St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1902-04-12
DEER THAT SEEK PROTECTION
some Of the Things That Drive tho
Timid Animals Into the COm-
pany of Man.

"Some time ago." said a Sullivan
county citizen. relates the New York
Sun, 'the Sun published an item about
young deer pursued by dogs that
bounded into a Maine village and vir-
,ually sou ght the protection of boy
N the street. That might seem to be
an amazing story, but to anyone who
has lived where wild deer abound and
has observed their nature it is an in
eident by no means uncommon.
Every woodman knows that al
though the wild deer is the most timid
of animals and breads intensely the
sight or scent of man, the female deer,
when wounded and pressed by hunter
or hound. or when pressed closely and
as vet unhurt, Will seek the protection
of human beings or their habitations.
Buck fawns will also seek such protec-
ton, but no buck that has come to the
dignity of horns will show such dis
position; at least none to my knowl-
edge has ever done so.
'"The strange part of this disposition
on the part of does and fawns is that
they plainly ask for the protection
they seek. The most striking instance
of this l ever knew was that of the
splendid doe that sought refuge from
danger in the hamlet of Cooley, in Sui
Ivan county.
"A. G. Welch, of that place, was eat
ing his supper when he saw the doe
come bounding from the woodsinto his
dooryard. He hurried to the door, and
the doe trotted straight to him and
would have entered the house, but
Welch was so startled that he slammed
the door in the deer's face.
"The deer then went to window and
looked appealingly through. The ami
NAL was painting heavily and was plain
ly very tired, but the door was not
opened for it to enter, and it departed
"From Welch's place the doe went to
Melvin Carley's, about half a mile away
Carley was sitting in his kitchen, and
hearing noise. looked up and saw the
deer standing at window, rubbing the
pane with its nose and looking longing
ly in at Carley, who, being an expert
deer was fleeing from dogs or hunters
HE went out, and the deer followed
him. or rather walked close by his side
to the barn, where he locked it up
Once in the barn the deer lay down, sc
nearly run to death had it been. 1t had
been shot in the back and on the leg.
Carley fed the deer and doctored its
wounds, and when it was sound and
we'll again he offered it it's liberty. but
the grateful beast refused to take it
and it is still in Carley's possession
although it's rescue occurred two years
ago. AS it was viola ton of the game
law to have a deer in his possession
Carley had to get special permit from
the game protector to give the shelter
| to the deer that the deer insisted on
having.
II know of an instance in which a
fawn, pursued by dogs, ran into farm
house and jumped into the lap of the
farmers wife. who was pairing apples
| in the kitchen. That fawn remained or
! the farm and became such a pet that
when she disappeared one fall there
| was great lamentation in the family
and good reward was offered for hel
| recovery.
Gas no trace Of her could be found
| it was at last concluded that she hat
been killed by some ruthless person
But this was not the case, for the doe
reappeared one day in the following
spring with pretty little spotted fawr
by her side, and there was great re
joicing.
"The fawn was a buck fawn, an6
along in the next summer it went away
and never came back. The doe, how
ever, never left the farm again, ant
died on it, at good age"