I am asked the same questions over and over by different posters, generally new to our little deer group. So, I have decided to dedicate a post to answer what everyone asks. Hopefully, whenever questions come in, we can all direct them to this INFO post.
PapaWick and I live in a semi-rural lake area in South Central Texas. Deer can NOT be hunted here because in order to hunt, one must have 10.1 contiguous undeveloped acres. No one here has this kind of acreage. It rarely snows here. Again, the deer can NOT be hunted.
I am visited this year by about the same 20-22 deer and fawns. Some of them I have given names. Buckley is the big boy with a huge rack. Mama is the one who gave birth in the undeveloped lot next to us (we have undeveloped lots on each side of us, and behind us, there are 3 houses being built). Mama has food issues and will fight the others. Tracy has a leg injury and limps. The first fawns were named Fawn du Lac (we used to live in the county next to Fond du Lac, WI), Henry Fawnda, Fawndoo, Fawndlee, and Fred. Fred is the fawn with scars on his head and neck (very well healed).
The deer who frequent our back yard have two large Rubbermaid type containers that receive fresh water a couple of times each day. We do feed them, but not every day. So if we are gone a few days, then will be fine as other neighbors also feed them. We buy "deer nutritional pellets" and also give them carrots, apples, watermelon/cantaloupe rinds, and the like. NEVER EVER CORN. A lot of people do not realize but corn is dangerous for deer. They have a multi-chambered stomach and corn can cause severe digestive issues. I have no idea why deer corn is even marketed.
One of our posters has given my group of deer the name of Pavlov's Deer. That is because I have a dinner bell on our patio that I ring when I am out there with food. They do come running. Sometimes if it is just Tracy and/or Mama around, I do not ring the bell, but feed those two because Tracy cannot move as fast as the others, and Mama has become very skinny. So they get extra attention from me. When there is a crowd, I can throw a handful of food to get most of them to go toward it, at which point, I throw a handful just to Tracy who seems to know I will do that for her.
When the mating season starts (which is usually early November to early January), we will be staying out of their way. The roads to get to us are 2-lane blacktop country roads and we all know to watch out. The fawns are born between mid May and the end of June.
If I have forgotten any information, I will edit or add to this post.
Love to all! MW and PW
EDIT: Because I kill silk flowers and shoe trees, we don't have any landscaping so they don't eat any plants. If we ever do decide to try to plant, it will be agave and sago palms that deer seem to leave alone here.
EDIT: Yes, they come very close to us. They do not know to be afraid of humans, but again they can NOT be hunted.
My religion is very simple. My religion is kindness ~ Dalai Lama XIV
When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace ~ Jimi Hendrix
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