Outwitting Nature ,March 31, 2025. 326 Words

Every spring, John has to decide when to stop feeding the deer in favor of the birds and squirrels. He fears that too much offered food will make them dependent on humans. I suspect the feeding habits of the animals have more to do with whether they will get a handout in our backyard.
The number of deer vying for bird seed has grown from a doe with her twins to seven or more deer at one time. When a group is that large, disputes erupt with shoving and head butting of the smaller deer. One morning , a younger deer stamped it’s front hooves . John took this as frustration at the lack of feed to go around. Later, I read that stamping front hooves is one way deer communicate with each other.
Wanting to feed the pregnant squirrels, John built a mesh square cover . It was eight inches above the ground. The food container will sit under this mesh to protect the seeds from the deer.
Last night was the first night using the tray. I hope that hungry deer don’t become aggressive, destroying the mesh covering. This morning a young deer, had her head on the ground to lick up seeds with her tongue.
This is the opening salvo in the game of creatures in our yard.This is before the chipmunks, mice and turkeys join the contest. They and John will go back and forth with no clear outcome. I’ll pop some corn and watch the show. There a bias towards the manner the animals feed. Squirrels and birds select one seed at a time. Deer, chipmunks and turkeys will eat until the food is gone. We will see who outwits whom.
***. poem
Cycle
Warmer weather, longer days
start the spring cycle.
nature vies for limited food. Before the buds form, rabbits chew on last year’s growth. Many are eating for two. Spring can be a feast or famine.
carolaspot@aol.com
copyrighted 3/31/25