Oh, the tragedy of it all. Our resident deer, Bucky
Deerburgher, met his demise last evening when a woman driver hit him in front of our
house. Bucky was a magnificent eight-point deer and had dined regularly in my flower
gardens and backyard. He would jump over the fence to eat a few morsels of my beautiful
rhododendrons and anything else that might have fresh buds. He ate my prized lilies along the driveway, leaving
behind the ordinary variety. And when I came home from work and caught him as he stood by the gate, he merely looked
at me and casually jumped over the fence.
Yes, Bucky was well known to this household. He taunted the
dogs as he must have sensed they could not jump the fence. This too, was Bucky’s
home. He slept under the hemlock trees at night and I could find his imprint under the trees in the snow. If I approached him, he would snort at me and pound his hoof on the ground, then slowly turn away and prance over the hill. Yes, he was our Bucky, our daily friend.
Last night I let Gunnarr outside as per usual to prepare for bedtime. He started barking and I thought he could smell the scent of a squirrel or deer. I was out there with him when there was this very loud bang. I knew a car hit something but was not sure what it was. So off I go towards the car in my pajamas and slippers to find that the occupants were uninjured. They were actually able to move their car down the road. But our poor Bucky lay along the side of the road, still breathing and moving his back legs. My heart ached for him. I did not want him to suffer.
After checking on the car, I told the lady that this was our deer that was always in our yard. She said she was sorry and I said so was I. It was made worse since he was still alive and suffering. A passerby stopped and I asked them to call the police and let them know the deer was still alive but injured. I also went back home and called 911, then back out in a coat this time and waited for the police. While waiting Bucky had breathed his last and mercifully was gone. The poor deer. I felt so bad.
He is still along the driveway as the DPW has not removed him even as I write a night after the collision. My neighbor actually sawed off his antlers this morning and took them. Somehow I feel that this was an undignified approach to our friend. But I also understand the deer was dead and no longer could use these gorgeous antlers. Maybe the neighbor also knew Bucky and just wanted a remembrance of him. Who knows.
As winter approaches and we have more snow, I'll check to see if there are any new deer tracks. They won't be Bucky's, but maybe a Bucky offspring.
RIP Bucky, I will miss seeing you in the yard.
RIP Bucky, I will miss seeing you in the yard.
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