This work is supported by the generous backers who adore my cat stories at Patreon.com/amberunmasked and they also get first access to what’s happening with my books and projects.
Where We Left Off:
Gus and Oliver worked with the human biographer to update the records on this year’s bear sightings.
Deer Crossing:
Like last week’s case file to update our databases and the family trees of the bears, this week, we’re tackling parts of the white-tailed deer and the Jersey devil-deer population. As I write this, I reviewed the camera footage from last night and one family was here to visit.
Trying to maintain family trees of animals that I don’t spend hours with every day is a huge challenge. A lot of our records depend on comparing photos from one year to the next. Then, if either Oliver or Gus can get validate an identification through their olfactory senses or by talking to the local critters, we figure that’s the best we can do. All this data organization originally began with the Chipmunk Mafia. In fact, I’ve never even renamed the file. I just add new pages every time there are sightings. My more organized structure is a spreadsheet used for our more unusual sightings like bobcats and coyotes. I could register all the deer sightings, but it would be another full-time unpaid job.
Family #1
Our first report came from The Grumpy Old Man who said he saw a doe and two fawns as he was driving. We didn’t get visual confirmation until June.
In honor of Gus and Ollie’s abuela, we gave the babies Spanish names: Mel and Liza. That might not seem Spanish at all. When put together they make the word melliza which means twin! First, their mom, Ocheckka, would come into the yard and leave them in the woods. As soon as they were strong enough to run well, she allowed them to come into our yard where all of them would gobble up the birdseed, peanuts, and corn. The grackles had strong feelings about sharing corn!
Mel is the bigger of the two babies. Maybe that’s a sign that he’ll grow into a buck. Right now, we don’t have those kinds of visuals. Mel and Liza are in the fun “puppy” stage right now. They aren’t driving their mom crazy yet, but by September, she’ll probably be ready to hoof them off out from under her.
Family #2
When a tall, slender deer looked like her midsection changed from svelte to round, we knew that was either Hazel or her daughter Twiggy (born in 2024). Twiggy would be sexually mature and ready to start her own family. In October of 2024, she was still small, but her spots had faded in September. That was a different year, for sure. Gus wasn’t scaring them as much and I could get close to a couple of them.
This year, they aren’t taking chances. We could be on the other side of the property and the deer eyes will keep watching us. Gus has only intentionally chased them once or twice this summer. Other times, he’s chasing chipmunks and the deer get terrified—bolting out of the yard.
Based on her body size, shape, and long thin face like Hazel’s, we believe Twiggy is the mother of a single fawn this year! Twiggy’s baby is named Una. Gus and I had an accidental encounter with them in the woods. Una was only around a week old!
Here’s what happened:
Gus and I went to investigate the sounds of trees being cut down. Every day when we were out or when I was coming in from the car, the timing was like one tree every ten minutes. Then, a break. It would start up again. It was appeared to be that the trees were chopped and the pause was for the sawing to stop and another machine to take over. That machine would stack the logs.
Gus is so used to be telling him we can’t go in the woods that he told me he was feeling worried. Would we get into trouble for trespassing? I didn’t care. I had an excuse ready. We were gone for hours and honestly, not far from our own house. The terrain was difficult for me, but would have been simple for Gus if I had unhooked his leash. I even had him in the backpack for the toughest parts and he got motion sickness! Either that or he was stressed out so much from associating his backpack with the V-E-T visits that he vomited from anxiety.
We saw that the logging was creating a road through woods that have never been touched. These are different land owners than the ones directly behind us who are also planning to put another private road in to make it easier for trucks. That means of the closest 62 wooded acres, both lots are planning on having more deforesting and private roads. There’s no information available online whether more structures are going up. I think that should be easily accessible information, but in New Jersey, it’s not.
Other Bucks and Does
The other local cervids have been visiting regularly. This does include ones we know to have some of that hybrid DNA with the Jersey Devils making them Jersey devil-deer. The males have their velvet antlers which grow at an astounding rate. It could be an inch a day or more!
Case Summary:
As with the black bears, we are not certain which individuals have been victims of accidents and hunting seasons. The best thing we can do is keep our eyes on the ones who show up and make sure they have plenty of clean water. There are a few tiny ponds in the immediate area. Yet, our little washtub of water and the birdbaths are used all the time.
Welcome to the world, Una, Mel, and Liza!
Case Status: Open