3 Step

I went to set out my cam yesterday. Parked on the road and walked to my spot. When I got there I looked around and saw a doe standing there looking at me. I was real still for a second then I walked toward her. She didn't move. I walked closer and reached out and touched her nose. At this point I noticed that she had an reflective orange dog collar around her neck. I petted her and rubbed her back and she seemed to like it. I took the collar off of her then had second thoughts and put it back on. I tried to get her to come over to the game cam, left my digital at the house, but she wouldn't go over there. I petted her and visited for a little while wondering what to do as it started to rain. I headed back to the truck I looked over to where she was standing but didn't see her. I looked behind me and there she was following me. She followed me all the way out. Running around like a puppy. She would run ahead, kicking her heels, then come right back and brush up against me. She seemed really glad to see me. By then it was poreing down rain with lightening. When I got to the truck and started driving off she followed me down the rad a ways then stoped and started grazing. I asked a few of the people that lived in the area but none of them new anyone that had a pet deer. Called the game warden and he said someone probably raised her from a fawn then put her out when she got to big. She looked to be about a year old, no ticks and basically healthy. I figure she doesn't have a chance. I have a lot of emotions about this incident, ranging from aggravation to simpathy and even feel a friendship towards the deer. It's one of those things thats under my skin but out of my hands.

zak123

That would be so awesome to have experianced that. I know what your saying about it being bad, though. It may not be able to eat enough to live. I don't know what I would do. I would love to take it home, but it belongs in the woods. I would probably feed it. I wouldn't shoot it though.

Rickmur

Thats one reason why it's illegal to pocess a deer. It now stands no chance of surviving in the wild thanks to some liberal [:@].

zak123

I know it may be hard to let a baby deer die but it's better to die young and quick than to starve as an adult. I don't see why you would do this to a deer.

ShadowAce

I don't understand what you mean about the deer starving as an adult? I think the deer probably has no chance of survival if it walks up to a hunter during hunting season though. Unless he's a really bad shot and he only brought one bullet.

zak123

I may have misread the question but this is still a factor. The deer may have been following 3 Step because it was hungry. The deer is probably used to people feeding it. If you were to feed a baby deer for its whole life and let it go, it wouldn't know what to do. I thought the deer was wounded as a baby and would die if left alone. I didn't know someone captured it healthy. That is why I said what I said. Sorry for the misunderstanding.

davidmil

Awe man.... don't be telling me bambi stories. I sometimes have a hard enough time shooting them without that. Dang... you'll have me looking for collars and name tags now.

MILLERTIME10

If the deer is staying in an area with other deer and a plentiful food source, then there is no way it will starve. It is a natural instinct for deer to feed, they are a herbivor, not a carnivor (meat eater), it's not like someone had to teach her to hunt and kill her meal. She will have no problem eating. Her biggest concern will be coming to get some attention from a hunter and then get shot. 3 Step already said she stopped and started grazing.

zak123

And I already said I misread the post. I was thinking more along the lines of birds. I forgot that the birds people find to raise and release die because they are carnivores or eat bugs. I did not think about that. I was wrong.

3 Step

I tried to feed her some corn but se didn't eat it. She was eating leaves off of the trees.
She was following me because seh was acusstom to human companionship IMO. She was litterally acting like your dog does when you get home after being gone a while. Rinning and playing.
She had no ticks on her while I got 3 on me in a short period. I think this is a sign that she hadn't been there, in the wild, for very long.
I have to admit that it was interesting and fun interacting with her.
I was thinking of riding back down there and see if she's still there but it might be better to let her start interacting with her own kind and learn to get along without people.
Question: Do deer accept outsiders of their own species? just curious