Deer

White tail deer are a fact of life in western Montana.  You always have to watch for them as you drive down the road.  They will jump out and cross the highway any time of day or night.  They wander through the yard – outside the fence that protects the lawn area.  They wander through town. 

Years ago, when Tom’s dad was alive, we’d take an evening drive to count deer.  Go down any side road and every so often you’d find a pasture or meadow with 20, 30, 40 or more deer quietly grazing. 

In the years we’ve been coming up to visit we’ve been hit by one deer – it hit the rear quarter panel of our car, then got up and ran away.  We’ve been really lucky . . . so far.

The deer also cause excitement for the dogs.  At the first hint there might be one out there, they search the fenceline.  Missy (Tom’s mom’s Boston) will blast through her doggy door and Max will stand at the door eager to go join the chase.  Several times the deer have been right at the fence, or walking up the drive to the houses behind here.  When they realize they’ve been discovered they take off bouncing and “pronking” (all 4 feet coming off the ground at the same time) into the forested acres beyond the fenced lawn area.