A White Tailed Deer
Picture credit: Clay Heaton
As a dedicated animal protector and especially a Deer lover, you had to know that this story would be here!
The only thing that I find more despicable than those who harm animals, are those who hunt them with bows and most especially with cross bows, as our new neighbors across the street from us do.
The reason for the repugnance in the use of this heinous weapon, is the long-term suffering it causes the victim.
This new weekend visiting idiot, who looks about twenty or so, stands alongside a fence with another person who appears to be an adult, ( and seems to approve of this act) with cars driving by, here on our road leading into a well populated neighborhood.
He has been doing this practicing for several weekends, now that it is deer killing season, and he/they are practicing on a telephone pole, right in front of our house and right next to a busy road.
Cars going by, are within a foot or two of these two, who could accidentally end them at any moment.
What on Earth is in his/their heads, it cannot be a brain?
These people are new in the RV Park across from us out here in the woods and hopefully they will go back to where they came from, very soon.
And hopefully no one will be killed before they do.
You must know how hard it is to live out here surrounded by these lunatics, who stand on their cars/trucks, shooting into the open fields, with cars driving right along the road that they are parked on.
Coming to live in rural Florida from Los Angeles was expected to be culture shock, but this is ridiculous.
Sometimes it feels like we have left the United States and gone to live in the twilight zone.
Some of the things that happen out here, defy explanation to the rational mind.
During hunting season, whenever we need to go into civilization, no matter which way we choose, there is a sickening sight to be seen, in one direction are those standing on their vehicles shooting into open fields and the other way has a weighing station where there is always a line of hunters, with their kill to be weighed!
Most of these “great white hunters” use dogs and the way that many of them are treated, is next to criminal.
Many of them are wearing radio collars, so that they can be easily found.
But this is not always the case.
Some end up dead on the roads, hit by cars, others sit for hours waiting on the sides of the roads to be picked up by their owners and occasionally, they wander into our local post office, or up on my mom’s front porch, starving, scared and just wanting to be loved.
My views about deer and if it is ethical or humane to hunt them, are my own, and do not follow the norm of society, I accept that.
I know that I am in an extreme minority here.
I have often looked into their faces, when I am lucky enough to see them and think that there are few creatures on the Earth with more gentle, kinder or sweeter eyes and gazes.
Trying to survive out here among the “duck dynasty type people” is hard, but nothing will drive me out of here.
There is in this beautiful place, as far as can be seen, nothing but pure wild Nature and stunning wildlife and the Hunters are for me, an ugly part of life here, that simply must be dealt with, like it or not.
Thankfully, the deer killing season will be ending soon and those who presently are running amuck up and down the roads here, killing at will, with IQ’s perhaps smaller than my shoe size, must find something else to hurt.
In the meantime, you may find this story as mildly vindicating as I did.
Can you say KARMA?
Oh dear!
Oh Deer, Florida Hunter Faces Firearm Charges
Walking with the Alligators 
I find hunting heinous, period. In Texas people hunt and kill wild pigs from helicopter. Hunting is not a sport and I wish we had a strong advocacy group to help bring attention to and eliminate this tragic element of our society. Good for you.
I lived in Texas for 3 years. It was sad.
Could not wait to leave there.
Humans and their propensity for violence have not evolved much,
in the eons that they have inhabited this planet!
It’s hard to change a culture but your best avenue is the democratic process. I would encourage you to press for nature reserves to be created where hunting is illegal. You may also wish to research the legal position about the use of weapons near public highways. In the UK it is illegal to discharge a firearm within a certain distance of roads and public footpaths, and to do any hunting without the landowners consent. This consent is not granted, for example, but the Highways Authority, who own the land either side of most major roads. You may also wish to develop a local campaign with others. It’s worth getting advice from experienced campaigners on this, as you can (excuse the pun) shoot yourself in the foot if you appear aggressive or unduly negative about your opponents. Appeal to the great American people, whose nature is a proud symbol of what a vast, beautiful and diverse land it is, and their sense of fair play. Where is the challenge, the sport, in bringing down an animal that has no real chance of escape? Real hunters would be aghast at the lack of skill and awareness, and the lack of respect for the animal that is being shown here. Yes I know this isn’t the line you want to take really, but it’s about winning people over. I wish you every success.
This is a red neck state, and just about anything is acceptable here.
