It has been nearly a month with shoot-animals-with-guns season here abouts. We generally keep out of the woods during this time and when we do venture out, we go around noon time and wearing bright orange vests and hats. Last week on a longer walk than usual (out to the pipeline corridor and the no-name pond), we found the dead doe carcass as shown, about ten feet off the trail.

There are several possibilities regarding this find. The deer could have been hit by a car on a road, was wounded, and ran into the woods as far as it could and then succumbed. We did not examine the animal to any extent (I kept Kayla away from it, obviously) and could not determine what caused its death. It is possible it was shot by a hunter, was only wounded, and ran away successfully.

Over the years I have discovered dead deer due to probable auto accidents. One year I encountered a couple hunters looking for a deer they claimed was hit. In another year, I found the remnants of a deer that a hunter had dismembered.

We will monitor this one and see how long the forest takes to make it disappear. I doubt anyone (human) will cart it off.