Cindy,

One day Chick (my wife) and I were bream fishing among some cypress trees on
Black Bayou and I heard something sliding off the bank. The forest comes
right up to the lake on that side, and there was lots of underbrush, so I
thought it was a big alligator. Then, not fifty feet from us came a
whitetail doe. We stayed quiet and still, as she swam out
into the lake. Then she saw us and turned and headed back. Along the shore
are floating cypress logs and she got her front legs over one and could not
get either back leg over. The harder she struggled, the more her head
bobbed under and she was getting strangled and thrashing harder and
harder -- trying to get first one hind leg up high enough to
get a foot hold and then the other. I could tell by how here belly spread
out that she was carrying a fawn -- probably two. (Twins are the norm for
white tails, I think.)

I paddled over as fast as I could and grabbed the leg she was trying to lift
and raised it far enough for her to get it onto
the log, and she hoisted herself over and struggled through some more logs
and water's edge brush and got onto the
shore.

She stopped there, lowered her head and coughed up some water and slime for
a few minutes as if oblivious to us,
while we just sat there and watched.

Finally she turned her head and looked at us as if to say "Thank you," and
then walked off slowly.

My guess is that she was about ready to give birth and came down to the
water to get the weight off. It's just a guess.

I've told this experience to a few friends who said they would have had
venison for supper, despite the fact it was out of hunting season.

Everybody to his own way of thinking, I guess. I'm just glad we got to see
her, and glad I could help.


g

"Cindy" wrote in message
. ..

That one time -- whatever brought it about, or whatever it meant
to the squirrel -- is one of the cherished little moments of my life.
You and your mocking bird seem to have a more long-term
relationship. Good for you...

g

Perhaps he was a pet or rescue that had been freed? Neat experience,
anyway! Makes you feel good when a wild animal seems to trust you.

Cindy