This is a story about our deer.October 27, 2012
I have been witnessing the passing of a doe today, and an extraordinary devotion to her by a buck.
This morning, around 8:30am, my neighbor called to say she was concerned about a noise that had been coming from down the hill, sounding like an animal in pain. Assuming it was a deer that had been hit by a car, I got dressed for tra
ipsing through the poison oak covered hills.
I finally saw them - a doe on the ground, not too far from the street and neighbor winery, and a buck hovering around her. She screamed out every time he nudged her. I stood still up on the hill above them and watched for a half an hour as the buck refused to give up - kept trying to urge her to get up, from every side, from every angle. With each nudge, the doe cried out. In between the nudges, he would circle around her, licking her head and the wounds by her back legs. Once, she mustered enough energy to lift her head up and meet his mouth with her own - just as if in a kiss. He tried to scoop her up with his front legs. He tried to push her to her other side, drag her, anything to get her to move. When not nudging her or licking her, he stood over her - guarding his doe. When people were walking a few hundred yards off, he stood over her in complete alert.
Eventually, she stopped moving at all, and while he still kept licking her, he stopped trying to move her. I left them then, thinking that she was finally done.
Tonight, at about 6:45 pm, I drove over to the spot to check on things, to see if she needed to be pulled further into the woods for decomposing. To my amazement, the buck was still there! It didn't look like she had moved again, but he still had not left her side. More than 10 hours later, that buck was still by her side.
I am truly amazed at the devotion that this buck is showing. Such beautiful and compassionate animals these deer are. If only we could keep them safe from our streets. I'm sending all my love to this doe as she passes, and to this buck for loving her so fully.
I finally saw them - a doe on the ground, not too far from the street and neighbor winery, and a buck hovering around her. She screamed out every time he nudged her. I stood still up on the hill above them and watched for a half an hour as the buck refused to give up - kept trying to urge her to get up, from every side, from every angle. With each nudge, the doe cried out. In between the nudges, he would circle around her, licking her head and the wounds by her back legs. Once, she mustered enough energy to lift her head up and meet his mouth with her own - just as if in a kiss. He tried to scoop her up with his front legs. He tried to push her to her other side, drag her, anything to get her to move. When not nudging her or licking her, he stood over her - guarding his doe. When people were walking a few hundred yards off, he stood over her in complete alert.
Eventually, she stopped moving at all, and while he still kept licking her, he stopped trying to move her. I left them then, thinking that she was finally done.
Tonight, at about 6:45 pm, I drove over to the spot to check on things, to see if she needed to be pulled further into the woods for decomposing. To my amazement, the buck was still there! It didn't look like she had moved again, but he still had not left her side. More than 10 hours later, that buck was still by her side.
I am truly amazed at the devotion that this buck is showing. Such beautiful and compassionate animals these deer are. If only we could keep them safe from our streets. I'm sending all my love to this doe as she passes, and to this buck for loving her so fully.
UPDATES:
October 28, 11:00am: Visited doe, the buck had finally moved on. Brought sage and cedar and prayers to send the doe off with ceremony, and to pray for comfort for the buck.
October 29: The winery buried the doe where she died - at the edge of the oak forest.
October 30: Pumpkin carving in honor of the deer.
November 1: Marker brought to the area of passing.
In gratitude,
Laura Albers
Director of Education
The Center for Reuniting Families
Dancing Deer Farm
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