When I came home yesterday, Sam and a friend were in the road. Back up 100 ft, he said. Really. You’ll want to see it.
One of the little yearling deer in ‘our’ herd had been hit by a car, leapt a neighbor’s 10′ deer fence, and was lying unable to move. There was no blood and he was unmarked, but he couldn’t get up. A woman walking by with her dogs said she was a deputy sheriff, and that she should shoot the deer in the head instead of having it torn apart by dogs. Since we both knew that the two German shepherds that live there would in fact tear it apart, I drove her and her dogs back to her house (my dog and her two made three in the back seat), where she picked up her gun.
She shot the deer in the head.
She was sad that she had to kill it, and made the Catholic sign of the cross over the deer’s broken body.
The carcass was dumped up the hill, and although she said very nice things about completing the cycle and returning the body to the earth, we both know that if the birds don’t finish it off really quickly, the dogs will have a heyday. But we both pretended that’s not part of the schedule.
Amen.
No deer jerky ?
Not by me.
I don’t understand. Are you mourning the loss of the deer before it’s time? We all die. Some young, some old, some in between. It’s just part of the cycle.
I would feel bad for it’s pain and suffering, but not for putting it out of it’s misery. I’ve done it many times to many animals who needed release. It’s not pleasant, but I feel I am doing them a favor.I think we as humans are called to do this. It’s part of our responsibilities in this world.
At least now the deer is not suffering. Once it’s dead, it doesn’t really matter what happens to the body.
Thank you for treating that yearling with such grace. At least his ending saved him from more pain and you sent him off with dignity. There was an underlying thoughtfulness.
I loved your pictures. I do some nature watching and I love it when I see a deer.