It’s late, and I was trying to get my hike done before dark. I carried a walking stick, since it’s in the mountains. The trail was quiet, most of the hikers are done for the day. In the distance, I saw two people, I was actually happy to see some companies, even just passing by. They were walking towards me, two ladies, not very tall. They were very friendly and said hi to me, then asked:” Do you mind we walk with you?” That peaked my curiosity. I answered: “Sure, but why?” “There are a herd of deer and they don’t let us pass, the big one with antlers bent down his head towards us” The girl in white told me, while mimicking the pose. “Are you sure only deer, no mountain lion?” I teased them, “No mountain lion, deer only”. They were probably really scared and didn’t pick up on my tease.
Deer can be that aggressive? I’ve never heard of they can stop people from passing by. I beckoned them to join me. “Thank you so much, safety in numbers!” the girl in white said to me.
We walked side by side, then I saw the deer herd, about 5-6 deer, including two bucks with newly grown antlers. One walked away after seeing us, one stayed, obviously he’s in charge of the herd. The baby ones started to scatter away into the woods, the big buck stares at us cautiously, I stared cautiously back.
I remember reading that some states reported deer attacks on humans during mating season. And this is their mating season. I kept my eyes on the buck while walking, making sure he’s not lowering his head to attack us. Fortunately, he was just watching us and stood still, didn’t charge. Whew, we made it. The two girls thanked me graciously.
The rest of hike was very smooth, I felt myself taller, like a hero coming back from the battle field.