was when he left. We only see Biggie 9 days during June, but I note that he doesn't seem to be feeling well and that he seems to have a cold and a lot of nasal drainage. I made a note on June 25 that I didn't expect to see Biggie again, assuming that his illness would overcome him due to his age. Pretty Boy spends a couple of days hanging out, and a Doe or 2 pass by. Several Golden Eagle sightings somehow bring comfort to us. These magnificent birds always brighten an otherwise empty day.
July through October only gives us a few deer sightings, with Pretty Boy, a few Does and fawns and one or two other small bucks. I always worry so about Biggie until he returns, and when he appears on the 27th of October he looks marvelous! What was I worried about? He may have lost a step on the youth ladder but an Alpha Buck bulked up for the rut is a thing of beauty. Big Crooked Horn has apparently taken over the top rung. A very short battle with Biggie confirmed that. Biggie quickly conceded and bolted from the yard. I felt so bad for my aging friend, and I had to remind myself that this is just a prime example of the cycle of life, though much shorter in deer terms. On October 29, Biggie lets me remove several burrs stuck in his ears. I had to pull quite hard and it must have hurt but he let me complete the job without complaining. I am amazed at how good Biggie looks compared to how bad he looked before he left. Even his bad knee looks better. And this time he didn't seem to need time to re-acquaint with me.
November 1997 yields absolutely no deer sightings. It isn't until December 3 that I see Lillie Boy and on the 6th Biggie returns. His knee seems a bit more swollen but he looks good otherwise. I note some battle scars and broken tips of antlers. Biggie and Lillie are both here together the rest of the month with Pretty Boy making visits on 13 days. Biggie's ear problem is still with him, as is his congestion. Who would have thought that deer would suffer from colds just like humans? On the 28th three "new" bucks enter the yard. Biggie and Pretty Boy team up and run two of them off, while allowing the third to stay. I wonder what criteria they use to determine who stays and who leaves, but there was apparently no doubt in "their" minds. It also remains a mystery what determines which bucks team up, but there almost always seems to be a "pairing".
Chapter 8 1998
The statistics for the month of January; Biggie visits all but 2 days, Lillie actually shows up all but one day and Pretty Boy 16 days. Prince makes only two brief appearances. With Biggie's advancing years it becomes clear that either Pretty Boy or Prince will become, or already has become the new Alpha Buck. I guess that Pretty Boy has assumed Biggie's territory, although Big Crooked Horn may also be battling for the top position. I just don't see Big Crooked Horn as often as Pretty Boy. I note that on the 11th Biggie was in a playful mood and we engaged in a little sparring session. I never can get over the feelings that I experience during these sessions. They somehow feel surreal. Biggie, of course, lets me win as usual, but I always get a sense of the "raw power" contained in Biggie's gentle but strong body. I am very aware of the risks involved, yet I never feel the least bit threatened and we always have a good time. As usual, I thank Biggie for the privilege. The only other noteworthy sighting was on the 29th, when a young buck with a single antler and one hind leg missing from below the knee joint came by. His missing antler wasn't because he had just shed it since there was no hole from where it should have been. After a few calls to local wildlife officials I was able to determine that his antler had been surgically removed after he had become seriously entangled in a volleyball net and had actually torn open his skull. I was amazed that such heroics would be performed for a wild animal. As far as the missing leg, they knew nothing about that, having released him with all four legs in tact. We knew we were talking about the same deer because he had two white tags, one in each ear, with the number 7 on each tag. Two tags meant he had been darted twice, and the white color meant he was tagged by the local "open space" department. "Tripod" as we appropriately named him, actually held his own quite well while sparring with another buck during his brief visit. Sadly we have never seen Tripod again.
February 1998
There was only one day during the month that we didn't see Biggie. His pal Lillie also only missed one day, but that was a different day. Pretty Boy only missed 3 days. On the 11th Biggie appeared with one antler gone, and soon after he dropped the second in the yard. I always felt so sad when those beautiful antlers came off. The effect it had on Biggie was always so traumatic. Biggie acted embarrassed and ashamed, not to mention the shock-like state he always went into. To me this always seemed like a cruel trick of nature. I wondered how these creatures were supposed to defend themselves without their battle gear, but they seemed to manage. Of course Biggie always had to go through the additional torment from the younger bucks who still had their antlers. I was sure that they took special delight in "getting even" with their elder leader, but it never amounted to much more than a gentle harassment. Just 3 days later Lillie has lost one of his antlers, and 2 days after that the other one is gone. We never found either one. Oddly Lillie's behavior was not as affected as Biggie's was. He never seemed to get shocky, and he never seemed to be embarrassed or humiliated by his losses. I wondered if it had something to do with one's status. The higher up in the order, the more traumatic the loss.
