Lou's Story

 

 

*Our first winter living here in Keweenaw County and taking over feeding the deer from the previous owner, January-April 2019, we became aquainted with Peanut as well as a little buck that hung out with Peanut at the front of the crowd. He was kind of pushy when coming in to eat as we filled the feeder, as a lot of little bucks are, and he was always front and center, right there with Peanut.

Lou is on the right, eating from the saucepan with Peanut.

*As the winter wore on, he became very curious, even going so far as to enter the barn through the one-car door opening when Husband would be working inside on sunny days with the door open. He would stroll in, look around as if to say, "Whatcha doin'?" Some days he would be hanging out with his little buck posse just kind of moseying around the house waiting until it was buffet time. At the end of the winter he left as the deer do, heading off to their summer range.

*The winters of 2020 and 2021 we didn't see Lou, or at least if he was here, we weren't able to pick him out of the crowd. We were saddened, but hoped that he was either in the back of the group somewhere, more hesitant and wary than when he was a youngster, or living his best life somewhere else where there was food available.

*Winter of 2022. Quite suddenly, in early March, a deer came right up on our deck (That had never happened before!) and up to the sliding glass door, looking into the house. One of our pups was on the inside looking out and the deer stayed there, just looking in. We realized that he had a wound on the side of his jaw and another on his lower ribs.

When Lou appeared outside on the deck. March 13, 2021.

Looking right in at us. (above photos)

 

*We began putting pellets out for him near the house and he had no hesitation in staying very close. 

March 28, 2022 (above photo)

Such a handsome boy!  April 6, 2022 (above photo) 

 

April 11, 2022 (above photo)

April 28, 2022 (above photo)

*His wounds healed over and he recovered nicely. He made friends with another larger, older buck (Golden Eye) and they both began hanging out near the house, readily accepting any baby carrots or apple cores that I would toss out a window in their direction.

*It was during this time that we took a really good look at him. We compared photos from 2019 with current photos and realized that this buck had to be Lou! He had managed to escape a predator and came to us where he must have felt safe.

*The last I saw Lou, I had given him some apples and carrots off the deck. In this photo you can see his one healed wound just forward of his back right leg. He is starting to shed his winter coat which is why he looks so motley. May 13, 2022.

Lou. May 13, 2022 

*It was so good to have him back, but as winter wound down during that May of 2022, he left when the snow disappeared and we didn't see him again. Or maybe? He may have returned and we just can't pick him out of the crowd, which is what I choose to believe.