Cloven Hoofed Herds

FTLComm - Somme - April 8, 2001

The Government of Saskatchewan has decided to name the White Tailed deer as the Provincial Animal emblem and it is a fine choice. "Jumpers" as found throught the province in substantial numbers and seem to suit the spirit of adventure and vulnerability of being from Saskatchewan. Each year at this time they like to come out of the bush and enjoy the retreat of the snow by getting together to discuss the affairs of the past winter. From Porcupine Plain to Weekes yesterday on highway 23 we had to

edge our way along with caution as they seemed to be in every field, ditch and bluff of trees. In one field just West of Weekes there would have been perhaps as many as fifty casually grazing. But the picture below was between Carrigana and Somme and those tan coloured seats are quite a different crowd.

We often think of Wapiti (referred to as Elk here in Canada) as being rather solitary animals who live on the open plain or edges of bush land. This is a substantial herd standing around watching people from Tisdale take pictures of them. Almost three times the size individually of a white-tailed deer this is a group of animals to catch one's eye.

This picture of four heading away from us East of Weekes is how most of us see deer, their tails raised in alarm and them heading off away from us at forty-miles an hour. If you are driving near Wawota you can almost certainly count on seeing similar congregations of both white-tails and Wapiti.