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[firstlight]

Its natural selection at its finest.
The Deer gets shot as it trys to get friendly with a hunter.
The Granola boys are wondering why they are getting so many headaches and now have full blown Lyme Disease.

Isnt Mother Nature wonderfull.

[blaydRnr]

first its hair not fur. Take a look at the chest of the deer and how much of the hip bones are showing, they should be full and not showing at all. I have worked hands on with deer and many other exotics since I was 10 and that is not a healthy looking animal. also fur is not always the first to deteriorate, it is with many diseases but rarely with emaciation. I have observed many many animals in which the fur/hair appears normal and in good condition and yet the animal is severely emaciated with hip bones, chest and ribs showing.Also to say it is no more than 6 months...this very well could be a stunted deer or smaller animal, I agree it is younger but to say its no more than 6 months  . Deer fawns will start weaning at 6-8 weeks and are typically fully weaned at 12 weeks. A wild deer will always be skiddish no matter of how old, they will either hide or flee depending on the age. It is highly unlikely that this deer still has or is with its mother due to the behaviour. A mother deer will typically abandon a youngster that is habituated towards people.

well if you want to get technical, hair and fur are the same thing, the difference is the way they grow out of the follicle....let's not forget most animals in the wild cannot be compared to their domesticated counter part or those who have been influenced by human intervention....as far as weening, i was referring to the reliance of the fawn to it's mother and not just the "nursing teats" point of view...i too have worked with animals in the past (both animal rescue and the spca)... any biologist or naturalist will tell you, many species of mammal will go through a leaning period due not only to availability of food but also mating season, and/or the rearing of young... of course, i'm not saying this is the case of this young deer, but what i am saying is this deer is showing signs that it hasn't yet lived long enough learn fear...and if it was abandoned for a longer period of time chances are it would be in worse shape and not as rambunctious as it appears in the photos....chances are too, it would have been taken down by predators due to it's inexperience...something that if it was fully weaned would have already learned to fear animals like man.

[salmonsturgeontrout]

If you had read my later post I already explained the difference between hair and fur. Who was compairing animals in the wild to domestic?I agree that animals will go through a learning period but from my observations of deer in the wild, young deer are still extremely cautious of human interactions and the characteristics of this deer are not one of a fully wild deer or of one with its mother. This deer has clearly had more than one interaction with people, and more than likely has learned to associate people with food which would be why it is so fond of people. Any biologist , naturalist will tell you that this is not just a curious deer this is one that is habituated towards people. Also to say it would be in worse shape, do you know how many people have fed the deer? how much forage is in the area? probably not so to say it would be in worse shape is a a wild guess at best. Also rambunctiousness is not a sign of a healthy animal, I have witnessed lots of animals that appear fine and healthy drop dead, not all show symptoms of there being anything wrong. Hell I have been thrown into a wall by an antelope that had a severe chest cavity infection, part of an animals instinct is to not show when its injured or sick. If its mother had died or it was abandoned then it would not have learned to fear people and it clearly has not.Also to say it would have been picked of by predators, seeing as it is fond of people it is most likely staying close to where people are, also where predators typically stay away from .  This deer is by no means  a "wild" deer or it would not have the behaviour it has. This deer very well could have been handraised and released for all we know.

[blaydRnr]

I agree that animals will go through a learning period but from my observations of deer in the wild, young deer are still extremely cautious of human interactions and the characteristics of this deer are not one of a fully wild deer or of one with its mother. This deer has clearly had more than one interaction with people, and more than likely has learned to associate people with food which would be why it is so fond of people. Any biologist , naturalist will tell you that this is not just a curious deer this is one that is habituated towards people.

 
"leaning" as in fasting...not "learning".

you can't assess the amount of times this deer has interacted with people based on one set of photos...for all you know, these guys may have been the first to come across it and gained its trust by offering it food.

Also to say it would be in worse shape, do you know how many people have fed the deer? how much forage is in the area? probably not so to say it would be in worse shape as a wild guess at best.

with that said...and a clear view of the quarter hind (in the first photo)...leaves me to believe that deer is not emaciated at that point in time.

[armytruck]

I'm sorry , I thought that was Chris G .  disguised as a deer in those pics .  .

[salmonsturgeontrout]

Deer at this time of year should be at their biggest stage after fattening up for winter, late summer/fall is when deer are gorging themselves on the most nutritious foods of the year. The bulk of their size should not start to deplete yet especially with the extended summer warmth. If you look at photos #7,8, and 10 you will see what I am talking about , sunken in chest, protruding hip bones, look at the stomach and how it is sunken in , not full. That is typical of an emaciated animal. Based on the behaviour of this animal in the photos and my experience (working with and observing over 50 species, including over 20 species of antelope and gazelles including whitetail, blacktail, mule etc.) and many former coworkers experience, wild deer, will not be this forward with humans, as I stated they will hide or run away. This behaviour is typical and commen in a habituated deer.

[blaydRnr]

whitetaildeer-management-and-hunting.com

here's a photo of a fawn similar in age and stature as the fawn in question...difference is this fawn belongs to a deer farm in the States...if you were to rely on photos alone, you could claim emaciation on this animal also.

crap...sorry didn't copy and paste properly...will find photo again.

[theonepencil]

where was THAT?

[anorden]

it is against the law to entice or feed wildlife and punishable under the wildlife act.

The wildlife act prohibits feeding dangerous animals - bambi looks pretty harmless to me!

[blaydRnr]

where was THAT?

West Virginia...established in 1974 and renowned for producing trophy bucks...they also manage wild turkey and other wild game like boars and blackies.

[troutbreath]

Next time you see the poor thing slip one of these on it.