Larry Meyer
Wooden Canoes are in the Blood
Did the Sudbury River this morning, putting in at Pelham Island Rd in Wayland and paddling upriver toward Framingham, past Heard Pond outlet. River was way high, morning glorious. Saw beaver, Northern Harrier, a muskrat in a log and . . . a three legged deer.
That’s right. A three legged deer. Past Heard Pond Outlet, just before the river straightens out, I surprised a deer along the northern shore. I was maybe 20 feet away and he was very still and just stood there eyeballing me . . a yearling. When he finally turned away, he was walking funny and then I saw he was missing the lower half of his left rear leg, just below the knee. I put the binoculars on him and there were no other signs of injury, no fresh blood. A surgical amputation could not have been neater or cleaner. Otherwise he looked healthy, fat and in good fettle, just slow of foot. I suspect the injury happened some time ago.
I stayed along side me onshore for a good couple of hundred yards. And was there when I paddled back, looking for me still.
The piece of land he was on I suspect is the only area near by suited to him. It was flat, firm and well wooded, whereas the southern shore is now waterlogged and boggy. This little piece of land is cut off my some steep slopes, which I suspect he can’t climb. This is near buoy eight, near where the transmission lines cross the river.
Anyway, I’m going to go back soon and test my hypothesis. He’s stuck there til the river goes down and its about the only place around he can get around at all.
That’s right. A three legged deer. Past Heard Pond Outlet, just before the river straightens out, I surprised a deer along the northern shore. I was maybe 20 feet away and he was very still and just stood there eyeballing me . . a yearling. When he finally turned away, he was walking funny and then I saw he was missing the lower half of his left rear leg, just below the knee. I put the binoculars on him and there were no other signs of injury, no fresh blood. A surgical amputation could not have been neater or cleaner. Otherwise he looked healthy, fat and in good fettle, just slow of foot. I suspect the injury happened some time ago.
I stayed along side me onshore for a good couple of hundred yards. And was there when I paddled back, looking for me still.
The piece of land he was on I suspect is the only area near by suited to him. It was flat, firm and well wooded, whereas the southern shore is now waterlogged and boggy. This little piece of land is cut off my some steep slopes, which I suspect he can’t climb. This is near buoy eight, near where the transmission lines cross the river.
Anyway, I’m going to go back soon and test my hypothesis. He’s stuck there til the river goes down and its about the only place around he can get around at all.
