deer finding some warmth

[stevej37]

It's -6F here this am and the deer have found a warm spot.
Compost layer of leafs.

[Chocaholic]

Life finds a way. Amazing.

[stevej37]

I thought they'd bolt when I slid the window open for the pic.
Instead they just watched...too comfortable!

[KFC911]

Oh dear .... they've learned that two legged critters aren't a threat. My Lab will chase 'em if I don't intervene, but even that doesn't deter them from being in my yard or the woods behind it these days. Sometimes when chucking a tennis ball back into the woods in the middle of the day, I'll see a deer or two sneak by within 50' of her... she's focused on finding her ball and doesn't seem to care either . They are in those woods almost every early morning .... dawgy goes "woof, woof" and then goes about her business....

Years ago, a deer would have smelled us from a few hundred yards away and a person would never, EVER even see one here.

Very cool !

[OK-944]

When we walk through our woods in winter we'll typically spot several "deer beds," usually under hemlock trees - where the snow has been partially melted to a hardened crust. We had a very cold January, with many nights in the -20f range (and its gotten as low as -37f here in the past)...and I sometimes wonder how these critters can survive this (a few actually don't).

While the deer do act as vectors for the spread of Lyme disease, I still make it a point to leave lots of "drops" (fallen apples) on the ground to help these deer get by in winter...and on some really cold nights, I'll raise my binoculars and look under those trees - and there they are, pawing through the snow in the moonlight. Pretty magical for me to see this...but still very hard on them!

[Crowbob]

Many people misunderstand deer.

That are actually the spawn of the devil himself.

[Jolly Amaranto]

Originally Posted by Crowbob

Many people misunderstand deer.

That are actually the spawn of the devil himself.

I thought feral hogs held that title. I don't mind the deer at the "Armadillo Ranch" but would not miss the hogs if they all disappeared.

[stevej37]

Must be a great morning for wildlife. Just after the sun's rays shone on the deer, they left. 5 minutes later, this hawk was in the same tree 'that the deer were under'

[Crowbob]

Huh.

I did not know deer could climb trees. More evidence of their evility.

[flipper35]

Way back when my daughter was 7ish we were on our way up to the lake to go fishing. She said she "really likes deer, they are pretty and taste good too".

[OK-944]

Steve are you sure that's not a grouse? Just its shape and the fact that it appears to have hopped into a thicket of branches...with no clear flight path (which hawks need). But maybe the compressed (telephoto) perspective is throwing me off here.

[stevej37]

^^^ I couldn't get a good side view to show its beak...but it sure looks like a hawks.
I took the pic with my phone on the eyepiece of my spotting scope. With tripod legs on carpet..it was almost impossible to even get the bird in the screen.
It's about 20 ft up and that tree overlooks a down-sloped field.

I just did an image search for ruffled grouse and I didn't see any that had a mostly white breast. This one has brown flecks in the breast, otherwise white.
The rest of the bird is brown. I don't know.
It's been there for over an hour now.

[fastfredracing]

I just read somewhere that in Europe, they are using compost piles for hydrothermal heating systems . Seems like a really cool idea .
I just recently started composting , and am always amazed at how much heat is stored inside that pile

[hbueno]

Originally Posted by Crowbob

Many people misunderstand deer.

That are actually the spawn of the devil himself.

Four-legged locusts.

[stevej37]

We usually call them 'rats with antlers'

[Evans, Marv]

Around here, the mountain lions call them food. My wife woke me up a couple of months ago asking me if I heard the "loud crying sound." In the following days, local social media reported a mountain lion kill of a deer near where we live. It was quite the subject of discussion. A local store owner has a metal sculpture of a mtn. lion on the front of his building. For Christmas decoration, he put one of those lit up deer in the mouth of the mountain lion. That drew protests from all around.

[Crowbob]

My flaky neighbor used to get immense joy out of feeding the abominable beasts. Now that she discovered gardening, her joy is lost.

[stevej37]

I've got an agreement with them.
They can sleep on my warm compost pile anytime....as long as they don't decide to jump across my road in front of my car.

[red-beard]

Cats warming on a Satellite dish

Or are they phoning home?

[KFC911]

^^^^ LOL ...the TV reception must be cattywompus!