Came across this page when looking for deer feeders.
http://www.qsl.net/ve3nzk/luckylou.htm
A Good Story
Moderator: Excalibur Marketing Dude
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chris50362
- Posts: 50
- Joined: Tue Jul 29, 2008 9:10 am
- Location: Newmarket, Ontario.
When I was very young, around five or six, my oldest brother found a fawn. He knew something was not right as the fawn could not stand and for two days no doe appeared to nurse the fawn. Over the strong objections of my father, my brother convinced my mother to intervene and the fawn was adopted.
She fed readily on goat's milk dispensed from a bottle with a nipple crafted from some unknown rubber source. He named her Vennie, and of course that was short for venison. And the little fawn thrived.
She was as tame as tame could be and loved attention. She especially liked being scratched under her throat. And all was well the first year.
The following year Vennie became a little more aggressive the closer it got to the Christmas holiday season. She would rear on her back legs and attempt to shadow box with the brothers. My dad knew she was starting to feel her oats as mating season was fast upon us. And one day in December she left and we did not see her until February.
The remainder of the winter all seemed normal and she hung around the barn pinching cattle feed and any treats mom or the boys would bring her. And in the spring it was apparent that she was pregnant.
She gave birth to twins that spring right behind the tack shed. And she became very aggressive when ever anyone would approach the newly born fawns. My dad was really fed up with the entire idea by now and knew that one tame deer around the house was bad enough but three was just going to be intolerable.
He and the boys somehow managed to get through Vennie's defenses and got the two fawns in the back of the old Dodge powerwagon and off they went at a leisurely pace with Vennie following behind and bleating to the fawns. They took her to the far end of the ranch, unloaded the fawns and drove back home.
A week later Vennie was back with her two fawns and staked residence out behind the loafing shed near our large barn. And once again my dad and the boys put the fawns in the old Dodge truck and off they went with Vennie following behind. And three days later she was back at the loafing shed with the twins. My dad was at his breaking point and ready to shoot all three but knew he would face the wrath of mom should he take it that far.
He finally took a different tact and told my oldest brother to go get the BB gun. And he proceeded to start shooting the fawns in the rear. And of course they took off with Vennie in high pursuit. And every time they came back he would repeat the process. Soon they did not come back at all.
Over the course of years Vennie would still venture back to the barn and house area and would still allow scratches on the chin. But the visits were less and less. We would see her with fawns and when we did she would act just like any wild doe and take off. And when we would see her on her own out on the ranch, she behaved just like any other wild whitetail. It was only when she wandered onto the home site that she reverted to her old behavior.
She came to the house for about five of six years and then one year she didn't show.
And the lesson I learned as a young man from this experience is that no matter how cute it is to have a whitetail tame and hanging around, in the long run, it just is not a good idea.
I didn't mean to hijack the thread, I just wanted to tell you my experience with a tame doe.
She fed readily on goat's milk dispensed from a bottle with a nipple crafted from some unknown rubber source. He named her Vennie, and of course that was short for venison. And the little fawn thrived.
She was as tame as tame could be and loved attention. She especially liked being scratched under her throat. And all was well the first year.
The following year Vennie became a little more aggressive the closer it got to the Christmas holiday season. She would rear on her back legs and attempt to shadow box with the brothers. My dad knew she was starting to feel her oats as mating season was fast upon us. And one day in December she left and we did not see her until February.
The remainder of the winter all seemed normal and she hung around the barn pinching cattle feed and any treats mom or the boys would bring her. And in the spring it was apparent that she was pregnant.
She gave birth to twins that spring right behind the tack shed. And she became very aggressive when ever anyone would approach the newly born fawns. My dad was really fed up with the entire idea by now and knew that one tame deer around the house was bad enough but three was just going to be intolerable.
He and the boys somehow managed to get through Vennie's defenses and got the two fawns in the back of the old Dodge powerwagon and off they went at a leisurely pace with Vennie following behind and bleating to the fawns. They took her to the far end of the ranch, unloaded the fawns and drove back home.
A week later Vennie was back with her two fawns and staked residence out behind the loafing shed near our large barn. And once again my dad and the boys put the fawns in the old Dodge truck and off they went with Vennie following behind. And three days later she was back at the loafing shed with the twins. My dad was at his breaking point and ready to shoot all three but knew he would face the wrath of mom should he take it that far.
