Public should be wary of friendly deer at Point Breeze

This deer has become popular at Point Breeze, taking food from residents and allowing the public to pet it. Here it is pictured walking on a dock at one of the marinas.

Editor:

I read with great interest about the yearling buck that has been hanging around the Point Breeze area following people, begging for food, allowing people (even children) to pet it and walking out on the cement pier.

This is very disturbing to me as with all the reporting on this deer not once has the tick problem that exists with the deer tick and Lyme disease been mentioned. This disease is very serious and if not identified early can lead to life crippling issues. The disease is carried by the deer tick which is very small as compared to the dog tick and can be difficult to notice until it is too late. And yes we have it in Orleans County and if you check with the Medina Veterinary Clinic there has been a lot of cases of it with pets this summer.

Anyone who spends time out side around vegetation (birders, hikers, bank fishermen, nature photographers, farmers, hunters and etc.) need to be aware of this problem. These ticks can even exist in your back yard if deer frequent that area. Checking yourself out for ticks, using tick repellent on pants and blousing pant cuffs are good defenses against having a problem with these ticks.

If you find a tick attached to you the damage may have already been done and you need to visit your doctor. Usually a “bulls eye” rash will develop where the tick had attached himself but this is not always true.

How the tick is removed after it has attached itself to you is also important. The head, which is the part that will carry the disease, can easily be broken off and left embedded in the skin which will still transfer the disease. One method for removal that is advised is to use a pair of tweezers to gently pull the tick out of the skin without breaking the head off put this can be tricky. A better way is to put liquid soap on a cotton ball and hold it on the tick and skin for about 30 seconds, the tick will let go and be tangled in the cotton ball.

Unfortunately this deer at Point Breeze has obviously been illegally raised by someone since it was a fawn and is so imprinted on people that it will need to be removed from the area. Folks don’t realize how powerful or quickly a deer can turn dangerous with those sharp hooves.

The other thing that is unbelievable to me is that the head of the wildlife department in the DEC office at Avon did not mention this Lyme disease problem when interviewed and stated that it was a doe when it is quite obvious is a button buck.

He is a year old now and will have sharp little spikes that can be very dangerous come September when they harden and mating season kicks in in October.

Wild animals, even when they seem to be tame, are still wild and can turn nasty at a drop of a hat and people need to realize it is not Disney World out there.

Douglas H. Domedion

Outdoor Columnist for the Lake Country Pennysaver