Wide-Eyed on a Windy Day

When we took in our orphaned buck fawn, Tukker, we created a better set up for his raising than for any of the white-tail fawns we rehabilitated in the past. From Daisy to Emma and Ronnie, FD and I learned a lot along the way, and made improvements accordingly to our fenced quarters and barn shelter, and to the way we provide care for fawns. The end result should always be a healthy fawn who can be released to the wild and manage on its own. In our operation, we do what is referred to as a “soft release”. Basically, once the fawn has reached an age and size where it can not only fend for itself, but also defend against predators, we open the gates to the pen and allow the fawn to come and go as it pleases. During the first few months after release, we continue to support the fawn’s diet with food and water until it is self sufficient. Even after that, we provide supplemental water and nourishment for our rehabilitated fawns, as well as for their wild, hopefully soon-to-be, “friends”.

With Tukker’s release looming, I was extremely anxious over the last three weeks. Tukker was beginning to show the signs of restlessness our other fawns have displayed – pacing, getting into trouble by snooping around, and engaging in general horseplay, so to speak. He became more bold about charging at me or raising up to challenge me in play, as fawns do in the wild. He often took to running around and around his pen, amazing me with his agility and speed. But, in spite of my anxiousness and Tukker’s restlessness, FD insisted we stick to the plan we had always followed – waiting to release the fawn until the weekend after hunting season ended.

As excited as I was for Tukker to be free, I also felt overwhelming anxiety and worry. Oddly, I had spent less time with Tukker than with any deer we raised in the past. He was a lone buck that didn’t seem to need my attention like our other fawns had. Enlarging the roaming area of his pen provided him plenty of space to forage for eats, and my setup of bringing in branches and limbs for him to nibble and rub his little antler buds on kept him busy. With this less-intimate approach, I thought releasing him would be easier. But a mother always worries about her kids…

The first steps out of the gate had Tukker on high alert.

This past Saturday was the long-awaited release day, and I was dismayed at the weather forecast – windy with up to 40 mph gusts, and cold with highs in the low 40’s. When morning came, I fixed Tukker’s usual root vegetable medley and cracked a small bag of large, burr oak acorns to take for him to eat. The plan this morning was that I would feed Tukker while FD strapped two of the pen’s gates back for his release. It was just 26 degrees out and, though I had my warmest clothes on, I could feel the bitter cold biting through.

When FD opened the first gate, there was no ribbon-cutting, no band playing, and no grand exit on Tukker’s part. The wind already had him spooked, and he very slowly followed me out the gate with eyes wide open. I walked ahead to lead him out into our front yard, but Tukker stopped and looked back at FD, who was securing the second gate open. Keeping safely close to familiar surroundings, Tukker continued along the outside of the fence towards the gate FD was opening, taking a sniff of crepe myrtles along the way, then a sniff at the dormant grass, then jerking his head up to look around. He finally spotted FD walking his way around the other end of the pen, and made a beeline to him.

For the first hour, Tukker continued to move slowly and remained on high alert. When he did venture out in front of us, he looked back often to make sure we were still with him. For this first big walkabout, we took him around the ten acres, showing him where the feeders were down at the bottom of the slope, and where the water tub was. We took him to all of the places I knew our other deer loved to bed down and rest in the immediate woods of the Ten Acre Ranch.

Going up and down the slope gave Tukker access to the house where his people live, and also a quick route to where he would find the deer people someday.

There was a lot for a little fella to take in on that first outing!

Stopping to sniff and lick everything made for a slow walk in our immediate woods.

Tukker carefully steps through the grasses. The wind probably had him spooked most of the day.

As FD and I walked down in the bottom area below the slope, we found lots of coyote scat along the pathways. We even found deer rib bones that had been gnawed on recently. It makes a person wonder what all goes on in the night hours.

FD showed Tukker the pan that holds deer feed, and also the feeders we use to keep the wild deer (and now Tukker) nourished with Purina Antlermax all year long.

Deer love to snoop and like to nip and tug at anything they can get their mouths on. Unfortunately, Tukker was no help when he gave a good tug to the ribbon holding the batteries in the trail camera, and made more work for FD than just retrieving the photo card.

The old cast iron tub keeps thawed water for all species of wildlife during the winter months and cool, fresh water available the rest of the year.

Hurry up mom! Dad and I are already at the top of the hill!

After that first hour of walking around the Ten Acre Ranch, I waited with Tukker in the front yard while FD grabbed some fresh coffee. For his next adventure, we decided to walk Tukker through the orchard and all of the way to the west end of the property. This leg of the journey provided Tukker more of the same wide-eyed wonderment as we slowly strolled along, with him looking back at us along the way to make sure we were still there. I think had it not been so windy, the adventure would have been much more pleasant for all of us.

The path leading through Ten Acre Ranch to the orchard property.

The slough was a favorite spot.

Tukker found all sorts of good eats in the pasture west of the orchard. From here, we continued our walk towards the old river channel and all of the way to the west end of the property. Thankfully, the wind wasn’t so bad in the trees.

Later that day as the sun dipped low and the wind died down, I fed Tukker his normal evening meal of root vegetables and acorns. He was hungry and I felt bad just leaving him alone in the front yard, but I needed to get inside and fix dinner. FD went out after dinner to check on him, but it was dark by then and Tukker was nowhere to be found. Hearing this, my worry level shot up. Just before bedtime, FD decided to look and see if Tukker might be in his pen. I waited anxiously in the front yard while our three dogs did their last bathroom business of the day. Sure enough, FD came back smiling and reported Tukker was bedded down in his usual spot in some brush in the back of his pen. Apparently, our little Tukker’s wide-eyed and windy day had him plumb tuckered out, and the comfort and safety of his pen had called him home to bed for the night. But tomorrow would be another big day…

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