‘Mount Desert Island‘ (MDI), which houses much of Acadia, has a huge — & apparently thriving — deer population. On my last few trips I have been seeing lots of them — including, alas, a second accident with a car.
On my quick, 2-day trip earlier this week I saw a total of 7 — though I didn’t go looking for them. One was an impressive, large buck with a magnificent set of antlers. Alas, I could not get a picture of him.
These show above, were all near ‘Bass Harbor’, on ‘Seawall Road’. I invariably see deer on that road — in the afternoons. They are incredibly TAME. I saw three going up and standing, tamely, next to a householder as if they belonged to him. I am sure he doesn’t feed them. They have just got used to seeing him. Amazing.
I lucked out. GOT to see a BABY BAMBI plus the mother. Saw the mother first. It is the same one that I have been seeing, roughly in this area, for the last ‘month’. That was good.
She saw me. She was NOT unduly perturbed. But, I backed away. I did NOT want to scare her. I am so glad. When I looked back, a few minutes later, BAMBI had appeared. So cute. Wow. Made my day. So, glad I did not scare the mother away.
One thing that WORRIES me. Look at the TOP picture. You can see the mother’s ribs. We have had a ton of rain & everything, including the grass, is growing like crazy. So, she has plenty to eat. I hope she is NOT sick. I am NOT an expert on deer. Maybe this is normal. If you KNOW, please let me know.
‘Prospect Mountain Road‘, a long, dirt road, is the MAIN road off which our road is. It is about 400 yards from our house. I walk it EVERY DAY. I can’t basically get out without going on it.
It is quite rural & we have a lot of wild animals on it.
This time of year we start to see baby deer — born earlier this year. Bambis. Baby deer less than a year old. This is the first BAMBI I have seen on Prospect this year.
I have seen a few grown deer, but not the babies.
I have seen quite a few deer this year, including, ALAS, 4 ROAD KILLS (– one just yesterday). This is why I worry.
Baby deer have NO idea of danger. They will just stand on the road. Not good. Today I tried to slow down a car. It was postal carrier. They nearly mowed us BOTH DOWN.
This morning during my daily amble. This is a HUGE open field that ‘they’ ‘brush hog‘ multiple times a year though it is just wild, brush. So the growth is ideal for deer. That said I don’t see any/much deer here. I am sure I have seen some (given that I have walked this field for 17 years) but I can’t remember a specific instance.
I am fairly sure that much of this — i.e., my lack of sightings — has to do with MY V. LATE start to each day. I rarely if ever make it to this field before 10am. That, even I know, is late for deer.
Ironically, 400 yards from where this deer stood, is a well used (& constantly repaired) large deer target. Poor deer.
Both dogs were with me. They didn’t see it or smell it (though I can’t tell you which way the wind was blowing). The deer sure saw us. Watched us for a minute or so (as you can see in the photo). Then took off into the woods behind it. Wonder whether I will see it tomorrow?
The one on January 14, 2023 — 4 months ago (more or less to the day). You can see the snow in January. No snow today.
Click to ENLARGE.
This one was about the same distance from the house, viz., about 1/4 mile — but on the other side, so to speak. Unlike the roadkill in January I did NOT stumble upon this one. I was told about it & I actually went looking for it this morning (during my amble). Wasn’t hard to find.
I gather the accident happened on Thursday or Friday LAST WEEK! I am surprised it was still there. It was beginning to deteriorate. I heard there was a lot of fresh blood on the road the day it happened. The blood is still there BUT it is totally tried & semi-soaked in.
Wasn’t a pretty sight. Shame. I hate to see this.
But, we do seem to have a lot of deer this year. I have seen quite a few. I can’t tell you whether it is more or less than usual since I just don’t know. I am NOT a hunter. I know that this is when we start getting the babies. I hope we don’t get too many killed on the road. What a waste. And they do do damage to cars. I have seen it.
Let’s hope that I don’t see anymore this year, though I have a sinking feeling that I will be dissapointed.
I saw a lot of dear in & around Acadia last February (in what now appears to be my annual trip to Acadia in the 3rd week of February).
