I really hope she's just pregnant...
callktulu
Member Posts: 3,451 ✭✭✭
...and not sick from a parasite or disease. Can worms/parasites make her belly this big?
She's been big like this since December. Doing some research and math, it is possible for mule deer to go into heat in late September, and they start to show after 3 months, which vibes with when we first saw her in Dec...
I also researched that although they normally give birth to 2 fawns, they can have up to 4, although it is rare. Maybe she's got 3 or 4 in there?
Here's the recent pics from this weekend...
The day before I was able to feed her, she stood right outside the bedroom window, and we were able to watch her belly... it moved (not rhythmically, like breathing) as if babies were moving & kicking around.
Please tell me giant parasitic worms can't do that or make her look this big. Please tell me it's fawns...
Comments
no idea as to cause .Not familiar enough with mule deer to judge. You might contact your states fish and game dept .I am sure their biologist can answer your question
They were useless. They said if it's hanging around in your area, call us.
This is me holding my breath for them to show when I call...
😤
Could be your feed.
check with the colleges and universities in your state .I am sure one of them teaches wildlife degree courses . Somewhere there will be someone who can answer your questions
There is corn in the Squirrel Feed we put in the bird feeder. I'm not saying all deer are identical, but of the 100s of deer that have come through here the last 5 years, she would be the only one to have an adverse reaction.
That's a pregnant doe if I ever saw one.
And fiery auto crashes
Some will die in hot pursuit
While sifting through my ashes
Some will fall in love with life
And drink it from a fountain
That is pouring like an avalanche
Coming down the mountain
There is something definitely wrong with her. Look at how skinny her hips and back are. That bulge is too low and forward to be a fawn. Could be a hernia or some sort of gut blockage. Or an infected wound building up pus internally.
OK, so some dissenting opinions....!😄
I called and then emailed our local DNR with some pictures (not of me feeding her! 😉), so hopefully they can shed some light. Again, I'm not holding my breath... the tone of the people on the phone when I called gave me the distinct impression of "Why are you bothering us?" I don't expect a thorough or satisfying response.
I guess if worst comes to worst, I'll lure her in with apples, break her neck, and perform a necropsy. 😛
I KID, I KID!!!!!!
Here's the response from DNR:
"Thank you for sending these pictures. Unfortunately she is not pregnant. Someone in the area is feeding the deer and they are feeding them food that they can not properly digest. That type of food causes gas and bloating which is why she is so fat. In these situations they almost always die when they eat improper food as they cannot properly digest it. Unfortunately we are unable to do anything for her. If you know of anyone that is feeding her and the deer in the area please let us know so we can put a stop to it so the other deer in the area do not have to go through the same thing that she is."
I read the article about the deer following an CO elderly lady into her home and attacking her. I have no doubt it happened or that it has happened to others in CO the past few years as reported. What makes CO deer different if what that the Parks Wildlife say is to blame, feeding deer? Feed the deer who get used to people and then a few will follow people into their home for food.
If that's true, why aren't deer where they're being fed, legally or illegally, becoming home invaders? Haven't heard of it being a problem in the northern tier of states where I would guess people would put food out for them in the winter months or anytime of year for that matter.
While working in Lincoln MT, I had a gentleman step out on his back porch with me and offered me a coffee can full of corn. It was dead of winter with 3-4 ft of snow on the ground. He told me to just shake the can. When I did, about 20 whitetail deer materialized out of the timber. Some were real bruiser bucks with racks fit to grace any trophy room. They were fat and sleek, but small bodied. They would walk up pretty close but he advised me not to even try to get them to eat from my hand. That was forbidden is his neighborhood. It was rather apparent that EVERYONE fed the deer through winter, but it was understood that they needed to at least attempt to keep them at arm's length. Now, I better understand why.
I hope your little doe will be OK!
She came by again yesterday, this time in our front yard. If I had opened my bedroom window, I could have reached out and touched her. She watched us watching her eat snow and search for food (which there is none in our front yard of rocks! LOL!).
We watched her belly closely and still can't tell if there's movement/babies in there...