Oh Deer!

I have been getting plenty of target practice as the deer begin to encroach on my gardens. Right now the only thing of interest to them would be the tender shoots of Tulips, but I know from experience that they won't eat those until the day before they flower.
So I continue to wage war on the herd with my single pump bee-bee gun. Each evening, as dusk falls, they creep closer and closer until they are only 10 feet from the window. I move quietly and drop the top of the double hung. They snort and jump a few feet, watching curiously as I take careful aim, than leap in renewed suprise at the sharp zing as the bee-bee pings them in the furry butt. I think my husband has hidden the one that I can pump up a dozen times because he's afraid I'll start putting holes in their worthless hides!

Right now I am training last year's fawns to stay away from the house. They're pretty bold, and there are 8-10 deer or more each evening. In June when the new fawns are old enough to play, I become deer-friendly again. The does are pretty skittish at that point, and won't come near the house. I will enjoy their antics for a few weeks, as 1 to 4 tiny fawns caper along the back edge of the woods. As they get bigger, they get more fearless, and renew their assult on my garden. The training starts all over again.