I saw 10 deer this year. I saw the same three, at the same place, late Monday afternoon & then Tuesday morning. This was on ‘Ocean Drive‘ just as you enter the ‘Otter Cliff’/’Otter Point‘ peninsula. That section is closed during the winter. This family of deer (as shown in the first three pictures above), which appear to be very tame (& was totally unfazed by my near proximity) seem to have worked out that they were safe from vehicular traffic along that stretch. I have heard that deer can be very smart.
I didn’t see as many deer as last year, but in a way I was also trying, somewhat, to avoid the areas that they were likely to be most numerous — especially around dusk. Even with that I had a narrow escape. Yes, having seen two deer-related accidents (one last year) I am leery. I would rather not hit one.
As I said last year, I have seen deer on most of my 17 (or 18 (or more) visits to Acadia over the last 10 years). I even know the best spots to spot one, e.g., golf course on ‘Cromwell Harbor Road‘ or the field before the ‘Seawall‘. But they seem to have become more numerous, more tame (i.e., braver) or both. I could, however, be wrong. It is possible that the population hasn’t changed that much over the years & it is just that I just happen to see more during my last two visits. Either way I wanted to share some of these pictures with you.
The accident I saw last year which did severely damage a car driven by a ‘poor’ lady who was most distraught.
Wasn’t a pretty sight & I had zero warning that I was going to come up upon it.
Yes, on my usual, daily, 4-mile jaunt — along a route that I haven’t traversed in 10-days or more. So, not sure how long it has been there. I only took this one picture, so you can’t see that its backside has been fairly well chewed over. Its poor tail is totally detached.
It was in a ditch, on a slight incline — of course, by the side of the road (viz. our famous ‘Hollywood Beach Road‘). Coming up the incline I saw a large crow in the ditch pecking at something. It flew away as I got closer.
Then I crested the incline & BANG … it was there. It was a bit of a shock. Shame.
Click image to access last year’s post. Different ‘Bambi’ but within 300-yards!
Aaahh! Poor ‘Bambi’. Upset me.
I am sure I saw him/her yesterday evening more or less on this same property. We have had a LOT of deer over the last two weeks. I guess this is the right time. This one (& I am NO expert) looks a ‘baby’ — i.e., born this Spring.
We had a Bambi, more or less on this same spot (if not property) last year. Lot of empty spaces around this area PLUS wild blueberries & apples.
I feel bad. I was taking the dogs, in their car, up the road for their evening constitution. A baby deer cut in front of me — on the other end of this property. I had plenty of time to evade him/her. But, alas its luck ran out.
I am bummed.
Second deer hit I have seen THIS year. I do NOT want to see anymore.
Yes, ironically I love venison, BUT I hate to see dead deer — especially Bambis.
Click to ENLARGE. Collage of just SOME of my shots (meaning photos).
I have seen deer on most of my 16 (or 17 (or more) visits to Acadia over the last 9 years). I even know the best spots to spot one, e.g., golf course on ‘Cromwell Harbor Road‘. I have, however, never seen as many as I did last week when I was up there Wednesday to Friday. They were literally coming out of the woodwork.
I saw the first two on Route 3 just before the ‘Hulls Cove Visitor Center‘ turn-off. It was 1pm — but a bit murky. I suddenly saw something white flash across the road about 150 yards ahead. Then another. When I got closer I could see them on the side of the road. White-Tails. That is what I had seen.
From that point onwards I kept on seeing deer — all over the place. It was fun BUT I also appreciated the danger. On the 2nd day, i.e., Thursday, coming back to Bar Harbor from Bernard I saw this sad sight. It had just happened. A lady driving south on 102 had hit it. Two cars, going south, flashed me. I was then there. I was heading north. The deer was on the side of the road — my side. There was plastic debris all over the road. I turned around and went to check on the lady. She was shaken but OK. She had called her husband. I cleared as much of the debris off the road. She wanted me to check if the deer was dead. It was. I gave her, i.e., the lady, some chocolates from my ever present cache. She called me an angel! Do they have brown angels?
Alas, this was NOT the first deer hit I had seen in this area — on THIS ROAD. A few years ago, around 7pm, going to dinner at Southwest Harbor the car in front of us hit one. That was not pretty either. I always appreciate that I could also hit one … given the amount of driving I do in rural Maine.
