[Leica] Down with Bambi

[lrzeitlin at gmail.com (Lawrence Zeitlin)]

In that case, get a couple of sheep or goats--the grass on Dutch dikes is
impeccable, thanks to the sheep that graze there!


Cheers,

Nathan


On Jul 9, 2011, at 3:15 PM, Lawrence Zeitlin wrote:


Nathan writes:


I am sorry, Larry, but I support Bambi in his battle with your wife...you

should just let the garden return to its natural state and be pleased that

you do not need to cut the grass.


- - - - -


Regrettably deer don't eat grass. They eat almost everything else though,

except for concrete patio paving blocks. As far as grass goes, we have given

up the fight. Our neighbor claims that we have the worst lawn or the best

meadow in the county.


Larry Z

- - - - - - -


Nathan,

Deer, like sheep, change the shape of the natural landscape. They eat every
growing plant, all the young trees, bushes, wild flowers, just about
everything EXCEPT grass. Imagine if Alicante were overrun with herds of 100
lb. rats, devouring every shard of greenery. A full grown deer needs 20
pounds of foliage a day to survive. They have denuded and significantly
changed the look of large portions of the U.S. northeast.

It's like the UK. The rolling green hills of England represent an
environmental anomaly. They were not caused by nature but by 2000 years of
sheep herding. Grazing sheep ate most low growing native plants. In the
Snodonia hills, there is a fenced enclave which keeps herbivores out. It
shows what the country looked like in the era of the Druids. Believe me, it
looks nothing like the Lake Country or the "green hills of home."

There are more deer roaming the woods now in the U.S. than there were when
the Indians owned the country. The causes are many. Hunting is no longer
essential for a bountiful larder. Wolves and bears have largely been
eliminated. Our dogs are too well fed to chase deer. Supermarket meat from
beef cattle is far cheaper and less gamy. The major deer predator is the
automobile.

And of course, the biggest impediment to effective control of the deer
population is Disney's saccharine film "Bambi." We can't extend the hunting
season because that might involve killing Bambi. We can't capture and
transport deer to Spain, where they would be consumed as little morsels in
tapas. That might deprive Bambi and his relatives of their civil rights. And
it would make children cry.

We have lived in the Hudson Valley for 50 years, long before the deer
invaded. They are our illegal immigrants. If you look through the picture
files in my album you will see deer eating, strolling, peeking out from
behind cars and even fighting for dominance. We have an uninvited coven of
five sleeping in our yard.

With my newly acquired Browning shotgun I intend to take matters into my own
hands come hunting season. Any Lugger who visits me is welcome to sit down
to a saddle of roast venison. Until then, eat more venison, eat!

Larry Z