Comments on: Deer prudence

By: Sandy

Sandy — Sat, 17 Jul 2010 20:23:22 +0000

If that poor deer had died here, it would have been eaten. I’ve had co-workers eat deer that they’ve hit with their cars (the thought being that the meat was in some way to pay back for damages to the auto). Once, when I was in HS, my mother’s boyfriend ran over a huge hog. It was clearly farm raised but no one would take ownership, since that would mean they’d be liable for any damages as well, so we called up a friend who came down with his pickup and his sons and enjoyed many a porky meal. Since I’ve moved a little bit away from the country (you can actually spot my driveway from the road now), my new co-workers and friends are more squeamish about such things. Now we say a little prayer and contemplate a good burial site (if it’s dead) or debate taking the animal (if it’s wounded) to the local veternarian. Such is the disparity between country and city living.

By: beachnitpicker

beachnitpicker — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 16:33:56 +0000

I saw the piece in the Times and I, too, had the impression the pond was small and shallow. Also, even a cursory examination would certainly tell you whether the deer died the night before rather than several months ago. The internal temperature test sounds like a good idea to me.

By: Tamar

Tamar — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 18:05:56 +0000

I can’t say for sure, but I had the impression from the piece that the pond wasn’t deep enough for a deer to sink below the surface, in which case it must have run in, under its own power, that very night.

By: Linda

Linda — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 16:57:00 +0000

Tamar, in your defense, I didn’t take “anti-Tamar” as your feeling you are the measure of all things and self regarding. Even if you were, it’s your Blog, so maybe you are the measure of all things here.
On another note, I will have to say that eating a floating deer would not have been something that I would have even considered. Even if it looked fresh, it could have been in the drink since the hunting season last fall. (At least with road kill, you know that it was very recently alive.) I’m sure I would have either dug a hole and put Bambi in for a dirt nap or would have let the fish and/or other larger scavengers have at it.

By: Woodsman

Woodsman — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 16:39:33 +0000

While I would be the last person to advise you on your locutions, I might suggest taking a core temperature on the beast and trying to figure the likely time of death (sort of).
You may not be able to find out exactly when it died, however if you cut it open and it is somewhat warmer inside it has not been too long.

By: Tamar

Tamar — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 15:16:34 +0000

Aaron — You mean I’m not the measure of all things?

Alas, I’m not. And I wasn’t crazy about the anti-Tamar, either. I’m finding that one of the hazards of volume production is that I sometimes settle for suboptimal constructions. If I had thought of “major weenie,” I would have used it instead.

But I’ll be more careful, now that I know you’re watching.

By: Aaron Haspel

Aaron Haspel — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 15:07:37 +0000

Your quotidian struggles to extract food from your surroundings have certainly impressed me, and your boy Kevin Wilson, on whom I will take pity by not quoting him, sounds like a major weenie. That said, you might want to avoid locutions like “the anti-Tamar,” however one punctuates it, which sound a bit self-regarding. (For lo, it is not man, but I, Tamar, who am the measure of all things…)