by Anura Guruge
on February 22, 2022
Click images to ENLARGE.
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.
