Document text
0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Our View: All's well that ends well ... Jeffrey Gillespie: A landmark in the history of love ... Herb Rothschild Jr.: Duke, Roof and us ... Our View: All's well that ends well ... Jeffrey Gillespie: A landmark in the history of love ... Herb Rothschild Jr.: Duke, Roof and us ... 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. DailyTidings.com Writer Posted Jan. 23, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with DailyTidings.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Alerts Email alerts RSS feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. DailyTidings.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501