Night Crawlers (not the worms)

The deer have started coming up again I am sure looking for something edible. As the grasses and other vegetation have not yet begun to put out soon to be spring growth, it is whatever they can find. They have been pawing the yard searching for acorns and in the process doing a job on the lawn (what little grass I have). Most of the yard is kept very natural and with a bumper crop of acorns in the fall, I suspect they are finding quite a few.

Over the past few days, I have put out a feed tray of deer chow and corn mix and have moved it closer to the woods each day. I set up the trail cam to check progress and see if the deer progress on past the food source. Each day I have been moving the tray further towards the woods side of the house hoping that if they are satisfied with what they find. Yesterday afternoon I moved the tray completely out of the yard proper.

So far working great. A couple of my neighbors say it is attracting them.....no, it is the same number in the herd that have been roaming the street visiting their yards. The nay-sayers are the ones who are still tucked in their beds when deer visit on their nightly roam. As I am up around 0400 every morning, I would always see them in various yards up and down the street.

Last night, they stopped at the feed tray and did not come up any further in the yard. So I say success. Until the green vegetation comes in, I don't mind feeding them if it will keep them from from digging in the yard.

Seems that other things also didn't mind sampling a little of the deer chow. A raccoon came to visit and in subsequent photos, sat down and had a little snack.

Two days earlier when the tray was still up in the yard, an oppossum stopped by to investigate. Nothing new on that though I see it almost nightly searching under the bird feeder.