I am in receipt of a valuable contribution in honor of St. Venison’s Day. Weatherman Bruce Laidlaw writes:
You seemed skeptical about my report of a deer herd within Ann Arbor. Considering your recent experience with a suicidal deer, I thought I would give you some evidence of the herd.
Yesterday morning, I let the Tiger out on his back yard tether. Then both I and Tiger noticed a doe in the corner of the back yard. Instead of running for cover, Tiger decided he needed a closer look.
Miss Doe did some stomping, but Tiger kept on coming.
Then Mr. Buck came to the rescue. Since Tiger was not impressed with Mr. Buck’s 8 point rack, I decided to intervene. I went out with my iPhone recording the scene. Here’s a link to the video. And here are some stills I captured from the video.
Thank you for painting the fence today, Bruce. You can’t tell me the world isn’t an astonishing place. Next: Rob the Firefighter and the Foxes of Lafayette Park – yes, the one in Detroit.
Torch Lake Views 
P.j. grath
November 15, 2012
There are way more deer in Michigan than were here in pre-European days. Farms and suburbs put out such delicious buffet spreads.
Gerry
November 15, 2012
Now there’s an interesting notion. I would like to know more about that. And I know just the bookstore to have some resources!
Martha J
November 15, 2012
they also didn’t have to get permits and could take as many as they liked!
Gerry
November 15, 2012
If they could catch ’em. They didn’t waste them, either. And everyone ate wild game, often migrating with the protein source. So much history, so little time.
Maryanne Jorgensen
November 15, 2012
I can see why he is called “Tiger” brave kitty.
Gerry
November 15, 2012
Tiger is mostly Maine Coon cat. You would enjoy The Tale of Brambles and the Tiger.
Belinda
November 15, 2012
Wow! I think that would be so cool to see a doe and buck in my backyard.
You have a brave kitty.
Gerry
November 15, 2012
Nope. Bruce and Andi Laidlaw have a brave kitty. (I believe bravery is a fundamental part of the Maine Coon Cat personality.)
I had a pretty brave kitty, too. Miss Puss once stood off an owl that was intent on making her its supper. Alas, death comes to us all, and the pretty brave kitty lies at peace on the ridge.
WOL
November 15, 2012
What intrigues me the most about this story is the idea of putting a cat on a tether.
Gerry
November 15, 2012
Isn’t that something? I have had cats who would have thought it a fine idea, as they pretty much considered themselves dogs to begin with. Miss Puss would have mocked me mercilessly had I ever suggested such a thing. Andi regularly takes the Tiger for walks on the beach with a leash and a harness. Astonishing but true.
sybil
November 15, 2012
Brave and foolhardy can look very similar. 😉
What a wonderful encounter for Bruce to capture.
Gerry
November 15, 2012
Wasn’t it though? I have a hard time distinguishing between brave and foolhardy myself. I have concluded that it might not matter – which is either very brave or very foolhardy. Only time will tell, and in my view, the times are out of joint, so we might never know. Untangle that one if you like. I’m off to the movies.
Martha
November 15, 2012
Forgive me, but all I can say is- Wow.
Gerry
November 15, 2012
I have a very forgiving nature.
shoreacres
November 15, 2012
We’re pretty accustomed to the occasional deer here, too, but that cat on a tether is an astonishment. I do have a harness for Miss Dixie Rose, but I must have been ready to just part with some cash when I bought it. The chances of me getting that thing on her are about the same as …. I can’t think of anything. She doesn’t even like being picked up.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen a yard whose leaves are distributed so evenly. Someone’s a very good leaf-layer-outer. 😉
Gerry
November 15, 2012
I once bought a harness for Miss Puss, too, back in the days when I needed to take her for four-hour rides in the car, and she got carsick. It was . . . futile.
And she liked being picked up. (Except when she was feeling carsick.)
I believe the leaves lay themselves out, saving Bruce and Andi the expense of an undertaker. They do tend to pile up in the corners, however.
Bruce Laidlaw
November 15, 2012
Tiger is only one half Maine-Coon. The other half is bengal which includes a touch of wild cat. A cat lover who had bengals decided he wanted bengal traits in a bigger more rugged cat. So he bread his Bengal female with a Maine-Coon. When we went to see the results, we were awed by the way kitten Tiger charged around and took over the yard. I don’t know if the blend was tried again, but it sure made for a fun high maintenance cat in Tiger.
Gerry
November 15, 2012
I stand corrected. I’m very good at that, having had a lot of practice.
uphilldowndale
November 16, 2012
Wow, what a close up view, we used to get roe deer in our garden when we lived in Scotland; at first we were delighted, all ‘Bambi’ but the novelty soon wore off when our plants and trees were decimated.
A cat on a lead, I never did see such a thing.
Tom aged 17, has been skidding his bike through plies of leaves this week, he declared it ‘the best fun ever!’ He’ll soon be off to college, and I’m not sure if his barometer of fun will be higher or lower!!
Gerry
November 16, 2012
Somehow I think Tom has acquired a connoisseur’s understanding of fun, which seems to be in good supply Around There.
The cat on a lead is unique in my experience too.
Karma
November 17, 2012
Tiger looks like a pretty neat cat ( I just read Bruce’s description of him) and a cool idea to let him outside but keep him safe with the harness and run. Great encounter to have captured! I think the one time Teddy saw a deer peering over our back fence, he was pretty sure it was a very large dog that needed a strong talking-to!
Gerry
November 17, 2012
Cats are different, aren’t they. And some cats are more different than others.
Dawn
November 17, 2012
When Katie was a puppy we walked around the back of the house, her on a leash, me minding my own business and we came upon a doe and her two youngsters. One of the little ones went to stand behind mama…the other little one charged us, stopped, stomped the ground some and kept on coming. Katie wanted to get face to face and was pulling me toward the fawn. But I’m bigger, so I picked her up and retreated. No shame in retreat I say.
Gerry
November 17, 2012
I wonder sometimes what the deer are thinking?!?! I’m bigger than Miss Sadie and the Cowboy, but Miss Sadie is stronger and the Cowboy is sneakier so the deer had better not count on my good nature. No shame in bowing to the inevitable, I say.
Scott Thomas Photography
November 20, 2012
I am not sure I would confront a buck this time of year especially with a doe nearby. Lucky, the buck retreated. Urban wildlife can become nuisance wildlife when their population starts to crowd humans and encounters like this start happening frequently.
It is amazing how when the animals are predators like foxes or coyotes, how much faster they are “taken care” of than deer or geese.
Gerry
November 20, 2012
I suspect the Tiger assumes he can leap out of harm’s way – and he’s hardheaded anyway. As for Bruce, well, he’s an attorney, which explains a lot, and he would be fierce in his defense of the Tiger, as is proper. Miss Sadie and I would turn into the most astonishing whirlwind in defense of the Cowboy. Bucks beware.