Car vs. Deer

This past weekend saw the Emmaus Women's Walk #94 come and go, UNC get beat by Miami, the North Carolina Eastern Zone Gun Deer season opener, and Auburn, of course, winning in high style over Florida. Any win over the Gators, is a big deal! Nevertheless, the weather was an absolute dream over the weekend, which meant I got to pull out the smoker and heat some good ol' yard bird. The chickens were shared with my new neighbor, Lee, and his scallops were also practically perfect.

The Gun Deer Opener in the eastern part of the state familiarizes the ears with two sounds...baying and barking hounds and gun shots. Deer season in North Carolina generally runs from mid-September through January 1. The first month (mid-September through mid-October) is allotted for bowhunters, while the gun opener opens, as mentioned earlier, in mid-October. I grew up deer hunting in Alabama - there's little else to pursue down there - but have since relegated the sport to "things you do when you have nothing else to do and you want to fill your freezer with real-deal local food". However, I have plenty of friends to fill that void for me, so I can spend my weekends in early fall painting and rigging decoys, ironing my camouflage, and replacing spark plugs.

Back to deer hunting...dog hunting is very traditional in these "here-parts". Most places in America frown upon the dog-boxed truck...still it survives, if not thrives here. The primary argument against dog hunting falls on the inability of the pooches' abilities to read and understand property boundaries. Here in eastern North Carolina, where farms easily occupy a couple of thousand acres, the worries of a wayward pack are slim. In more populated areas around the sea breeze, though, hunting deer with dogs has taken on a negative connotation. I watched this same scenario transpire in Alabama. Not having a preference either way, it might be wise for hunters using dogs to wisely manage their pack. Keep them close and well-fed and all should be good. Don't clog up our rural by-ways in a creep or crawl pace tracking your dogs, either. Us eastern travelers need to get to the Food Lion, before she shuts down at sundown. Lots of misconceptions abound about owners and their dogs. First of all, these dogs are extremely well-cared for...most get great high protein diets and plenty of exercise. They also sport their own septic tanks within their kennels, too! Almost all hunting dogs make good family pets, too!

Nevertheless, as human and deer populations both grow larger, wise management of our deer heard is needed to prevent animal illness, population explosion and starvation, and the very worst - wildlife and vehicle collisions. This time of year, motorists should be especially weary...deer are in the middle of their "rut", or breeding season. Only this morning did I spot a nice buck standing in the middle of the road with his snout to the ground in hot pursuit of a doe. After slowing to a halt, the normally cautious buck appeared reckless and careless. I rolled down the window to converse with him through snorts...apparently I made him mad,as he turned toward my Jeep and acted as if he would attempt to back me down. Needless to say, I quit snorting and honked my horn. That's when his girlfriend appeared and he sauntered off. Bucks can be dangerous animals when attempting to find a receptive doe. Annually, it's estimated that over 100 vehicles are charged - not collided with - by angry bucks. Just as many hikers and gardeners are charged, too. Nevertheless, deer are crepuscular animals - which means they move most and sunrise and sunset. And the larger bucks are almost completely nocturnal...so if your headlights are on, use extreme caution in rural areas. Still, throughout the rut, bucks are so reckless, that they will move throughout the daylight hours...doing whatever it takes to find a receptive doe! The fall months are obviously when deer encounters rise. Always be careful when in a car...I, too, have struck a deer. I have come close several times, too. The complication of police reports, insurance claims, and body shop debacles are only minor compared to the reckless destruction of one North Carolina's greatest game animals and conservation success stories. And black bears...don't even get me started...

Enjoy the day...