Avril & sister; Cornflake the Deer

We used to have a pet deer. My Dad rescued a little fawn whose mother had been shot (poached) on our property. It was very sad. The hunter took one small piece of meat, and left the doe there for the vultures, right in the middle of our horse pasture. Our poor horse (and I think she had a young filly at that time) must have been terrified.

Anyway, the fawn (about four weeks old) must have been hidden in the bushes by its mother. Dad could tell the doe had been nursing, so he went to look for the baby, or babies. He found little "Cornflake" in the brush about 100 yards away. A fawn will stay where its mother has hidden it for a very long time. They might even stay there until they're very weak. They are easy prey for predators at that age. IThey surely will die alone, if not weaned. They cannot survive w/o their mothers.

Dad carried her home, and we bottle fed her for about another four months. 'Poor critter thought she was part dog, possibly part cat, and maybe part human, too. She certainly didn't realize she was a deer "grass rat" for several years. (My funny husband calls them "grass rats" because they're technically big rodents, I think.) I think before we weaned her, one of took a bowl of cereal outside, and she tried to eat it (or get the milk). So (if I'm remembering correctly) this is why we called her Cornflake. She used to eat the dog's dry food, and the cat food, too, at times.

Cornflake used to try to come in the house when the screen doors were open. One day the wind blew our screen loose from the living room door, where I was napping on the couch. I woke up feeling the strangest sensation on my face. I looked up and saw what looked like a camel or giraffe's face, with huge brown eyes, very close to mine. When my eyes could focus, I realized it was Cornflake greeting me, and that she had come inside.

This is one of the most memorable moments of my life. I will never forget this! We have funny pictures of the cats, dogs, and the deer napping, all piled up on each other. Such wonderful memories .... If Lyme was around in my area when I was young (1960's and 1970's) I certainly got a lot of exposure! I hugged my deer a lot. She was my best buddy.

She answered the "call of the wild" when she was two or three years old. A wild, handsome young buck came calling near our home for a few mornings (in the Spring?) Cornflake ran off with him, and returned home only occasionally after that. She came home twice after her baby was born, and was strangely wild. She wouldn't let us get near her fawn. Then she disappeared, and we saw her no more.

I think all our neighbors were relieved. She was a real "pesk" and would eat everything in their unfenced gardens. She was very tame, and no one could shoo her away -- unless they practically bodily shoved her off the property!

Isn't that wonderful? I can hardly believe I was so blessed as to have a pet like that, for awhile.