The four bad boy fawns of Boundary County
—Photo courtesy DON BARTLING The four bad boy fawns laying in the backyard.
—Photo by DON BARTLING The last fawn was so full, he rested his chin on the grass.
—Photo courtesy DON BARTLING The leader looked as fat as a spotted toad.
—Photo courtesy DON BARTLING The remains of the Hasta plants eaten by the four fawns.
A few weeks ago my wife, Debbie and I came home from an eight-day vacation to Nebraska, Colorado and Wyoming. We found our property to be in good standing as we entered the house and did a quick once-over upstairs and downstairs.
Relieved and thankful I looked out the living room window to our lower lawn and saw an unusual site. There were four fawn deer lying on the lawn in a leisurely state of being content, fat and lazy. They were well adapted to safely being left on our property while the mothers were off in the woods feeding. As always when I witness wildlife in their natural state I grabbed my camera and took several pictures, because rarely do you see four fawns in such a pleased state. As I took the last picture I noticed a glance of contentment along with a gleam of mischief, almost badness, in their eyes. The leading fawn looked as fat as a spotted toad. The last fawn appeared to be so full he had to lay his chin on the grass to rest. I briefly thought “the four bad boy fawns of the North Table,” but I dismissed it as quickly as it entered my mind.
After taking pictures I quickly brought in the luggage and told Debbie, “I had to go pick up the pets at the kennel.” She agreed and started unpacking. When I returned 30 minutes later I could tell something was wrong. The smile that Debbie always has on her face when she sees me was gone and a grim perturbed look, almost grimacing, had taken its place. Even the greeting ritual offered by the pets with Tessie Rae our Yorkishu jumping on Debbie’s leg wanting to be held and the cat purring as she rubbed against Debbie’s leg didn’t soften her sternness. I noticed the four fawns were gone. I could still see the imprints in the grass where they had lied just a half hour ago. As I recognized their absence I soon realized they had left trouble behind.
Debbie said unrelentingly, “Come with me and look at what your precious fawn deer did to my flowers while we were gone.” Debbie took me for a brisk walk to the north edge of the house on either side of the garage entrance and pointed out the Begonias and Wandering Jews that she had planted in the spring; all the flowers were bitten off. I apologized for the deer and expressed my discontent, but before I could utter another word. Debbie said, “I am not done yet, come over to the porch at the front of the house and look at the Calla Lilies and Fuchsias they are all eaten off, that just makes me so mad.” Without further comment she motioned me to the west side of the house where the deer had also eaten all the Hasta plants clear to the ground. They left no flower or plant uneaten; there were just stems now where there were beautiful flowers and plants just a week ago.
The four fawns and their mothers had the run of the yard during the eight days we were gone and even went up on the front porch of the house to eat the flowers off the fuscha plants. Later that evening the fawns came back to play in the back yard and Debbie was quick to go out on the south deck and shoo them away unsparingly, yelling after them, “You come back again after my flowers and I will get the broom out.”
Weeks have gone by now and the fawns walk briefly by the house, quickly glancing with that longing look in their brown hungry eyes and wondering, “When are you leaving again?”
Fall is here enjoy the beautiful outdoors of Boundary County. For more outdoor articles, visit www.naturallynorthidaho.com.