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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories New Southern Oregon University board votes to bump tuition nearly 5 percent in the fall Police Reports Schneider Art Museum installation re-imagines Rivera UPDATED: Two lanes open after I-5 truck crash near Siskiyou Summit 10 things to know for Friday Education New Southern Oregon University board votes to bump tuition nearly 5 percent in the fall Why OLLI matters: A personal perspective Southern Oregon University names director of marketing Dianne Williamson: College admissions mania ill-advised Rotary Club of Ashland names Riley O'Sullivan as Student of the Month Environment Mt. Ashland Ski Area to host party March 28 Mt. Ashland hopes coming storm will reopen ski area Wild Side: Selfish and other reasons for saving endangered species Mt. Ashland Ski Area: Low snow closes 'bunny hill' chairlift for beginning skiers With pre-season conditions worst in 25 years, catastrophic wildfires expected in region this summer Business Ride & Drive: 2015 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque Snow hopes dashed, Mt. Ashland Ski Area hosts season-ending party Saturday Iconic Ashland bookstore to celebrate 35th anniversary on April 19 Test Drive: 2015 Honda Accord Cars We Remember: The original Candymatic Ramchargers Politics and elections Jackson County Commissioners plan no tax on marijuana for first year Grassroots group campaigns for Plaza paver do-over Arthur I. Cyr: Iran – a crisis without end Short-term rental restrictions kept in some areas, loosened in others Arthur I. Cyr: South Korea represents long-term triumph – for them and for US State News Oregon's governor appoints new secretary of state Nation - World Leonard Nimoy, famous as Mr. Spock on 'Star Trek,' dies Obituaries Death Notices Alicia Applegate Hardy Death Notices Rosalind Dee Death Notices Shareable Sports Latest Stories Grizz baseball team caps Arizona trip with another win Ashland Rowing Club hires highly touted coach and national-award winning team director to lead expansion Antionette Kerr: Tourney fever gets superstitious Blazers fight back, edge Jazz Grizzlies rally past Colorado school for Greenway Festival victory High school Grizz baseball team caps Arizona trip with another win Grizzlies rally past Colorado school for Greenway Festival victory Ashland softball team splits pair in second day of Bend tournament Grizzlies rally past GP, to 2-0 start Ashland boys capture another Sato Cup snowboard title at Mt. Bachelor Southern Oregon University Grizz baseball team caps Arizona trip with another win Grizzlies rally past Colorado school for Greenway Festival victory Ashland softball team splits pair in second day of Bend tournament Ducks enjoy the challenge Oregon bows out Voices Latest Stories Guest Opinion: Ashland council vote on travelers accommodations was less than transparent Herb Rothschild Jr: Failing at charity Philip Maddocks: GOP plan offers hope for poor once they become rich Matthew T. Mangino: A clearer picture of police shootings begins to emerge Letters to the Editor, March 27 Editorial Our View: Build it; they will play Our View: How it should work Our View: Ashland High principal is the head of her class Our View: Tuition trauma Our View: SOU's economic clout Letters Letters to the Editor, March 27 Letters to the Editor, March 25 Letters to the Editor, March 23 Letters to the Editor, March 20 Letters to the Editor, March 19 Guest opinions Guest Opinion: Ashland council vote on travelers accommodations was less than transparent Guest Opinion: Hannah Thomas-Garner's father thanks the Ashland community Guest Opinion: Ashland is asking for trouble with new room rental rules Guest Opinion: More reasons to oppose Jordan Cove Guest Opinion: It's Groundwater Awareness Week; test your well Columns Guest Opinion: Ashland council vote on travelers accommodations was less than transparent Herb Rothschild Jr: Failing at charity Philip Maddocks: GOP plan offers hope for poor once they become rich Matthew T. Mangino: A clearer picture of police shootings begins to emerge Jeffrey Gillespie: Pax Americana? At what price? Chris Honore Council Corner Editor's Notes Jeffrey Gillespie Herb Rothschild Revels Latest Stories Top 5 things to do this week Laurie Lewis and Kathy Kallick pay tribute to Arkansas bluegrass duo Vern Williams and Ray Park The Oregon Shakespeare Festival presents Eugene O'Neill's autobiographical 'Long Day's Journey into Night' Community blog: Words, wine and Craig Wright 4 Things To Do This Week Theater Ticket availability Ticket Availability Ashland Contemporary Theatre seeks new artistic director Ticket Availability The Oregon Shakespeare Festival presents Eugene O'Neill's autobiographical 'Long Day's Journey into Night' Music Futureshock: Kendrick Lamar release points to road ahead Laurie Lewis and Kathy Kallick pay tribute to Arkansas bluegrass duo Vern Williams and Ray Park Album reviews: Recent and recommended for March The Farr Side: New format