• Saturday-What'sUP September 23 - 12:30 pm

It seems like the deer have been moving around a bit more lately, perhaps looking for more to eat. Cindy Freeman spotted several deer while exploring the Keweenaw recently, both of which seem to be checking her out as much as she was them! Nice developing rack on the young buck in the second photo. Or would the correct term be "spikehorn"?

Another familiar deer scene is the third shot from David Soumis... a doe standing in the field on guard, while her two fawns are almost hidden in the tall grass. Remember, when you're out driving around, keep your eyes peeled for deer along the side of the road and slow down when you see them. It might make the difference between avoiding a collision with one or not!

Yes, the deer are moving around now in readiness for the upcoming rutting season very soon. They are restless, & easily spooked.
We hit a big buck just around the corner from us a few years ago right about this date. Came out of no where! Very luckily no damage at all to the old Crown Victoria! Scary & sad it happened but we did call the Sheriff, got the proper report filled out and a permit! Didn't want it to go to waste so had lots of venison that winter!

Edie and I saw two bucks just like the one in the middle picture - standing in the yard across the street here in Eagle River. I grabbed my cell phone to take a picture, and by the time I finished fumbling with it, they were gone. Both had velvety antlers just like the one above..

Mary was right about the deer checking me out as much as I was checking them out when I was in the Keweenaw in August. The deer in the first shot was not very concerned about me taking the picture. I spotted it on the edge of town in Covington in the early evening. I grabbed my camera, got out of the car, took a few shots, and decided that it would be better with my zoom lens. I actually had time to change the lens and take several more shots before it wandered off into the woods. The next shot was a beautiful morning drive up Brockway Mountain. I happened to have my camera in hand while my husband was driving and there it was! It posed nicely and then went on its way. I love taking pictures of the wildlife in the U.P. and it's fun to share them on Pasty.com. Thanks, Mary.

Nice shots Cindy, The buck in the second photo looks like a three or four point forkhorn. One of the forks could be hidden.

that doe in my shot was actually not more than 20 feet from the car. She was alert, but not frightened at al. The fawns were just walking around, not even paying attention. We saw well over 20 deer down by the Sturgeon River in Chassell that evening. One of them actually stated to approach the car and got really close, but my grandson, 3 years old, started to jump around the car to see better and spooked her off.

My last trip home on Sunday I lost count of all of the deer along the ditch lines. Had to be 70+ in a 130 mile drive and thankfully only one was in the road and passed with out a close call.

HAHHHH,, November, great time of year to be in the Keweenaw. Hope I can get there this year.

3 weeks ago friends of my husband and I were killed in a accident because of deer, you start looking at them as something other than pretty. Keep a watch out for them as you drive along with rutting season coming up, they can jump out in front of you faster then you think.

While browsing around the net tonight. I came across this site in reference to our beloved late photographer Dan Urbanski . I always get to thinking of Dan about this time of year. I miss his wonderful photography. Here's to you Dan!

Porcupine Mountains Artist-In-Residence Program
(http://www.porkies.org/artist.html)

The Dan Urbanski Artist in Residence Cabin is nearing completion...

Janie T, I am so sorry to hear that. I think it's almost a matter of when, not if, you will hit a deer. The question is how well you handle your vehicle at the time. You need to learn not to swerve, because you could either swerve into oncoming traffic, which is worse than hitting the deer in the first place, or you could go in the ditch and roll your car. Around here, when people are injured, it is usually because they swerved & lost control of their car, ending up in a ditch or hitting a tree, in many cases rolling multiple times.

My Mich Tech son was in a car, but not the driver, when the hit a deer just 1 mile east of Mich Tech, when they came home from Spring Break this year. Neither of them were injured, and there was minimal damage to the car that time, thank heavens. Other Tech students have hit deer, usually east of Marquette. One minivan full of students at Thanksgiving a couple of years ago several times, totaling the car & injuring the kids & destroying their stuff. Both my husband and I have hit deer in the past. This was great topic & great timing, to go with some super cool pictures, looking the deer straight in the eyes!

The key is to gently brake and keep your hands firmly on the steering wheel, stay calm, and tell your passengers to brace themselves.

That's why harvesting the hurd is so important, so they don't injure/kill people in autos and to limit starvation. One ran into the side of my company van in the U.P. a few years ago on M28 east of Newberry, and caused $3,200 in damages.
I agree with Marianne, it is almost a matter of when, especially in the U.P.
Janie, sorry to hear about your friends.

And another very important aspect to this deer thing.--Remember when one crosses the road in front of you, caution! still let up and brake! Almost always there are one or more coming behind it! We've stopped for as many as 6-8 at a time but usually its 2-3! Our daughter and others we know of have been hit broadside by a deer also. With those, one usually never sees it coming at all! Watch the cars ahead that may have one run across in front of them. You wouldn't want to rear end someone that is brakeing unexpectedly and conversely you wouldn't want someone behind you rearending you if you have to suddenly stop!
Besides the incident above we also hit one years ago up in the backroads of Missaukee county at 5:30 in the morning! We weren't as lucky that time! Spun the car around in the road and did suffer damage. The worst thing though was, and something to remember, --couldn't find a phone, a DNR officer or police anywhere at that time of the morn and back miles in the boonies! I guess good thing nowadays for cell phones!

I agree with both Unclechuck and Russemmons. I hit a deer when I was fairly young, about 18. I was driving a Camaro, pulling a really nice boat (both my then boyfriend's, not mine), when I saw 4 deer standing on the other side of the road, up in the woods of east Texas. The speed limit was 70 mph back then. I put my foot gently on the brake, so that I had slowed down to about 50 mph. The first three crossed the road, but I clipped the last one, on the passenger's side. It was getting late, near dusk. That was a pretty scary experience for a young driver. The guy (who was 4 or 5 years older than I was) was just thankful that I was driving because he said he would have at least jack knifed the trailer, and probably worse, so his (precious) boat was saved. The people in the car behind us were right there to pick up the dead deer. We did not know the procedure for handling that. When we got back to the outskirts of Houston, we called my dad to escort us back in because the headlights were out after hitting the deer. (And no, the guy would not drive, even then. I had to drive the whole time, as he hated pulling the boat.)

I have had so many close calls with Deer jumping out in front of many of my vehicles,and one with a friend's station wagon with several Deer to avoid.I'am talking of 10 or more times since 1969.One was so close i could have reached out my 68 Nova's window and grabed it by the horns,as it turned and ran along side of me until i slowed down.This was in Christmas,MI.Had these close calls from the U.P. to Jackson,MI.And never hit a Deer yet! Knock on wood,knock, knock.Am i lucky or is it i'am good? I have never had one close call here in Tennessee since i lived here four years this past week with Deer. But three times thus far i dang near hit two big milk Cows an one Steer on these winding Country roads.I have not even run over a Dog or Cat,or a rodent of anykind!Well maybe a mouse but who could tell?I had some close calls yes.I found a small bird in my grill one time.And thank the Lord above i never came close to hitting a child or pedestrian!

Last winter was so mild they were moving a lot down here in Pinckney. I also believe if you see one stay slow cause more are coming. I had 3 run in front of me last year so I slowed down nearly stopping for them, looked out the side window and one was coming straight for the passenger door. Had to hit the gas that time not to get hit.