Deer

I also speak to every animal I see, be it a cat, one of many, many dogs, and definitely to each deer that “possesses” this town. I told you that all wildlife, and most particularly deer, have the full right-of-way. Never a day goes by that I don't see a deer or a doe with a fawn or two browsing in someone's front yard, in the park next to the river, or just snoozing on the courthouse lawn. Nobody ever speeds in this county because if you accidentally hit a deer or any wildlife, the fine is so steep, it would not be worth saving a little time in the car. OK, so you know about my “intimate attitude” toward God's four-legged children.

Well, I was, once again, sorta stuck for what to write about this week, that is until last night. We have a queen bed where all four of us sleep. Gene occupies the left side next to the windows, while I and both cats occupy the other side. It takes a while when the lights go out to get everybody in their “correct spot.” The correct spot for Pierre is in the crook of my right arm with his head on my chest. OK, so last night we got situated by 10:30-ish and Pierre was so happy he was making his little happy noises.

Last night, the strangest thing happened. It was about 2:30 a.m. I have been having night sweats lately and, when that happens, all I can think of is to get cool now, and, when that happens, the first thing that pops into my brain is WINDOW - OPEN IT! Now, mind you, it was 8 degrees last night and there was 5 or 6 inches of snow on the ground, but did I consider that? Of course not. I really do not know what happens to my body chemistry at night. As long as I can remember, I can't talk, think, recognize family members or walk a straight line when I first get up. One of the first things my kids had to learn was how to make and deliver instant coffee to my bed and, if they did not achieve this, the entire day ahead could be altered.

STANFORD - A deer in the roadway helped police stop a high-speed chase early Sunday morning that began after officers tried to stop a vehicle suspected to be stolen. According to reports, Robert J. Baier, 22, of 125 Ridgeway Road, Stanford, was driving a stolen 1992 Mercury Grand Marquis through Crab Orchard when spotted by State Police Vehicle Enforcement officer Shawn Hines and Sheriff's Deputy Ron Luster. Baier allegedly fled from the police over icy roads at a high rate of speed.

LANCASTER - Kentucky State Police responded to a call about an overturned Ford Explorer at 12:35 a.m. today on Ky. 52. An 18-year-old Paint Lick woman was fatally injured in the accident. Lacy Mobley, 19, also of Paint Lick, was driving westbound on Ky. 52 and was approximately eight miles east of Lancaster when a deer entered the eastbound lane. Mobley cut to the right, Police said, to avoid a collision with the deer, then cut back left and lost control of her vehicle. The vehicle overturned several times and ejected passenger Amber Corner, 18, who was pronounced dead at the scene by the Garrard County coroner.

McKINNEY - Hunting since the age of 16, David Ragle thought he'd seen everything when it came to deer. But on Saturday, the now 54-year-old hunter bagged something he'd never encountered before. Early on the first day of hunting season, the Hustonville native was hunting alone near McKinney in Lincoln County. The morning started out much like any other during deer-hunting seasons for Ragle, and after setting up, he looked into a distant field. Eventually, he set his sights on what he thought was just another deer and fired.

Frankfort ? I got lucky with my first deer. I took a shot with my .243 rifle and the deer ran straight towards my tree stand, dropping 20 yards away. That early dose of beginner's luck was just what I needed to build my confidence and bring me back for my next hunt. But as I get ready for my fifth deer season, I've learned just how rare that scenario really is. Even the best shots often result in the need to track a deer. A lethally shot deer can run 100 yards or more, leaving the hunter to pick through thick brush in search of tiny drops of blood.

All I can say is pass the ketchup. Tag soup doesn't taste too good, especially without something to embellish the taste with. So I opt for the ketchup bottle. I had fun though. I didn't get out in the woods very often, but when I did I thoroughly enjoyed it. Nothing smells the same as the woods in the fall. The noises you hear when you're sitting still and the wind blows through the leaves that still remain on the trees are pleasures that you experience at that time of the year.

I haven't heard any success stories yet, but I am sure that there have been some nice deer taken already. A friend and I had been trying to get a landowner with whom we already had permission to hunt to take us to his property and show us the boundaries. We had been trying to get in contact with him for almost a month but couldn't reach him. So we decided to go to his home to leave a note, and we found him there and received detailed directions to the farm: "Well, you go down here and go right on 27, go so far, turn left, go so far, turn right, follow that road about 4 miles.

Have you ever dropped anything from your deer stand and had no sure way of retrieving it but to climb back down and picking it up? I thought so. We hunters have all suffered from this klutziness from time to time. So I have been perusing through archery catalogs in search of some "klutz gear," and have run across some other items that the folks who market this stuff think we can't do without. It's hard for me to believe, but I didn't really come across any "klutz gear," which would be any kind of a retrieval tool you could use to pick up a dropped arrow, bow, hat, glove or anything else.