He finally took a different tact and told my oldest brother to go get the BB gun. And he proceeded to start shooting the fawns in the rear. And of course they took off with Vennie in high pursuit. And every time they came back he would repeat the process. Soon they did not come back at all.
Over the course of years Vennie would still venture back to the barn and house area and would still allow scratches on the chin. But the visits were less and less. We would see her with fawns and when we did she would act just like any wild doe and take off. And when we would see her on her own out on the ranch, she behaved just like any other wild whitetail. It was only when she wandered onto the home site that she reverted to her old behavior.
She came to the house for about five of six years and then one year she didn't show.
And the lesson I learned as a young man from this experience is that no matter how cute it is to have a whitetail tame and hanging around, in the long run, it just is not a good idea.
I didn't mean to hijack the thread, I just wanted to tell you my experience with a tame doe.
Last edited by Mike P on Wed Nov 19, 2008 12:22 pm, edited 2 times in total.
I once knew a couple who had a pet doe. The deer was fine most of the time, but they told me of someone who once tamed a buck. That buck used to roam in downtown Hillman, MI and came close to killing a child before they got rid of it. Seems once the rut starts, they can change in an instant.
We also know a fellow not far from us who has a buck in a pen. He can go in and out of the pen, pet the buck and do anything he wants. However, one fall a few years ago that buck (a 3 legged one at that) almost killed this man. Yes, it was during the rut and the buck just suddenly turned on him and tried to kill him with antlers and feet.
Nothing to mess around with for sure.
That said, we have some deer on our place that are almost tame. We've gotten as close as 15 feet from a couple of them. Last summer when my wife was picking raspberries and weeding (fenced in garden), a doe and two fawns laid very close and just watched. This happened several different times. One time they even got up and went to some buckwheat I had planted right beside the garden. They fed for a while then went and laid back down in the same spot.
When I am on the atv, I can get amazingly close to several deer too (does and fawns only). Once I had the atv and a drag to work up a small food plot. She and another doe was laying under a small pin oak inside the plot. One deer got up and ran to the woods as I was approaching. The other got up and walked just off the plot. I entered, got off and set the drag and then worked the entire plot. She finally tired of standing there watching me...so laid down! Sort of a special thrill when these things happen. Kind of like the 3 times we've had fawns born right in our back yard!
We also know a fellow not far from us who has a buck in a pen. He can go in and out of the pen, pet the buck and do anything he wants. However, one fall a few years ago that buck (a 3 legged one at that) almost killed this man. Yes, it was during the rut and the buck just suddenly turned on him and tried to kill him with antlers and feet.
Nothing to mess around with for sure.
That said, we have some deer on our place that are almost tame. We've gotten as close as 15 feet from a couple of them. Last summer when my wife was picking raspberries and weeding (fenced in garden), a doe and two fawns laid very close and just watched. This happened several different times. One time they even got up and went to some buckwheat I had planted right beside the garden. They fed for a while then went and laid back down in the same spot.
When I am on the atv, I can get amazingly close to several deer too (does and fawns only). Once I had the atv and a drag to work up a small food plot. She and another doe was laying under a small pin oak inside the plot. One deer got up and ran to the woods as I was approaching. The other got up and walked just off the plot. I entered, got off and set the drag and then worked the entire plot. She finally tired of standing there watching me...so laid down! Sort of a special thrill when these things happen. Kind of like the 3 times we've had fawns born right in our back yard!
Keep smiling!
Dennis
Dennis
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chris50362
- Posts: 50
- Joined: Tue Jul 29, 2008 9:10 am
- Location: Newmarket, Ontario.
On the way to one of my stands before daylight, I entered a field that I needed to cross. It was getting very close to the rut. I could make out two deer in the field perhaps 45-50 yards in front of me. The one on the left was definately bigger. As I continued on my way, getting closer, the bigger deer faced me and started pawing the ground.B-Logger wrote: . Yes, it was during the rut and the buck just suddenly turned on him and tried to kill him with antlers and feet.
Nothing to mess around with for sure.
I put my flashlight up to spook them off but they just stood there until I was within 30 yards. Even then they didn't flee with too much concern.You can take the man out of the woods but you can't take the woods out of the man.
"Celebrate your harvest with a Bloodtrail Ale(tm)!!"
"It CAN Be Done!"
"Celebrate your harvest with a Bloodtrail Ale(tm)!!"
"It CAN Be Done!"
Cool Story
Very interesting and touching. As has been mentioned, I have heard the accounts of trouble with the so-called tame buck when fall arrives.
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