Daisy and the whitetail deer

[Faulkner]

Not only do April showers bring May flowers, the rain helps the grass to grow. For those with livestock that also means it's getting time to cut hay. We've been getting a good deal of rain in our area but, fortunately, the forecast has been showing a few days in a row that it might be dry enough to get a tractor in the fields. I got up early one morning this week and decided Daisy and I would take a hike around and see how wet the ground is. The last thing I want to do is bury a tractor on soft ground and have to dig it out.

After pulling on my boots and spraying on some chigger dope I strapped on my Ruger Bearcat. Daisy was waiting on me at the door and before we headed out I walked over to my truck and pulled my camera out of the case in the front seat. No telling what we might see out early in the morning. We walked out along the edge of the closest field checking to see how wet the ground was when I saw a whitetail doe stand up from tall grass not 20 yards from us. It stood for a second and then bolted. I was just able to get my camera up for a quick snapshot and while Daisy was next to me and I don't think she saw the doe in the tall grass. She did see my movements with the camera and then must have heard the deer because she took off into the grass after it. My second picture shows how close behind the doe Daisy was.

Now, Daisy is no deer tracking dog. If she sees one she'll run up to see if it wants to play, but they typically run off and she'll chase after it a short ways before loosing interest. That was the case this time too and after a short chase Daisy turned and headed back to me but, what was interesting, is that the doe stopped when Daisy stopped chasing her and turned to follow Daisy.

I could see the doe following Daisy as she came back up a slight incline where I was standing but Daisy, again, didn't see the doe. I whistled for Daisy to come to me and she came right over and sat next to me while I watched the doe slowly walk through the tall grass towards where we were standing. Finally it got close enough that Daisy could hear the doe walking through the grass towards us and her ears perked up.

A few moments later the doe came out into the open where both Daisy and I could plainly see her, about 40 yards away. "Daisy, stay!!" She had stood up looking in the direction of the deer.

"Daaaaiisy, staaaay!" I told her again. Even as well trained as Daisy is, I figured this might be too much for her, but to her credit she stood still with a laser focus on the doe. At this point I'm thinking, "this doe probably has a fawn close by."

Daisy and the doe stared at each other for a long moment then the doe snorted and stomped one of it's front hoofs on the ground. Daisy took a few steps forward towards the doe.

"Daisy . . . easy girl," I told her. Daisy slowly and carefully crept not directly towards the doe, but off at an angle to get a cedar tree and some low scrub trees between her and the doe. I was able to get a couple of quick pictures of Daisy and the doe checking each other out, but after a few moments I called Daisy back.

"Come on girl, let's leave that momma deer alone." I started backing away and I had to call Daisy a couple of times before she finally broke contact with the doe and came back to me. I reached down and patted her head and told her "good girl" then we turned and went on about our way.

 

[Faulkner]

Daisy and I were able to determine that some of the fields were dry enough to cut some hay, so with the sun high in the sky after lunch I pulled the tractor out. I went back to the area where we'd seen the doe and was very watchful, and not wanting to run over any young fawns went about cutting a bit slower than I typically would run the tractor. I saw a few spots where the grass was matted down that looked like cattle or deer had bedded down, but since no cattle where in this field I suspected it had been deer. I finished cutting in that field and didn't see any critters.

Later in the afternoon after cutting all I wanted to cut that day I was driving the tractor back to the barn. When I passed through the field where we'd seen the deer I saw momma doe and a little spotted fawn walking across the edge of the fresh cut field. I had my camera and was able to get a quick shot before they crossed the fence row into another field. .

 

[WR Moore]

Cute! And a VERY well behaved dog.

 

[Puller]

Another cool Daisy adventure. I'm betting coming up against a mad momma deer could be as bad a mad momma bear.

 

[turnerriver]

When I told my wife I had another Daisy adventure to show her she stopped reading the Wall Street Journal and wanted to see your post right away. As always, thanks for keeping us up on Daisy’s and your adventures.
Regards,

 

[S42N8]

A Daisy story with pictures

Thanks!

 

[whitestang]

A good story and great pictures.

 

[Doug M.]

Our dog Ted (Rott X Aussie) is fascinated with other critters. He loves to meet other dogs, and has whined at deer as if he wants to meet them. Neither the deer nor I allow it.

 

[walter o]

I always look forward to your DAISY stories ,OH GOOD,
makes my day each time

 

[Rudi]

And great photos too!

 

[ameridaddy]

What a great dog!

 

[4506517]

I love that dog!!!!!

Such a character!!!!!

 

[Faulkner]

Here is an interesting tidbit of information I picked up from an old timer who uses a border collie to help him with his sheep and goats on a farm in remote area of the Arkansas Ozarks. He asked me if I knew why all border collies had white tips on their tails? First off, up until this point I didn't realize all border collies had white tipped tail, but since then I've confirmed it.

Second, I told him no, I didn't know why. He said back in the old country the white tipped tail was called the shepherd's lantern because you could see the border collie's tail when they were working in tall grass. I thought about that when I saw Daisy's "shepherd's lantern" in the tall grass recently.

 

[Puller]

He said back in the old country the white tipped tail was called the shepherd's lantern because you could see the border collie's tail when they were working in tall grass.

Cool, I've heard BC's referred to as shepherd's lantern but I didn't know what it meant.

 

[tinkerer]

Back in the day when cutting, raking or baling a hay field, one of the worst sounds was running over a fawn or a nest of rabbits.

Glad you spooked them out...

 

[spricks]

Thanks for sharing Faulkner. Made my day!

 

[clipper1]

The very same reason Beagles that are bred for hunting have white tips on their tails.
Thanks Faulkner for your always great pictures and 'tales'.