Well, I was, once again, sorta stuck for what to write about this week, that is until last night. We have a queen bed where all four of us sleep. Gene occupies the left side next to the windows, while I and both cats occupy the other side. It takes a while when the lights go out to get everybody in their “correct spot.” The correct spot for Pierre is in the crook of my right arm with his head on my chest. OK, so last night we got situated by 10:30-ish and Pierre was so happy he was making his little happy noises.

FRANKFORT - It is mid-October and anticipation builds as Kentucky's deer season nears its peak: the opening of modern gun season. This year's opening day on Nov. 10 is timed to coincide with the onset of the rut, the white-tailed deer's annual mating season. Here are some observations at this stage of the season: The archery harvest continues to make news. Hunters took a record 5,578 deer during September. It was the first time the archery harvest during September exceeded 5,000 and the fifth straight year that archers achieved a record harvest during the opening month of bow season.

Let me tell you about two things that happened last weekend that made me happy. I had read everything in the house worth reading so we went to the Salida library. It is not nearly as big as our library in Winchester, but it is pleasant, the staff is very helpful and it smells exactly like a library should smell. We parked right in front, got out and headed for the front door. At first, we failed to notice that standing right in front of the door was a beautiful deer. She was intent on nibbling on the large purple sage plant sitting just to the side of the door.

Last night, the strangest thing happened. It was about 2:30 a.m. I have been having night sweats lately and, when that happens, all I can think of is to get cool now, and, when that happens, the first thing that pops into my brain is WINDOW - OPEN IT! Now, mind you, it was 8 degrees last night and there was 5 or 6 inches of snow on the ground, but did I consider that? Of course not. I really do not know what happens to my body chemistry at night. As long as I can remember, I can't talk, think, recognize family members or walk a straight line when I first get up. One of the first things my kids had to learn was how to make and deliver instant coffee to my bed and, if they did not achieve this, the entire day ahead could be altered.

Report - At 10:26 p.m. Thursday, Garnett D. Fair of 200 Glenway Road room 323 reported that someone took his wallet which included credit cards and cash. Accident - At 2:01 a.m. today, deputies responded to an injury accident on Old Ruckerville Road in which Joseph D. Clower of 1363 Old Ruckerville Road swerved to avoid a deer and struck a tree. He was transported to Clark Regional Medical Center with unspecified injuries.

We were making our way back home after visiting friends. They live just outside of town where traffic is sparse. In fact, we'd be more apt to see a runner or a biker (the non-motorized kind) than a car. And because we are never in a hurry here, we were driving slowly. All of a sudden, we noticed deer in the field on our right, just grazing contentedly. There were six mule deer - three mamas and three babies - and scampering among them was a young fox. I knew there was a family of foxes living next door to our house, but this one was “running with the deer.” Because we didn't want to scare them, we quickly turned off the motor, thrilled to have such a front row seat to what we consider wondrous - wild life and humans happily living together everywhere you look.

Editor's note: Taken from the Danville 911 records, the Police Blotter represents a history of the initial calls and the information used by the dispatcher to send officers to investigate complaints. It is not necessarily an indication of what the officer found upon arrival at the scene, or of how the complaint may have been dealt with.   NOVEMBER 11 4:16 a.m., report that mailboxes have been smashed on Bluegrass Pike starting at Gentry Lane through Venetian Way. 5:42 a.m., report that a car left a residence on Nichols Street and struck three mailboxes before fleeing down Sycamore toward the viaduct.

The modern firearms season for deer is in full swing, and I've seen with my own eyes plenty of signs that deer are in their full rut mode now. There are plenty of scrapes and rubs that can be observed by hunters or observers who venture into the woods at this time of year. I debated with myself about possibly just using my muzzleloader this year, but decided to go ahead and use a center-fire rifle. There is a huge weight differential between the muzzleloader and the rifle. I spent some time spent at the range this year trying to get my firearm hitting where I pointed it. The use of a scope sight is imperative for me, because I cannot see a notch-V rear sight and front sight with clarity.

Cooler weather and the color changes of the leaves are both tell-tale signs of fall. And when fall arrives, wildlife also seem to stir as November kicks off the heart of the deer migration and mating season. That also means motorists should take extra caution when driving because of those factors, which also play a role in increased crashes between deer and vehicles. “It is extremely important to recognize this ever-present risk, especially at this time of year when nearly 50 percent of all collisions with deer occur,” said Lt. David Jude, a Kentucky State Police spokesman.

I also speak to every animal I see, be it a cat, one of many, many dogs, and definitely to each deer that “possesses” this town. I told you that all wildlife, and most particularly deer, have the full right-of-way. Never a day goes by that I don't see a deer or a doe with a fawn or two browsing in someone's front yard, in the park next to the river, or just snoozing on the courthouse lawn. Nobody ever speeds in this county because if you accidentally hit a deer or any wildlife, the fine is so steep, it would not be worth saving a little time in the car. OK, so you know about my “intimate attitude” toward God's four-legged children.