The Deer Lady's Blog

We currently have 13 bucks, 8 doe, and 4 fawns. If you decide to come visit us these are the deer you will see!!

Adam, age 15

Bert, age 13

Buddy, age 2

Chester, age 7

Comet, age 2

Cupid, age 3

Henry, age 6

Marty, age 10

Prancer, age 2

Snoopy, age 11

Sundance, age 9

Vixen, age 3

Woody, age 11

Bambie, age 3

Hannah, age 1

Jane Doe, age 3

Margaret, age 2

Miss Kitty, age 7

Pebbles, age 12

Tweety, age 8

Julie, age 5 (still visiting)

The 4 fawns this year are from Julie and Pebbles. Julie had two brown doe (Star and Stripe) on Memorial Day. Pebbles had a piebald buck (Bj) and a piebald doe (Bunnie) on June 4th.

Bj, the piebald buck

Bunnie, the piebald doe.

Star, one of the brown doe

Stripe, the other brown doe

Henry

Hello.

We are anxiously awaiting for Vixen to shed his antlers.  He is the only buck who has not shed.  All of the other bucks have dropped their antlers in the past 2 to 3 weeks.Vixen is our 2 year old, piebald buck.

We are turning them together and now is the  time for them to decide who the boss is.  Last year dominant buck was our deaf buck Henry.  So far this Spring he has been winning the fights again.  He beat up our new buck Buddy.  Then moved on to Sundance and Marty.   So no one else wants to challenge him.  Vixen is the only one left who is very cranky.  He will determine the fate of the deer herd once his antlers are shed.

We thought we would share some pictures of the bucks showing off and acting big and tough for the rut!!

Prancer and Julie

Prancer is the breeder buck this year. He has Julie and Pebbles all to himself!! His antlers are not cut off because he is only 1.5 years old, so he’s not agressive to the girls.

Buddy charging around his pen.

Buddy showing just how floppy his ears can look!!

Buddy showing his lip curl!!

Buddy showing his lip curl from the front!!

Sundance improvising a licking branch for his scrape

Sundance playing with his stick!!

Sundance making his scrape!!

Vixen showing his shelter who's boss!!

Vixen showing off patrolling his pen!!

Hi, When people email me or stop in at the ranch, they ask what a typical day at the deer ranch is like.

So the day described has no meetings, no salesman, no tv crews or no building projects. (which all happen from time to time.)

  My husband Shorty and I take turns with the fawns.  Since he is a early riser he does the 6 a.m. bottle.  I usually get up by 7a.m.  First I feed all  5 cats.  Then I usually make toast or cereal sit on the patio and have breakfast with the cats.  I take a walk around the fence and converse with all the deer and give them apples.My husband Shorty feeds them alfafa hay, roasted soy bean corn and dairy balancer pellets.

  Then I get the shop ready for opening and do the dishes.  Wait on customers, along with my step daughter Lisa.  Then we do the noon bottle for the fawns. The fawns drink Milky Way calf milk replacer.  The customers can help.  We then love up the fawns, then come in and wash bottles.  Work on any on going painting projects. (we are still doing stuff with the golf).  Or mow the lawn inside or outside the fence.  I love to mow.

Everyone loves "treat time"

 Wait on customers till 6 p.m. bottles and treat time.  The best time of the day.  We take out buckets of cut up apples, pass them out.  Then we go in the fence and bring the deer over for the customers to pet and feed. It usually takes about an hour to make sure everyone got their treats. Then I come in and my husband watches the desk while I cook supper.  We close around 8p.m. 

 Then we go out to take some pictures, and make a fuss over the deer.  I watch 1 tv program. Shorty usually goes to bed and  then I do the 10 p.m. bottle.  Some nights I do an extra trip around the fence. Then I check my email and hit the sack.  Some nights Lisa stays over night with the grand kids and we have cookouts, or play board games.  We go back in the fence for extra play time with deer.  Some nights we even camp out.  Not too exciting , but I love every minute of it.