(This letter was edited for space.)
Dear Editor,
This past issue of the Green River Star’s police blotter mentioned that a child had been chased by a deer. Not even three weeks ago, I watched three children trying to approach a deer that was on the hill behind the high school. The oldest child was a blonde girl probably about 10 or so. She was accompanied by a slender boy of about seven or eight that wore glasses and then a cute little redheaded girl about four.
The blonde girl was slowly walking toward a doe with her hand outstretched, offering a handful of long grass. I sucked my breath in hoping that the deer would not attack because I knew there might be a baby close by. There was no way I could make it down the stairs to warn the child and it was an awful feeling. Still, the two friends that were witnessing this with me and I ran down the stairs and out of the back door as fast as we could. We were in a panic! Am I an alarmist? Nope, I don’t think that I am. It’s just that I’ve lived in Wyoming long enough to know this could turn ugly really quick like.
Thank goodness we made it in time and I hollered at them and asked them to come to me. Of course they all thought they were in trouble but still, like well-mannered children will do, they came to me. The girl gave me a defiant look but I assured her that I understood wanting to feed and be close to such a beautiful animal but that it was not safe. This seemingly gentle looking animal could easily stomp them to death and cut them to shreds with those sharp hooves if spooked or if they felt threatened in any way.
Then I pulled up my sleeve to drive home the point. I showed them my right forearm, which is a total mess of scars from a bobcat attack that happened when I saw a “kitty” go up into the old growth sagebrush out by Edgerton when I was only a year or so older than the wee redhead in their “hunting party.”
That bobcat was only trying to do what any mother does when they feel their family or children are in danger. They attack. When my grandpa and dad said they would go find that cat and kill it, I was horrified because I knew I was the cause of all of the problem. They didn’t find her that I know of. The scar is impressive and I am hoping it drove home the point at least to those three kids.
Those kids have no idea the horrible picture that went through my mind immediately after I rolled my sleeve back down and then. As I turned around, saw the rest of the herd, babies and all, pop up from a small ravine right beside the deer. Now she was standing still, since my intervention had stopped them from forcing her further back up that hill with their advancements. Can you imagine what might have happened had they still been up there. Gives me chills. That child was less than 10 feet from that doe.
Parents, you can bet your sweet bippy that there was a reason for that deer the police got a report about for chasing that child. I really hope you will all talk to your kids about this. Even a small deer could fatally injure a sweet and curious child for just doing what is natural; protecting their baby. Now it’s up to you guys to protect yours. Please educate your kids about staying safe when they encounter the local wildlife. We are the intruders. This is their backyard and I sometimes think people forget that.
Thanks for listening,
Simone Keevert
Green River
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