This state is also number one in America for violence towards women, children and animals.
Need I say more?
Oh, Gator Woman, that is so sad. Stay safe!
People are inhumane monsters. Amazing that they do not realize that every harm they inflict shall be revisited to them. Even if they don’t believe this…even if there’s only a 1 in 10 chance it’s true, I certainly wouldn’t risk it. sigh….
Agree with you completely!
And, I do believe in Karma.
Pingback: Dear Deer! | Nature Conservation & Science ...
I’d suggest looking at this Florida statute: http://www.flsenate.gov/laws/statutes/2011/790.15
You may not get much interest from the local constabulary, but perhaps the game wardens would be interested.
If you’re comfortable doing so, you could drive slowly by the people firing into the fields, with your video camera trained discreetly out the window onto them . . .
We will check into this. Thank you.
I think deer are beautiful too. I moved to rural PA from Los Angeles and feel the culture shock that you described. I drove down to D.C. last week and along the way I counted 3 dead deer on the side of the road. It’s heartbreaking. I would report the bozos with the crossbows. What they’re doing can’t be legal! The other thing about crossbows is that deer can’t hear them. At least with guns, they can hear a shot and try to flee into a different part of the forest, but crossbows are silent killers. There are parts of the District of Columbia that are quite wooded and deer live there. They’ve lost their instinctual fear of humans, which is detrimental to them. Nothing is as disgusting as seeing a deer’s head mounted on a wall!
I agree.
There is some strange connection that I feel with Deer.
Always have, even as a child.
Their deaths always crush me.
As for reporting the creeps with the cross bows. We are worried about just how crazy they may be?
We don’t think anyone would care here anyway.
The people who live around here are not like any I have ever encountered in my life.
And I have lived in many places in America.
We didn’t know when we moved to our little barn that there would be hunting. I was raised in NYC and ignorant of rural culture. Hunting season is horrid. It hurts my heart every time I hear shots. We had a hunter shoot a deer on our land from a moving vehicle just in front of our entrance– totally, totally illegal in every way and, of course, despicable. He then drove into our driveway and put the wounded, not dead, deer in his trunk while my husband was yelling at him and I was calling the police. And he drove away. We couldn’t see the license plate but the police were no help and sided with the hunter. I will never forget that. Unfortunately, other than keeping hunters off our land we can do nothing. Deer are so sweet and innocent and pure. Man Yes, is horrid!! Yes, definitely Karma!!!!
OMG. That is the most horrible story. I would have freaked out!
We only have a acre here, but it has a 6 foot fence all the way around it, to protect Breanna.
We hear the guns day and night right now and know how far a bullet or arrow can travel.
It is just plain terrifying.
I keep hoping that all of the hunters around here will shoot each other.
BTW. Your Barn sounds wonderful~
I did freak out– totally. Am dreading the start of shotgun season this weekend. We don’t have much land at all but we have left it wild with brush and trees for the animals. It is our haven as well as theirs.
I’m in Connecticut and work with a few rednecks who can’t wait to get out there and make a kill. Then they bring venison steaks, meatballs and all kinds of other fruits of their labor into my office to share with my boss and anyone else who will have it.
No thanks.
And what’s up with all these hunting reality shows on television lately? Personally, I see no need to have that broadcast over the airwaves.
I can’t take it.
Did you ever wonder why they call it Venison? It sounds better than, ” I killed Bambi. ”
Thank you, agree with every word you wrote.
Hi Gator Woman, I so much appreciated one of your earlier posts, about manatees, that I linked it on my Manatee post this week. Your vigilance is not in vain. with thanks, Jet.
Thank you Jet for the wonderful story about them and of course for the kind link~
My pleasure, Gator Woman.
Pingback: Tribute to Walking With the Alligators ~ Awesome Blogs We Love | Sunny Side Up ~ Living Every Day With Conscious Style
Dear Gator Woman,
What a beautiful, heartfelt and inspiring blog. Thanks for liking my post on ocean conservation. I love deer also. I am going to write a letter to Time magazine for their cover story on hunting this week. Shame. The gist is: The U.S. was wrong to nearly wipe out so many animal populations at the turn of the century, but now we have too many deer and cougars, so we have to cull them again. It’s maddening!
Thanks for fighting the good fight & inspiring the rest of us!