It started with the flowers in planters on the back deck. Next came the fall mums on the front porch, followed by a pair of pumpkins on the front walk. It spread to a couple of cedar shrubs recently planted in the front garden, but lately it’s been the bird feeder hanging from a tree in the back yard that’s been the draw.
It didn’t take long for the deer to figure out we’re easy marks.
After moving into a home this summer that backs onto one of the many pathways in town, we’ve become well acquainted with the local wildlife. Although they’re no longer the novelty they were when we arrived in Okotoks in the spring, the deer still hold a certain fascination because of the curious relationship they have with their two-legged neighbours.
These are wild animals living quite comfortably among everything that takes place in an urban environment, wary of the human element amongst them, but secure enough to go about their business without a great deal of worry.
Locals have understandably become accustomed to their presence, but when my mother-in-law was visiting from the Vancouver area earlier this month, she was absolutely enthralled by the sight of them. She would rush to the windows to catch a glimpse because it’s not every day you’re able to see wild animals, at least not of this size, wandering into residential neighbourhoods like they own the place. I guess I should qualify that statement by saying that it’s not every day outside of Okotoks that you’re able to see such a spectacle.
I realize there are many out there who view the deer as a nuisance, and I now have first-hand experience with their handiwork, but to this point at least, my wife and I have been happy to trade the occasional landscaping loss in exchange for the wonder of getting an up-close look at nature — from the comfort of our own living room.
We’re not intentionally trying to feed them, because we know that’s frowned upon, but we can’t help but feel sorry for the deer when we see them on the scrounge for food, particularly when they’re doing so over a snow-covered landscape. Yes, it’s just nature at work, but if the pumpkins get eaten before they find their way into the blue bin or the bird feeder doesn’t discriminate by species, I can’t see where that’s necessarily a bad thing.
I’m not sure if the stripped-down cedars will sprout new growth next spring, but in the meantime, we’ve covered them in lights as a Charlie Brown Christmas tree tribute to our resident wildlife.
Now, I might not be as understanding next spring if the deer go to town after we invest time and money on the landscaping work that we’ve got planned, but we don’t intend to be easy marks forever as we’re already researching both deer-resistant and drought-tolerant plantings.
At the moment, however, we’re closer to mesmerized mother-in-law than hardened local, still in awe as these magnificent creatures stare quizzically back at us, most likely wondering when we’ll inadvertently provide them with their next meal.