March 1998
It wasn't until March 2nd that Pretty Boy dropped his antlers. He showed up with only one and promptly dropped the other. We found both in the outer reaches of the yard and they were quite thick and heavy, weighing in at 6 pounds. We see Biggie all but one day, Lillie the same but on different days, and Pretty Boy has become regular as well, only missing 3 days this month. Biggie is having trouble with a cyst at the base of one of his ears, causing the ear to flop and not able to stand at attention. Late in the month he also has a cyst on his upper lip on the side. These things don't seem to bother him too much, although he does try to shake his ears to rid himself of the annoyance. The lip cysts eventually burst and heal over, but they must cause at least some discomfort. I suspect that these lumps appear only on the older deer, not having seen such things on any of the younger ones.
April 1998
April is always a turbulent month here. Spring tries to take over but winter doesn't want to relinquish its hold, and we have some of our deepest snowstorms, interspersed with warm, sunny days. Golden eagles are now making daily flybys and it always excites us and somehow foretells of good things to come. There are only about 2 days in this month that we don't see Biggie or his pals. It is always such a comfort to look out into the yard and see Biggie and friends. And of course we always worry needlessly when we don't see them. I can't count how many times a day we look for them, but it is many. It's like constantly checking up on a pet. We are always comforted by their presence and concerned during their absences.
Biggie is here 24 days, Lillie 18 days and Pretty Boy 19 days. The absences were for 2 to 3 days in a row, but this seems quite typical. Deer by instinct, keep moving to avoid predators. The city deer maintain that instinct even though they don't have the usual threat of predators that they do in the more remote wild.
Golden Eagles are appearing by the middle of the first week. It is always such an awe-inspiring
sight to see them fly by or, in many cases, spiraling vertically out of view on thermals. Such magnificent birds, and being privileged to view them in flight at close range is always a special treat for us.
The hummingbirds begin making their appearances towards the end of the month. These bold little wonders of nature always brighten our days with their happy antics. We miss them very much when they are gone. Pine Siskins and Stripe headed Sparrows are also here.
We had only a couple of snow storms, the deepest being about 7 inches which is not normal for this region. We typically get our heaviest snows in March and April.
May 1998
We take a few days off this month, to visit Zion national Park. This is the first vacation we had taken in many years. A friend "house sits" and records deer information for us while we are gone. We were totally absorbed with the sights of Zion, but we were glad to get back and see how our "friends" were doing.
Biggie was only here 15 days this month and I note that his ear cyst is bothering him again. Lillie has left for his summer territory because we didn't see him at all. This is pretty much typical. We see Pretty Boy 3 days and Prince makes a one-time appearance. For the second year in a row a male House Finch with one leg shows up. Poor little guy, he has such a hard time balancing on the bird baths and feeders, but he seems to manage.
A rare sighting of an Indigo Bunting on the 14th has us excited. Gold Finches and Siskins abound and the Cottonwood trees are filling the air with their annoying cottony seeds.
June 1998
Biggie is here only the first 3 days of the month. I can't help but wonder whether I will ever see him again. His advancing years, old injuries and assorted other health problems must be taking a toll. I try to prepare myself by admitting that this can't last forever and the chances of his returning each year are slim. We see a Doe and other assorted bucks on 4 occasions. A young buck who we named "Little Crooked Horn" for obvious reasons, is seen a couple of times. Even Pretty boy makes a brief visit on the 18th. We now have a chipmunk living in one of the crevices on the old stone walls. He is a rare treat indeed. Usually chipmunks are only seen in the foothills and higher elevations, not in the city.
Blue Herons are making daily flybys. Mourning Doves are hanging around and we spot what we think is a Lazuli's Bunting, which would be rare indeed for this area.
July 1998
It seems like we see a whole different herd of deer in the summer months. Its as though they swap territories for the season. But their visits are much more transitory and we don't get as well acquainted as we do with the winter herd. And many sightings are just once or twice and we never see them again. Perhaps they are just passing through on the way to their "summer territory."
We see Prince a couple of times and "Little Crooked Horn" is here again, but so is "Big Crooked Horn" on one sighting. A Doe and her twin fawns visit. We think she is our friend "Poofy Eyes" because she has twins every year, but we didn't get a close enough look to be sure. As tempting as it may be, we try to avoid close contact with the fawns. I have seen an angry Doe defend her young from dogs and Coyotes. She is all business.
August-September 1998
These 2 months are without our best deer friends. Several appearances by Big Crooked Horn, Little Crooked Horn, a few other young bucks, and an occasional Doe. Poofy Eyes and her new set of twins make numerous visits, but they are always fairly short in duration. We ultimately spend much time watching the fawns run and play. Frequently a neighborhood cat enters into the play scene and this results in entertainment that can't be beat. Momma deer is always vigilant, but she allows her youngsters to play to their hearts content as long as they remain in view.
