Living In The Countryside

[choux]

Have been here 52 years and had a "first" today.

Took OH for weekly blood test at GP's. Came home and reversed up the long drive, told OH to wait whilst I went and unlocked the back door. I opened the back gate, took 2 steps and froze. As I looked across the garden there came from around the side of the house an antlered stag. We looked at each other for 5 seconds and then the stag ran to the far corner, panicked and raced back, past me, to find no exit there either. He turned back and saw his route through the veg patch, over the chain link fence and into the safe field beyond. We often see deer in the field, (which is why we have the chain link) even close to our boundary, but never in the garden before.

When I went back to OH, I had to say it twice for the penny to drop. Fair made my day :)

[naomi24]

We had one looking through the window when we were eating supper one night. My immediate thought was ‘What’s that big dog doing in the garden?’ Some dog!

[Aircooledfool]

I too live in a rural setting. Often see deer on the lawn happily grazing away, sometimes sheep but these are not so exciting to look at from the kitchen window. Mostly red deer hinds, but there must be a stag somewhere, as several bambis appear each year. Observation shows that they park the youngster under the hedgerow and the reccethe lawn for a bit ,then Then they go back and “fetch the kids” . I have considered how I might organise them so I don’t have to mow the lawn , but no workable ideas so far.

[DTCwordfan]

I saw a deer just outside Truro drinking coffee of all things

Apparently he had been in the town to visit Starbucks.

[Aircooledfool]

Hardy ha ha !

[naomi24]

I had a big stag jump over a hedge in front of my car once. Fortunately I missed him.

[ducksie]

Wow that is amazing Choux !!! I often see deer on the way up to my sister in the midlands of RoI - there's even signage along the motorway to be wary of them as they just run across (and cause accidents) but to be so close as that is brilliant, Naomi, that is so funny the one looking in your window, ACF if you could manage to get them in the lawn ;) it be great fertilizer too haha

[choux]

Just for your cheek, DTC and avoiding a serious crash x

[jourdain2]

My big shock was in France, where I had a fairly isolated farmhouse with a large gravelled area in front, and I drove home to find myself face-to-face with a boar! These are not nice if aggrieved, but we'd accidentally come face to face so I blasted the car horn and revved the engine, advancing slowly until, fortunately, it decided the car was too big and ran away.
The deer which would sometimes come in to graze at the back from the wood, were lovely - but they ate everything. :(

[diddlydo]

We often get muntjacs in our garden. Many years ago when my daughter was about 10 years old she exclaimed "Mum, there's a bear in the garden!"

[Caran]

We used to have deer coming to our back garden gate for food. They loved carrots and would eat out of my hand. Once they came up, one of them had one of his antlers hanging off. He shook his until it fell off. I collected it later after they had gone. Unfortunately the FOD had a massive cull killing about 500 of them. So they were no more. I do miss them though and the habit of looking out for them still exists.

[gulliver1]

....Oh dear !

[Zacs-Master]

The first time I took my daughter for a driving lesson, we turned a corner on a wooded country Lane and we’re confronted with a huge stag stood in the middle of the road. I see deer in the woods where I walk my dog before work almost every morning.

[choux]

Boars can be quite nasty, wouldn't fancy one of them.
Caran I recall seeing your photo of them, superb.

I think I could almost have touched the stag but I only moved my head and watched in amazement. Strangely, I have had a recurring thought for about 2 months that I would see a deer in the back garden.

[choux]

I see plenty about, Zacs, followed one down the road into town one night - I stopped to give the poor thing some time and space to head off the target. Have done a few emergency stops rounding bends.

[choux]

^ tarmac not target