"Gone For Good" Farm Friend Friday

I walked the woods, hoping to find him. I faithfully fed each evening, hoping to see him. I purposedly hayed the horses late at night in case he needed total darkness to shield him. (they wait for me if they want a late night snack) His familiar form hidden in the shadows was not to be seen. I searched the edges of the cornfield where he bedded each evening, hoping to surprise him. I looked. I listened. I would call his name and they all just stared at me. I asked his new little companion buck who used to follow him, "where's Bossy Boy"? He just looked at me and trotted off. They know their names, they knew his name, they knew I was worried but the dividing line between human and wild animal does not permit question and answer as we know it.

I haven't heard coyote howls for quite awhile now. My dogs will be the first to join in. During their lengthy "lets pretend we are wolves" howling session I would run outside no matter what time of day or night to see if it was coyotes. Only the usual culprit could barely be heard, a distant shrill of a siren across the way.

Oh little Autumn, will you stay on the farm or leave me next year?

Hope is a very interesting little gift we have. Perhaps mine hid the obvious but this time of year is a strange one and I couldn't be sure. The deer didn't feed daily this time last year. Beauty Boy returned much too late compared to the previous years when the bucks would return. He would come and go. Bossy Boy didn't choose to feed daily either but he never stayed away more than three days. I prayed for something more obvious and I think I got it...

Brownie's brood rules and gets 'first choice'.

Two days ago a bitter cold front came to our area bringing spitting snow but nothing unusual. It was a strange day. The sun would shine brightly then the clouds came, then the sun came back out and by evening, the cold settled in and icy flakes feathered down bringing with them 38 hungry deer. I have never had that many visit the corn yard. It was joyful and peaceful and the rhythmic sounds of the crunching of corn was music to my ears. Everyone was there but Bossy Boy. If there was ever a time to come and feed, that day would be it. For some reason the various herds decided they wanted corn.

The Long Tails herd is very skittish and run at the slightest sound.

I hear deer go away to die. I have read that they seek dense woods which I don't really have. The remains do not last long with the predators needing a meal. Did he cross the creek into the dangerous killing lands? Did he limp across the highway late at night and disappear into thicker woods? He couldn't have jumped our perimater fencing so those two options were the only ones he had...unless he found a little thicket on the farm to seek his final moments. My Bossy Boy is gone and yes, gone for good. I guess...

Be sure to join  Farm Friend Friday hosted by Verde Farm. Take the weekend to browse the farm blogs, follow your favorites and make new friends!