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 Naturally
Kingston
Deer Yard
by Dorothy
MacFarlane
In the mid-1960s there were about 6,000
deer in the state. Today the herd has grown from the size of a small
village to a that of a New Bedford sized city - roughly 90,000. |
(November 2002)
The old farm I live on is perfect habitat for
white tailed deer. There is grass, shrubby maple groves, water, and woods to
hide in. We see deer beds in the long grass, hoof prints in the sand, and
little piles of fresh scat on the hills. There are deer trails through the
farm, including one that cuts in back of the house and continues down to the
road.
Deer come out of the woods, run down the front yard, and jump the fence to
cross the road. One morning a doe jumped the fence, followed by one of her
twin fawns. The second fawn was frightened, and wouldn’t jump. Several times
it ran up to the fence, looked over, hesitated, and ran back up the yard.
Eventually it ran alone back into the woods, while the doe and the other
fawn continued into the fields on the opposite side of the road. I wondered
if it would be okay alone, but a day or two later, I saw them all together
again.
I see deer most often when I walk the dogs early in the morning or at
twilight. They feed or stare at me as I watch them. Sometimes I catch their
eyes with a flashlight when I walk the dogs at night. The first time I saw
those big eyes staring back at me out of the night, it scared me. In the
back of my mind, I knew they were deer, because the eyes were so far off the
ground, but the fright overcame my good sense. Now, I’m so used to them that
I look for them every night.
They are magnificent animals, beautiful in their color, stance, and demeaner.
During the mating season, large stags sometimes stand at the bottom of the
field, glowing in the sun. As they stand there, I think of the hunters who
are able to shoot something that beautiful. I know there are too many of
them, and they cause damage, but I couldn’t shoot one. We’ve been lucky
because they haven’t done any damage here, and no one has run into one on
the road. I just wish there were an easier way to reduce their numbers.
There are more deer now because there are no natural predators, and there is
so much food. Before we started to cut down the forests, deer had to rely on
natural fires to create green patches. Now, we intentionally create large
green swaths of perfect deer habitat, and plant sweet, tender shrubs and
bulbs for them to eat. Then get angry when they come. Maybe with a little
planning we could reduce their numbers without killing them.
Dorothy MacFarlane is a
teacher at the South Shore Natural Science Center in Norwell, and is a
volunteer with the Jones River Watershed Association in Kingston and holds a
Ph.D. in Biology.
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