Picture of the day - December 27, 2006

Jimmy's Deer

Photo submitted by my niece Mehgan.   My brother Jimmy and his family have had a very special visitor dropping by their place from time to time over the past couple of weeks. A young deer has been prancing right into their yard in order to dine on the tasty grass and drink from the creek. Apparently it has little, if any fear of humans because it walks right up to the grandkids and allows them to pet it! Rural southwestern Virginia has a rather large deer population so we see them all over the place, but they rarely venture too close to us two-legged folks. Deer hunting is quite popular in our neck of the woods, so they usually do their best to stay out of sight and avoid human contact as much as possible. It appears that this young deer hasn't developed that healthy fear yet, but hopefully that will change soon enough for it to avoid the hunters. I grew up in rural Virginia so I'm used to seeing our "deer friends" grazing in pasture fields, bounding across fences and running across roadways, but I have never quit feeling a certain boyish excitement every time I cross paths with one. I love it when they come out into the open and offer us a fleeting glimpse into their world, but I realize that it puts them in danger of being hit by a car or a bullet. Hopefully, the friendly young deer that has been visiting Jimmy's family will avoid that fate.   Submit a photo of your own! Picture of the day archives