The hummingbirds are thickest during these 2 months, so between them and the twins we are provided with almost non-stop entertainment. We spot and identify a rare bird, a female stripe headed Tanager, on the 18th through the 20th of August, then she is gone.
October 1998
Biggie reappears on the 26th day. His bad leg is bothering him and it looks bent at a steeper angle than when we last saw him. Otherwise he looks very good. Big Crooked Horn is also here, and he obviously wants to take on Biggie. Biggie is not interested in a battle and seems only to want rest.
Big Crooked Horn is not about to let Biggie rest and a very brief but very intense battle ensues. Biggie throws in the towel very quickly, and makes a hasty exit. His age is catching up to him and he is no longer the most feared member of the herd. We don't see any deer the rest of the month.
November 1998
Biggie is "home" on the first day and we are relieved to see that even though he may lose the battles now, he still considers this neighborhood his home. Biggie shows up again on the 5th for some apples and some petting. Some of the most tender moments with Biggie are just after he has had a few apples. As I sit on the bottom step of the stairs leading to the yard and with Biggie as close to me as he can get facing me, he will stretch out his neck and rest his head on my shoulder while I stroke his powerful neck. These loving moments last an all to short minute or so, because other noises and movements from other creatures such as birds or other deer, always seem to distract Biggie. We do this quite often and Biggie will frequently lick my arm or my pants, sometimes even tugging at a fold in my pants or my shirt. It's little displays of affection like these that make our bond so special. I can always feel a special love from Biggie, yet I would never have guessed that for our short time together our bond could have deepened so.
On the 11th Biggie shows up with a big wad of burrs fixed tightly on the inside of one of his ears. These burrs are causing noticeable discomfort, so I attempt to remove them. My first try is unsuccessful because the burrs are so tightly entangled and I wonder if I might cause more pain by trying to remove them. But Biggie seems to be letting me know that he wants them out regardless of the pain, so I go at it again. This time the hair tearing sound probably bothers me more than it does Biggie, but I manage to get the biggest clump pulled out. Biggie felt some pain but he didn't leave, so I finished the job and got several licks of appreciation. I couldn't believe what he just let me do. "Glad to help old buddy" I said while receiving my wet reward. I cherished these special moments, moments, which leave me feeling so unbelievably close to my deer friends.
Pretty Boy makes a couple of appearances, although very brief. I don't see Biggie again until the 30th and he shows up in need of help again. It seems he managed to get tangled up with a volleyball net for yet a second time. A major portion of the net was tightly tangled in his right antler and it took several minutes untangle it. Biggie was very comfortable letting me rid him of this encumbrance and once again he showed his gratitude by licking my arm as I scratched his chin. I lowered my face close to his and got several deer kisses as well. "Biggie," I said, "what would you do without me?" If Biggie could speak he would most likely have said something like "it's your job…….it's what you do," with a big grin on his face. Even though he spoke no words, I could always sense that I was being spoken to. We both knew the language.
December 1998
After rescuing Biggie from his latest predicament, I don't see him again until the 4th of December. Then on the 5th Biggie and Lillie Boy have hooked back up. These two have formed a special bond and they are almost always together. Biggie's visits increase to 22 days this month, and Lillie's are the same. Another young buck makes several appearances and he has a white tag with the black number 18 on it. One of his antlers is also crooked. Big Crooked Horn shows up on the 18th and he is huge. Big Crooked Horn makes 4 visits and Pretty Boy also appears 3 times. On more than one occasion there are 4 or 5 bucks in the yard at one time and they all seem to get along rather well now that their interest in the "ladies" has subsided. Sparring sessions take place frequently but they are no longer of a serious nature. They do, at times, consist of a display of dominance, however. Often we are able to hear the sparring sessions, even through closed doors and windows. Antlers clashing can be quite loud. It is fascinating to witness these sparring sessions, and how they sometimes deteriorate into something a little more serious. Its obvious that "pecking order" establishment is an important part of sparring.
Foxes are appearing regularly now and we spot an occasional coyote on its way through. The deer are not the least bit frightened by the foxes but they are on heightened alert when a coyote comes through. Coyotes won't normally attack a healthy full-grown deer, but they will go after a fawn. We have seen a Doe successfully defend her fawn from an attacking coyote, but not in out yard. We witnessed this on a local hiking trail, a trail that is discussed near the end of the book.
On the last day of December, Biggie has another cyst on his right ear, causing it to flop. These are more frequent assaults on Biggie's general health, and I know they are uncomfortable. He struggles to shake them free but to no avail. I do observe, however, that by gently rubbing these swellings, they tend to drain sooner and he seems to enjoy the massage. Anything to help a friend.