Community Chat

[MamaWick]

We've had a lot of questions lately about the deer who visit us.  So, here is the explanation...

We live in a rural lake area in Texas Hill Country.  The lake is about 2 blocks from us, but we do not have a view of it.  

We are visited by the same group of deer every day.  The new babies grow up and stick around. We have given many of them names if they have markings we can recognize, like Alecia/Pink with the pink nose.  However since the bucks loose their antlers every spring, we can't always tell who they may have been the year before.  

Our laws state there can be no hunting unless it is on 10.1 contiguous owned acres.  Even though we are rural, no one in this area (and around most of the lake) has that amount of acreage. 

There is still a lot of building going on and the wildlife habitat is being destroyed...yes even our lot of 0.19 acres used to be habitat.  This is why we feed them. 

We researched what they can be fed and what they should not be fed.  They should NOT eat corn, although they love it and don't know better. It is hard on their digestive system and worse yet, can get stuck in their teeth causing abscesses (sometimes life threatening).  As you know, we feed them a lot of carrots, so we buy many two pound bags of mini-carrots.  As long as we can afford it, we will continue.  They can have carrots, along with tomatoes, bananas/peels, oranges/peels, apples, watermelon, bread.  

Many are very tame and will take food from our hands.  Many allow us to pet them, scratch their necks, and rub their antlers.  Many will walk right up to our back door looking for us.

New antler development in the spring goes on for several months until the bucks rub the velvet off.  The velvet is extremely vasculature and bloody.  After the velvet is rubbed off, the antlers are beautiful and rock hard.  These are the antlers they will lose in the spring, and the circle begins again.  

We know we are probably forgetting something, but will try to answer any questions you may have.  

Love,

Mama and PapaWick

[deepwaterdotter]

Thank you for taking time from your day to post this information.  I now know what to put out for the deer who pass through our wooded back yard, if the coyotes, squirrels, raccoons, and fox don't get to it first.

[2sisters]

@MamaWick  Thank you and PapaWick for taking the time to share about the deer. Both of you are so kind to feed them, I'm sure it's easy to get attached to them!  I did not realize they loose their antlers in the spring. 
They are all so beautiful and I am very thankful for you sharing them with all of us!

[spumoni99]

Thanks for the information, I had assumed there wasn't hunting in your area since the no fear of humans would endanger them.

I have raccoons that visit for cat food, one is a nursing mom I can tell by her chest. 

[PamfromCT]

@MamaWick. Bless you, Mama and Papa Wick, for taking such loving care of God's creatures.  I am glad they are not subject to hunting in your immediate area.  Where we live, the same is true.  We have quite a few bears where we live.  We are between two nature preserves, one within short walking distance.  They were bequeathed to our town by a wealthy resident many years past.

We cannot feed the bears.  In fact, because they can be destructive, we have to keep our trash secure and not feed the birds from mid-fall until sometime in the spring.  That is a town ordinance. These creatures can be tranquilized and returned to the wild if they get lost in areas such as parking lots.  In the rare occasion they break into someone's home or cause harm or threaten someone walking their pet, they become the dearly departed.

We abide by the rules and rarely see a bear.  When we can, we set up five different bird feeders on our deck and enjoy the many species of birds who show up.  Our indoor kitty Winston is constantly entertained.

[BlueFinch]

@MamaWick I hope that with more people putting up fencing, that the deer don't become blocked off from your property, or other areas of free range and grazing.

Development can be good, or bad, but inevitably the wildlife suffer. Glad to see your deer living the good life, while they still can. 

[m0rgan]

Thank you so much for the explanation.  You are so kind taking care of these beautiful creatures.  I look forward to the pictures of the deer and your sweet puppy.

[Puggywuggy]

@MamaWick Thank you and Bless you and Papa Wick for all you do to help the deer 🦌 ❤️ 🤗 & for sharing the beautiful pics and info!!

[MamaWick]

@BlueFinch. There are 2 empty lots on one side of us, owned by the same people, who say they are keeping it for green space. They also own about 4 other lots in the area and are doing the same. On the other side is an empty lot that a neighbor on the back street owns and has no plans to build for several years. He doesn't have a fence on his current house. Anyway, our deer have been known to walk up our driveway to our back yard.

[riley1]

@MamaWick - Thank you for that valuable information. When feeding wildlife, it does pay to do some research and see what they can and cannot have for health reasons.

I know I see people feeding water fowl bread all the time which is one food they should not have.