Video - Emerald Isle NC - Deer, Oh Dear!

Saturday, October 23rd my dog, Bonnie, and I took our usual walk to the beach and back with a little twist we took our video camera and captured this video - Emerald Isle NC - Deer, Oh Dear!

Yes, we live at the beach and yes, we have deer. Lots of deer. On Emerald Isle NC the deer to some are dear and to others a nuisance. In fact if you call Emerald Isle town hall you can talk to town manager, Frank Rush, and he will tell you that for everyone that calls complaining about the deer they have an equal number of supporters for the deer. The town's position? Do nothing. Hunting is not permitted on the island not even with a bow.

So is that Deer, Oh Dear! or is it Dear, Oh Deer:( 
Obviously the choice is up to the individual.

So you may ask are deer on an island desirable or undesirable? That like many questions in real estate can be answered with two words... It depends. If you are an occasional visitor and chance upon a few of these creatures their silent beauty awes and delights you. If you live in Emerald Isle full time then the awe and delight may be flee when you wake to find these creatures have eaten all your new Rose bushes, your Day Lillies, your Pansies, your Indian Hawthorne, and so many other things. You may not love them when you stop at the nursery to enhance the look of your home only to have the master gardener tell you everything you picked out will be deer "candy" and expensive deer candy at that.

For those who call the west end Emerald Isle home know this area plays host to the deer more than any other.

• Maybe it's because the island is at it's widest here.
• Maybe it's because of the lush oaks and myrtles here.
• Maybe it's because of the wonderful marsh grasses here.
• Maybe it's because this was the last area of the island to be developed.
• Maybe it's because they've lived here a lot longer than we have.
• Maybe it's because all the manicured lawns in the plentiful subdivisions offer such delicacies.

If you live in one of these subdivisions on the west end of Emerald Isle NC then you know what I'm talking about and can share some wonderful stories of your own.

• The Point
• Wyndtree
• Lands End
• Spinnaker's Reach
• Dolphin Ridge
• Royall Oaks
• Cape Emerald
• Ocean Oaks
• Deer Horn Dunes
• Sea Dunes
• Osprey Ridge

So how do I deal with the deer? I figure it's a give and take. I truly enjoy and delight in seeing them. This summer we had twin fawns that played and grew up in our back yard natural area. I would watch them as their little spots faded and how they ventured on their own without mom ever more bravely by the day.  Over the years I've fed the deer some very expensive greenery (not on purpose). I've learned to put some fencing around my roses (after the 3rd planting). I've learned the more deer tolerant kinds of plants: Lantana, Society Garlic, Marigold, Butterfly Bushes, Iris, Rosemary, Palms and some others. And in the I they will eat something I didn't expect, because if they are hungry enough they will eat anything. So I will just plant some more or something new.

They are very people tolerant and will ignore you for the most part. When visiting the island the best time for a photo opportunity is dusk. They will let you get quite close to snap a picture or two so come prepared.

See my other articles on Emerald Isle NC:
Emerald Isle Things to Do, atrractions on the Crystal Coast
Emerald Isle Parks and Recreation become a member
Emerald Isle Carolina - Halloween Carnival

Video - Emerald Isle NC - Deer, Oh Dear! was fist published on Emerald Isle Carolina
Copyright © 2009 by Kathryn Gorham, All Rights Reserved. Permission granted to re-blog or re-print with the stipulations that you do not alter the original content and that you provide a link back to this article in the re-blog or re-print. *Video - Emerald Isle NC - Deer, Oh Dear!*