Maybe it’s because of the fires, maybe it’s just because we live in Wild and Wonderful Wyoming—whatever the reason, we’ve had an influx of deer in our yard this week. Three of them ran past my kitchen window this morning. They were so majestic! The way they leap and bound is truly beautiful. What’s not so beautiful is the way they’re so good at damaging vegetation. A few years ago we planted a tree for my son’s birthday (yes, the kid asked for a tree for his birthday) and before it could flourish the deer ate it. My son was devastated. We’ll never live down “the year the deer ate my birthday present.”

Yes, they’re majestic in the daytime, but deer are terrifying to come across in the dark. I almost hit one with my car driving home the other night. Lucky for me it bolted into a yard instead of across the road. There was a split second where I considered chasing it down with my car to exact revenge for my son’s tree. Fortunately for the deer, I didn’t want to have to explain to my husband why I’d hit a deer with a car I’d owned for less than a week.