I grew up in the deepest, darkest suburban hell of Toronto. As a young adult, I lived downtown, and also in the heart of Montréal for several years. You can find many interesting, not to mention startling, things when you walk around a city with your head down, but I never saw one of THESE until I moved to our farm...
It's a deer tag!
I found this lying in our laneway after a visit from my beekeeping friend, Eugene. The tag fell out of the back of his pick-up truck. He had just come back from taking a (dead) deer to the local butcher, and stopped by for a chat. Eugene doesn't hunt these days, although he used to be quite the trapper. He's more a fluffy bunny man now. The deer was shot by his son. I am grateful he didn't stop by when the deer was still in the back of the truck!
The dogs were VERY excited about the interesting smells in the bed of the pick-up and I had to stop them from jumping in.
I don't have a problem with responsible hunters, so long as they are not trophy-hunting, and eat/use what they kill. I really can't say much against hunting until I turn vegetarian. But personally I could not shoot an animal, and I guarantee I will never own a gun. I can't even kill insects! As for fishing, I gave that up when I was a teenager, because I found it too brutal, what with the hook in the mouth and all.
If I weren't such a hypocrite, I'd be a vegetarian by now. I don't eat a lot of meat, and I prefer fish, but I have not gone all the way down chickpea lane yet. I do at least buy whatever meat we consume from local farmers, where I know the animals have led decent lives.
So, what have you found in YOUR driveway lately?
(Or if you don't have a driveway, what about the sidewalk?)
No driveway.. I park on the street!
ReplyDeleteI agree with your take on hunting. I could never kill a deer but realize that there are too many of them (esp. in Glengarry! when everyone is hitting them with their cars) so it's okay to cull the population somewhat. My neighbour is a responsible hunter and at this point in his life, won't shoot a doe or baby...only bucks. And he eats it all (and gives me the heart, which I've come to love eating!)
ReplyDeleteNever found much of interest on my driveway, except maybe a family of baby wood ducks, who had just hatched from a nest in the old building's chimney. They ran around the driveway like made till I walked them across the road to my neighbour's pond.
Weeds and more weeds.
ReplyDeleteI'm such a wimp I can't kill weeds or cut the grass or hedge ...... or I might just be a little bit lazy!
Jams, go look on someone else's driveway!
ReplyDeleteRonna, we certainly are overrun with deer (as you and Gordon and your respective cars know well!) And I am still dubious about the tastiness of heart, but I'll take your word for it!
And your wood ducks are much lovelier than my deer tag.
Calum, you and my husband have the same soft spot for wees and grass...
Not on my drive but on my doorstep, I found a dead bat the other morning. It looked as though it had been tryng to huddle up against the wall for warmth but the cold had killed it. Goodness knows what it had been doing out and about at this time of year.
ReplyDeleteI can understand how you'd know about your husband but how did you know about my soft spot for "wees"
ReplyDeleteLittle Blue Mouse, i know that in North America, some bats are suffering from white nose syndrome (a fatal fungal disease) that drives them out of hibernation. Hope it's nothing like that!! Poor little bat.
ReplyDeleteCalum, WEEDS! WEEDS! :)
I don’t think I’d ever find one of these on the streets of Chicago. :) But I do often find broken beer bottles, garbage, newspapers. Two days ago I did find a $5 bill. I was quite thrilled!
ReplyDeleteOooh, David, finding money is always good!! Beats a deer tag.
ReplyDelete