4:00 pm • White tailed deer are one of the more predominant mammals in the Northwoods. We all see them in our yards, at the edge of the road even in town. They are ever present, much like the squirrels and the chickadees. People end conversations with “drive safe and watch for deer,” which begs the question – do deer warn other deer to watch for humans?

This piece was one of the first pieces started in this body of work – it was started before I even knew I was working on a series. I created it in response to my first vehicle run in with a deer. The deer did not survive, and there was a lot of damage to the vehicle too. It was scary and dispiriting. My love, Cassidy, and I were nearing the end of our house build with a goal to move in a few months later. We were driving to our land with construction supplies in our only hauler vehicle, when a deer, running at full speed from a field, pitched itself into the road in front of a vehicle headed north and hit our vehicle broadside as we were headed south. I was in the passenger seat so I wasn’t certain what occurred when the driver’s window shattered with a bang. I remember screaming, thinking a vehicle might have hit us, not sure if Cassidy was hurt. Other than being covered in a few scratches and some superficially embedded glass Cassidy was mainly fine. I was physically fine as well. But the small accident had a larger mental impact. We had to use money from our building budget to fix up the vehicle as best we could. It took time to work on the vehicle and until it was usable it took more time and trips to haul supplies.

I felt selfish for being irritated at the deer, especially knowing it had lost it’s life, but I was still irritated. Simultaneously, I adore deer. I support proper conservation efforts and I am grateful for the sustenance deer provide to all living beings in the Northwoods. This piece grew out of all of those conflicting feelings. This piece has been in the works for 3 or 4 years and it really has taken on a life of it’s own as I dealt with that one deer’s death, the finishing of our home, the ongoing climate crisis, and my contemplation of my place in the wild world. It is all intertwined, and therefore complicated.

Featured flora and fauna • Canadian Warbler, Gray Tree Frog, White Campion, Harebell, Wild Lettuce, Cabbage White Butterfly, White Tailed Deer

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