for ‘American Idol’ as show continues a strong run Improv rock and folk band hosts a dance party at the Ashland Community Center Visual Art Ashland's First Friday Art Walk showcases new exhiits by regional artists Movies Movie review: In ‘Danny Collins,’ Pacino helps us imagine a Lennon story Noah Baumbach talks Ben Stiller, adult comedies and more In 'Timbuktu,' lust for power disturbs peace Movie review: ‘The Gunman’ misses the target Movie listings: March 20-26 Food and Drink Cruelest Month: Poetry Blog Lifestyle Latest Stories Ride & Drive: 2015 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque App Finder: Best barbecue apps Health Watch: It’s OK to have a cheat day Inner Peace: The good, the bad and the spiritual Antionette Kerr: Tourney fever gets superstitious Aging Happens Inner Peace Column Inner Peace Blog Rogues: Tales from the Valley Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » Obituaries Photos Videos Blogs Business Business Services NEWS NOW Ashland Calendar: Saturday, March 28 ... Guest Opinion: Ashland council vote on travelers accommodations was less than transparent ... Herb Rothschild Jr: Failing at charity ... Ashland Calendar: Saturday, March 28 ... Guest Opinion: Ashland council vote on travelers accommodations was less than transparent ... Herb Rothschild Jr: Failing at charity ... GUEST COLUMN Jeffrey Gillespie: Deer me Comment DailyTidings.com Writer Posted Jan. 23, 2015 at 12:01 AM Posted Jan. 23, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Social News The comedic genius Louis C.K. talks about it in his act, and when I was a city slicker, I felt exactly the same way. Deer were magical. I was one of those guys who would pull the car off the road and whip out my phone whenever one would reveal itself on the roadway. They were, as Louis liked to say, "a gift from God". But after a few years in a small town, that approach has sorely failed me. These days, when I get up in the morning and wander into the backyard with a cup of tea, it's a little daunting to see the inevitable gaggle of deer. They're not just a benevolent herd, either, nor is their number particularly small. Often times they're led by an eight- or 10-point buck, who will level a steady and watchful gaze, which (under those antlers) can create the effect of some pagan deity. There's clearly a paradox to be dealt with, here. These are beautiful creatures, with whom we have cohabited in relative pastoral bliss for centuries. However, I also remember such movie classics as Alfred Hithcock's "The Birds" and Franklin J. Schaffner's "Planet of the Apes." I have thoughts about Charlton Heston, and I wonder if his lifelong NRA membership might have something to do with an unspoken fear that these gentle beasts might, without sufficient deterrent, slowly rise up and turn into a global army of kamikaze ungulates? I don't want to be reactionary, but I also don't want to end up as the Tippi Hedren of the Rogue Valley. A sweet old lady down my street recently told me that she was driving home at night, turned the corner in her ancient Volvo, and was confronted by a throng of belligerents. She hit them with her headlights. Instead of doing the polite thing and discreetly moving on, they stayed put, and granny nearly swerved into a ditch. That seems like potentially too bloody an outcome from a run-in with a gang of ruminants. Of course, we all know that if you see this many deer, there are bound to be myriad more in hiding. Even nature lovers (and I am among them) are forced to admit that deer populations are exploding all over the country, and are a massive threat to the biodiversity of the forest. In many areas, there are sections of wilderness that look as though they have been mowed. Myriad other plant and wildlife communities have been thrown off-balance. Aldo Leopold, as early as 1948, wrote about the dangers. Even the Wall Street Journal has piped in with radical, free-market suggestions — in one affluent community on the Eastern seaboard, they hired sharpshooters. D.H. Lawrence famously wrote that he never saw a wild thing feel sorry for itself. Well, he lived in New Mexico when he wrote that, and probably didn't have to defend his prize tulips from a swarm of intruders. Then he might have been forced to make them sorry. I'm a vegetarian and a PETA member, so of course this article is tongue in cheek. I'm no speciesist. But I'm also the type who won't take in feral cats, on the off chance that they may kill me in my sleep. So, when Bambi starts to stare a little too long, the hairs on the back of my neck respond appropriately. I look both ways before I head out to my car, just like I did in the city. I'm not sure if I'll ever challenge the biggest of them to a territorial brawl. In the meantime, I'll keep my guard up — and I'll keep planting campanula. Jeffrey Gillespie's writing has appeared in the Santa Fean and Art Collector magazines, the Portland Mercury and Willamette Week. He lives in Ashland. 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