New critter -- love the country life.

[Zephaniah W Nash]

My dad brought an orphan home from the hayfield the other day -- all the activity and equipment ran her mother off, and with all the grass cut down and bailed, there's no way she was ever coming back. It's just lucky the hay cutter didn't hit the baby herself...

Just calling her "Baby Girl" right now, 'til something more appropriate shows up.

We're bottle-raising her (not the first time I've been through this, by any means) until she's old enough to take out on her own. Deer, unlike many wild critters, don't need to learn much of anything to survive on their own, it's all instinctual with them. Of course, though, sometimes they never really leave, so we'll just deal with that as we get to it.

It was pretty entertaining, though, seeing Beastlie the cat get used to his new room-mate...

[Red-Handed Jill]

Too cute!

The cat really looks like he doesn't know what to make of the situation.

[Cheeky Actress]

Good Heavens! You'll have your hands full.

I am sure that your house cat isn't too sure of what 'it' is that you let into her territory...but it should be interesting when they become use to each other.

Are you just raising til it if able to keep out of harms way? What do you plan to do with it when it is too big for the livingroom?

[jessie k.]

She's a beauty. Good luck!

[Zephaniah W Nash]

The cat has already pretty well calmed down about it, they'll sniff and circle each other, and he wouldn't mind a bit, if the faun didn't insist on trying to suckle his nose now and then. I'm waiting 'til he calms down enough to get that picture of 'em curled up together...

When she gets too big to live inside, she moves outside. Usually, they'll come and go once they get old enough -- right up 'til they start having their own, even then they'll still come by and check up on you...

This is the third I've had a hand in rescuing and raising, my parents another half-dozen at least.

[PyratePhil]

Awwww...cute.

They don't have a problem once they go back to the wild with the scent of Man on them? I would think that would make life complicated...

[Rumba Rue]

Awwwwwwwww how cute!

Well if they are anything like ducks, once they find a place they like, they keep coming back.

I've got to get a picture of the mallard duck that has decided to make our apartment complex pool his new venue.

[Ransom]

Living in a place where deer are very common - there was a young buck eating wild lilac just outside my kitchen window this morning — I think the fact that you care for the youngster is grand. They are just too cute - even if they do eat my roses.

[Christine]

Awww....very cute! Your cat tho isn't too sure what to think of Bambi-lol!

[Zephaniah W Nash]

Once they get old enough, they tend to go back into the wild pretty easily -- no more problem with having been around people than, say, a cow going back into a herd. They'll keep coming back to visit for years, even if only at a distance. The last we raised came back for at least two years, and would always respond to her name, but never came up close to visit after she had her own baby.

The only real danger is that they lose their fear of people, and then hunting season rolls around. Doesn't usually become a problem, because I've never seen one not stay very, very skittish around people they don't know. Plus, they've been cracking down on deer hunting hereabouts lately, shooting a doe will get you jail time, weapon and usually vehicle confiscated, so anyone who would risk it would shoot her in our backyard.

Will post some regular updates as she comes along... Expecting thunderstorms today, we'll see if she gets upset by thunder and lightning (the cat hates both).

[Red Cat Jenny]

Aww Zephaniah..how wonderful to be able to share a part of nature and to share with everbody here. I was just wondering recently how it was going with you guys. Find a house yet? Where I live we don't use pesticides and have had quail, pheasant, geese, ducks, chipmunks, squirrels, raccoons, rabbits, a huge turtle, garden snakes etc etc. It's nice to give back to nature when you can. Good for you!

[PyratePhil]

Ah, OK. I'm glad the hunters have to pay for their passions.

The first time a group of 5 deer came into the backyard in my mountain hideaway here, I almost blew a gasket! Funny thing was, I didn't see the fifth one until he was almost on top of me. I'm almost hand-feeding them at this point, but they're still a bit people-shy, probably because of the hunters a few miles over.

[Zephaniah W Nash]

No house yet -- still looking. Even had we found one already, though, there would have been no way of moving it in. Seems like the four-year drouth has decided to break in the last four months. We've barely had enough dry weather to cut a little hay, otherwise, no new critter...

I'm not against a bit of dry weather, but we'll take the rain while we can get it -- even if it looks like it may dampen the holiday weekend.

Apart from that, not too bad around here. A couple of appearances lined up, and I've been recovering from a slipped disc (but, to the good, I've been walking like Barbossa the last month or so).

[Red Cat Jenny]

Glad ye could find a bit of silver lining in that...perhaps you should immortalize yer authentic walk in video... be well! Have a great holiday !

[Zephaniah W Nash]

Sometime this week, I may even videotape sworplay along with the Barbossa-esque limping. We have to get into shape for a show later in the month...

Plus, the deer and the cat are actually starting to behave around each other:

They'll even groom each other a bit -- at least 'til the cat decides the deer is a big toy to chase about. Eventually, she'll be too big for such nonsense. Then, methinks the cat best be careful...

[capnwilliam]

My dad brought an orphan home from the hayfield the other day -- all the activity and equipment ran her mother off, and with all the grass cut down and bailed, there's no way she was ever coming back. It's just lucky the hay cutter didn't hit the baby herself...

Just calling her "Baby Girl" right now, 'til something more appropriate shows up.

How about "Spot"?

We love the outdoors critters too, even though all we have is a fenced-in back yard in New Orleans. We just set free a sparrow who had fallen into our fish pond: he wasn't hurt, just soaked, so we put him in a cage outside for an hour, so he could dry out and fly again.

Capt William