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July 10, 1980 - Deer Not Rare On L.I.SECOND SECTION Deer Not Rare on L.I. Someone called me last week all excited. There was a deer in their marsh. "Is this unusual? We've never seen them here before!" Deer here on the Island are not ur mon, particularly if the area affords good cover. Some of the areas of Montauk, the Hamptons, Orient, and Shelter Island have so many deer they become a real problem. They do damage to farm crops and also eat shrubbery around summer homes when it quiets down after Labor Day. During the summer when people are out here, the deer keep pretty much away, but come fall and the leaves drop from the trees, those choice green plantings around the houses look pretty good to the ever - roving deer. A few weeks ago, when I was out on Gardiners Island on our annual osprey census, I came across a deer lying down. Deer browse or feed mostly during the night and then rest during the day. Everything was in my favor ... the wind was away from the deer toward me, the area I was walking through afforded good cover and was soft, allowing me a quiet approach...and most of all I was moving very slowly. What I was actually doing was trying to locate a marsh hawk's nest in the tangle that covers much of the open part of the island. As my binoculars swung over the area, they picked up that soft reddish - brown so characteristic of our white - tailed deer. Its head was up as if it almost knew something wasn't quite right. This was a doe, for it had no horns but was still fair size. How big her eyes were! Nature had designed them well for night seeing. For the fun of it, I started walking up slowly toward the deer. At first she didn't notice me, then with a quick movement of attention all eyes, ears and nose were sensing me. Still it did not move. Close and closer I went ever so slowly, until the anxiety of the unknown became too much and she was up and bounding away... white tail telling all to beware! We're told this white tail wagging is a warning to all other deer in the area to get up and go -- danger is around. I was amazed how easily she bounded off. Her jumps seemed effortless as I caught glimpses of her as she traveled through the woods. Preparations For Battle Later I spotted another in the same area, but this one was a handsome buck with antlers deep in velvet. This is the growing time for horns, the prelude to mating. Soon after the summer's fattening the rutting season starts, then those soft, growing horns will become hard and polished and ready for dueling. Fierce battles will be fought to see who will win the fair ladies. Often I've seen the bark - scraped saplings throughout the woods, where the bucks have rubbed off their velvet in anticipation of becoming that knight in shining armor. Deer are excellent swimmers, and many times deer have crossed to the mainland from Gardiner's, Robins and Shelter Is- lands. This accounts for many of the unusual sightings we see in areas where deer are not common. I remember a few years ago when two swam from Robins Island and landed on Nassau Point. One passed right through J i`7 t 9 @ C�, N7'(� @Gli M91Q1flT(q my pasture and was the first we'd ever seen here. The pair eventually made it all the way to the North Road, where un- fortunately they were later killed by cars. Another hazard they encounter is when our domesticated dogs get the scent of a deer and inevitably chase it to the ground. This harassing causes the deer to try to escape, and since Long Island is a rather confined area accounts for additional sightings in towns, and backyards. Dogs are probably the deer's worst enemy, next to man. Years ago natural predators kept the deer in check, but now we have destroyed all the wolves, coyotes, mountain lions, and deer have no checks and therefore over - breed. The end result is usually starvation. To overcome this tragedy, strange as it may seem to some, controlled hunting is the next best thing. Here again wildlife management becomes an important factor in our unbalanced natural world. Deer Just About Everywhere Deer seem to be just about everywhere out here on Long Island. All the big islands have their deer population, including Fire Island off the south shore. This, as you know, is nothing but a strip of sand with patches of scrub pine and rolling dunes, an area few people would consider ideal for deer. Yet I photographed ten deer through a window in a Ranger's home one winter's day when we were visiting. When I worked there during the summers as a Park Naturalist I could almost always guaran- tee the visitors a sight of a deer if they would get up early enough. Early evenings and early mornings were the times to see them. Many's the time when I've been afield I've come across deer walks. These are areas that are trampled down by the continual passing of deer. They, like the domesticated cow, follow the paths of least resistance to where they are going, and if you have the patience and sit along one of these paths, you will often be rewarded by the sight of a deer. Once when I was up in the Catskills years ago I sat on one of these walks and, truly, a deer walked'right up to me. I didn't blink an eye -- I almost stopped breathing as this deer came right up and stared me down ... and then went on his way,unim- pressed. Deer are probably the most common of all our large animals and the one most people associate with. Yet the sight of one always is stimulating. Perhaps it's be- cause to most of us deer best represent all of nature...that unknown phenomenon we unconsciously long for...perhaps that's telling us something. That we are part of this wonderful world of outdoor life ... and as such should start trying to understand it better and try to work with it rather than against it. PAUL STOUTENBURGH DISTRIBUTOR OF MICHELIN . DUNLOP - PEERLESS TIRES — WHEELS — TUBES — RECAPS — FOR PASSENGER CARS,TRUCKS, & R.V.'s ko WHEEL ALIGNMENTS AVAILABLE ,W Largest Inventory On The North Fork Q r visa° o � E Free Mounting and Balancing a Corner of Sound Ave. & Pacific St. (Across from Penny Lumber) Mattituck 298-8722 JULY 10, 1980 WHITE- TAILED DEER -- During the summer the buck's new horns are covered with velvet. Later in the fall he will scrape the velvet off on saplings, polishing them in preparation for fierce battles during the rutting season. Photo by Paul Stoutenburgh 2U© 2� DU1t�01�. Npw lurk 1980 Summer Workshop Series Ten workshops will be offered beginning Monday, July 14. Classes will generally run for five weeks with two-hour weekly sessions. Tuition will be $20, $15 for Custer members. WORKSHOPS: Sport Fishing -- Monday, 7:30 p.m., with Captain Bill Golder Astronomy for Youth -- Monday and Wednesday, 9:30 a.m., with Professor George Lomaga (grades 5 -9) Photography -- Monday, 7:30 p.m., with Mike Cortese Horticulture -- Tuesday, 7:30 p.m., with Peter Liss Drawing -- Tuesday, 7:30 p.m. (Special three -part seminar, be- ginning August 5, $151 $10), with Robert Berks Exercise -- Wednesday and Saturday, 9:30 -10:30 a.m.,- with Kay Liss Literary Workshop -- Thursday, 7:30 p.m., with Marianne Anderson Painting -- Wednesday; 7:30 p.m., with Janice Robinson Drama: -- Thursday, 7:30 p.m., with Peg Murray Open Mind -- Friday, 7:30 p.m., with Psychologist Bob Schur and Dr. John v.G. Gschwendter REGISTRATION: July 9 through 13, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and 7:30 -9:30 p.m. Special registration period highlights will include an exhibit by painter Howard Hardy; concert by Ranny Reeve Jazz Ensemble Sunday, July 13, at 8 p.m.; Southold Library Book Sale, July 10, 11; Dr. Heskel Haddad, Ophthalmologist, talk on diseases of the eye, Saturday, July 12, 8 p.m. Further workshop details can be found in another part of this paper, during registration or by calling Kay Liss at 765 -1076.