Oh Deer!

On Christmas Day I arrived at my parent's new home in Bismarck, ND.  I have never even visited North Dakota so when people asked if I was going home when Paul was deployed I didn't know what to say other than "kinda".  But that is another story for a different day.

My parents have this giant hay field just beyond their yard and Dad has been setting out sunflowers (ND is the number 1 producer of sunflowers) and corn for the deer to eat since September.  Because of this, they have over twenty different deer that come and "feast" in the backyard.  It is quite fun to watch them from the bedroom windows as they are only 30 yards from the patio.

My Dad has a trail picture taker that snaps when something moves by it and he got some of these photos in November.  There were literally thousands of pictures on the trail timer so Dad knew exactly what deer were coming in and eating even at night.

 SASQUATCH!!!!  Oh, just Dad adding more corn. :)

 HELLO!

 I don't know if this deer is looking at an airplane or the stars but either way it was funny.

One fateful day in January Dad snuck out of the back sliding glass door with his bow and arrows in hand.  Meanwhile Mom and I were watching upstairs from the windows.  Dad was able to successfully harvest this nice North Dakota buck from our backyard while we watched on.  I just wish I could pull back Dad's bow - but it is strung way to tight for my weak little arms.

Last week we had deer roast and some sausages and boy were they delicious! This deer had been practically corn and hay fed so his taste was so much better than the high desert Mule Deer in Idaho.  It would be safe to say that those of you who have never feasted on deer would think you were eating a beef steer - it was that good!

We laugh about how many people pay thousands of dollars to hunt a nice whitetail like this and Mom and Dad have them in their backyard.  I think North Dakota is growing on me...