Image by guate84105 via Flickr
In my last post I wrote about the Suwannee River Water Management Area and how easily accessible the trails are right next to our site here at Kelly's RV Park. It's nice to have such an undisturbed, natural setting to walk through and last Friday provided us with a wild experience that could have been featured in a show on Animal Planet.
We headed out early morning and walked Southeast along a path that borders the park property. Just beyond the edge of the property, the path intersects a broader fire-access trail that leads either to an open marsh area or deeper into the woods. Since we had already walked along the marsh, we turned right and explored the more wooded route.
The woods in this part of the country are dominated by pines, oaks dripping in Spanish moss and an undergrowth covered in short Palmetto palms. Several areas showed signs of a burn which, based upon the contained size, were probably started by lightening strikes. Thankfully, there were very few insects and the humidity level has not yet risen to sauna levels.
After about thirty minutes of we came across a large pile of dove feathers laying directly in the middle of the trail. We stopped to inspect them and came to the conclusion it must have been the outcome of a fox or other predator. There were no meat remains, only small spots of blood and no moisture on the feathers; obviously a very recent kill. I proceeded to look for tracks of what may have attacked the bird, but was distracted by the sounds of something large moving in the area off to our left.
We stood for a moment listening for further evidence of what had made the noise, but heard nothing more than the wind and a few birds moving through the tree canopy. Thinking there was nothing to look for, we started to continue walking the trail. Then, within a few steps, the area off to our left once again exploded with the distinct sounds of something large moving directly towards us.
We turned and immediately saw a white-tailed deer leap out of a stand of young pine trees. It was moving fast, first directly towards us and then veered to our right for a short run through the underbrush. Suddenly, it once again took a direction towards our spot with leaps and bounds that lifted it six feet in the air and covered six to eight feet in distance at a time: The grace and beauty of the way it moved was breathtaking to behold.
Given the rate and distance it was covering fast, I assumed the deer was being pursued by something. Then, as it came within about ten yards, a large coyote came charging through the shrubs. It was also moving at top speed with its ears and tail laid straight back headed towards an area directly to our right. With one more graceful bound, the deer was directly in front of us and within inches of the coyote in obvious killer pursuit. More to myself than to Deb I said, "Damn, that deer is chasing the coyote!"
Either upon hearing my voice or catching our scent, the deer stopped and quickly turned to look directly at us. It was only about ten feet away and proved to be a magnificent doe. After a quick snort it must have decided we were of a lesser threat and proceeded in hot pursuit of her canine nemesis. The only thing I can surmise is that the coyote chose to threaten the doe's fawn(s) that remained in the heavy, protective growth of the young pines. All I know is, that doe was MAD!
We continued to stand in our spot while listening to the pursuit proceed through the woods. After looking at each other in awed disbelief of what we had just witnessed, we walked back to our home with a heightened sense of hearing due to the fact there was both a very angry deer and coyote in the general area; not a good place to be when two wild animals having nothing but kill-or-be-killed on their minds.
Every day since then we have talked about this magnificent scene. We will never know how that chase ended, but isn't that the point? It is one more blessing provided us by this wonderous journey of a full-time RV life and all the glories of the many places we stay. There's beauty in that kind of mystery.
copyright 2009-2010 Lane A Geyer
photoes by Deb
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