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Where We Left Off:
There were deeply upsetting motivations by the suspects involved in the murder of a vole.
The Call:
Gus and I haven’t gotten too many encounters with the white-tailed deer or the Jersey devil-deer cryptids. We seem to miss them by minutes. When we do see them, it’s so far away, the photos or videos are not great quality. Recently, we uncovered the hidden truth about the cryptid hybrids’ wings (Case File No. 10-270).
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The fawns are always amusing! I’ve written about them so many times, but if you ever get the chance to witness baby deer playing like puppies, savor the moments. The latest twins and their mother seem skilled at avoiding humans. When Gus and I watched a pedestrian walking towards them – she didn’t slow down at all to enjoy the scene of such fine beasts – the doe and fawns practically tripped over each other to break into the woods.
They also manage to avoid the open spaces of the backyard if any humans are out. Sometimes, if we’re on the balcony, we can see them. By we, I’m mostly referring to the other humans and Oliver. Gus and I don’t spend a lot of time out there at dawn or dusk when beasts and critters are more likely to be out. We have seen some enjoyable bat action though.
This case file is more of “nearly a case” type situation since it was closed the very same day. Plus, the cats and I didn’t have to intervene much at all.
The sun was rising through the copse of county-owned woods opposite the house. I was rolling out of bed, but The Grumpy Old Man was already outside. It takes me 15 minutes to twist my hair into clips (not always brushed), brush my teeth, put on my adventure clothes and boots and get Gus ready in his harness and collar du jour. When I got outside, the Old Man told me that we had missed the deer family.
There was a doe and two spotted fawns seen up the private road near The Boulevard trail. They came down a little way, but the mother turned and entered Bunny Hollow. The babies weren’t paying attention and continued into the yard’s open space. They stopped to look around and realized their mother wasn’t there! She realized her kids hadn’t followed her around the same moment.
The doe bleated a call to them, but the fawns didn’t immediately go find her. They know the area so it wasn’t exactly time to panic just yet. Mom was likely in Bunny Hollow looking for Shirley Bunnie Foy to congratulate her on being the new mayor. The Jersey devil-deer are keen followers and participants of local politics.
As soon as the chipmunks and blue jays arrived to wait for peanuts, the fawns’ attention shifted. When Gus and I got out there, Munka Kelly told us the rest of the story since Pietro Maximunk and Benny Squint are frequently targets of Gus. The cat detective was told Munka is off-limits and has thus far respected that order.
Munka said that the fawns got anxious when they heard a human and feline were on the way. One of the babies called out for their mother. They took off running towards the western border to find her. We never needed to send out search parties for the fawns or their mother.
Most likely, they reunited in Bunny Hollow and kept going deeper into the woods. Unfortunately, the trees in that area where the trails are now overgrown and re-wilded are covered in evil red spotted lantern bugs. Those horrible little monsters are destructive. They seem to only go after trees and wood of any shape so the raspberry bushes are fine. The drought is effecting the usual food of the deer and other critters.
Sometimes, a buck has been seen with the doe and fawns. I was under the impression that bucks stayed on their own most of the time as soon as they matured. The Grumpy Old Man saw them together and said the rack on the buck was pretty good and easily visible—certainly not as big as most hunters get, but there are months left in the season.
The best news is that we have a deer and devil-deer population who seem healthy. The State of New Jersey has issued a request for people to keep an eye out for deer suffering from Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease (EHD) and to report any suspected cases. The DEP states that this disease is not transmittable to humans (but why take the chance when we’ve now been through COVID-19?). It can be transmitted to dogs, sheep, and livestock.
Hemorrhagic Disease (HD) is a common viral disease in deer that is transmitted by biting midges in the genus Culiocoides. HD may be caused by one of two closely related viruses, including EHD or Bluetongue Virus (BT). HD outbreaks in New Jersey typically occur in August through October and end with the first hard frost, which kills the midges. Multiple EHD outbreaks have occurred in various parts of New Jersey since 1955, including in 2021 where a significant outbreak was documented, and the first documented case of BT in deer in 2014.
Symptoms of HD in deer may include difficulty standing, drooling, lethargy, respiratory distress, foaming from the mouth or nose, and swelling of the face, tongue, and neck. Because the disease causes fever, sick or dead deer are often seen in or near water, after drinking or attempting to cool off. Affected deer may also show reduced activity, loss of appetite, and develop ulcerations on their tongue. — source: NJDEP
Humans are known to have good intentions while they’re ignorant. Deer will rest. Mothers will also hide their babies and leave them for long periods in attempts to redirect predators away from their young. In other words, it’s not uncommon to find a deer of any age lying down. One time I was walking down a trail and casually looked around when I was scared shitless by a large beast to my side in the shadows of branches. If I had only walked by, it would have stayed still, but I was startled. He saw me looking at him. We’ve also had them occasionally rest in the backyard in spots where they can somewhat enclosed by bushes and man-made stuff like the pump house.
Case Findings:
There’s another disease to watch out for in the deer population. Besides Chronic Wasting Disease, the state has now asked residents to keep tabs on Hemorrhagic Disease which is entirely different. Cases have been reported in North Carolina this month. Some places are referring to HD by the species which is affected such as Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease in Iowa. This disease isn’t something new, but since it can get to domestic pets like rabbits and dogs, it’s something to be aware of.
Our local deer population hasn’t shown any signs of disease which is a relief. The fawns look healthy and have an appropriate fear of humans. Hunting season is right around the corner.
Case Status: Closed
