Deer have grown to like and trust us, it seems. This fawn later was moved to a more secluded spot.

We’ve lived quite a while in the same house on an oversized. well-hedged lot Uptown — about 62 years. Used to grow tulips, roses, raspberries, tomatoes, beans and such out in the open. In easier years, in the ‘30s and ‘40s, it was about the same, despite the fact that we lived next to the woods. Never saw a deer out along San Juan Avenue — but we did have Chinese pheasants as a nuisance in the corn patch. And our dogs ran free.

Deer are just more dedicated to survival of themselves and their young these days — and drifted into town as what used to be woodlands were gradually divested of trees, bushes and berries — and became the home of free-range dogs. Said dogs are kept pretty much on leash in the city area these days, but the law does not apply elsewhere. I don’t recall just now when the intra-city deer problem began . . . or when the city passed its leash law.

But some of the same people who used to complain about dogs are now complaining about deer — and have been grumbling about newcomers in general right along.

It was about 1966 or so that development of Cape George began — and growth continued in about every direction. Kala Point ca. 1975, etc. Since the deer problem began, it’s grown at whatever its rate along with the general population — about eight a month for humans within the city proper since 2,000 and 32,221 estimated for present (10,148 in the 2020 Census). Population for the entire county in 2020 was 32, 221. compared to 25,953 in 2000. I have no figures for deer.

We (at our house) took a lesson from the deer and built a tall garden fence to meet the challenge of change. Over-population and global warming can’t be blamed on innocent deer. But I won’t be around to worry about what the world will need rather than an 8-foot fence not too many years from now.

And no, we don’t feed them, but they are free to forage. It’s almost impossible to fence our entire double lot — with its hedges , alley, off-street parking, etc. So we just enjoy the company.