Roadside rescue

This isn't related to our Wildscape, but I thought it warranted telling since the story is very nature related.

Yesterday, on our way north to Dallas via U.S. 281, I spotted what I thought was a dog in our lane of traffic, apparently trying to cross the highway. (We were just south of Hamilton.) The animal was still pretty far away. Naturally, I slowed down. As we got closer, I realized it was a FAWN! A tiny one, tottering on its little legs. I veered off the highway, pulled to a stop, punched on my emergency lights, and jumped out of the car. There was a vehicle coming up behind me but no oncoming traffic. I waved and motioned to the van to drive around, then I shooed and corraled the baby back onto the shoulder and into the grass. It stumbled up the slight incline toward a fenced pasture. But as it attempted to climb through some shrubs and under the barbed-wire fence, its hoof got stuck. I tried to untangle it but could see it was going to take a little more effort. So I ran back to the car and told my daughter, Lindsey, to turn off the motor. She ran back with me. I think it was a small hackberry tree that was growing in the fence. Lindsey held down limbs, and I reached down and gently picked up the fawn. It bleated and hollered. I carried it further down the fence line, lifted it over, and set it gently on the ground. It toddled over a few yards, then stopped. We ran back for our cameras. By the time we returned, it had plopped down in the grass and could barely be seen. I snapped a picture, but I don't think the fawn shows up much.

Anyway, that's our "roadside rescue" story. Typically, white-tailed mothers leave their babies hidden during the day. I'm just hoping so much that she heard this little one holler and found it after we left. I knew we had to let Mother Nature take it from there after we left.

Just the day before, I'd seen a dead fawn on Highway 46 near New Braunfels. It had been about the same age of this one we saved today. Each and every dead animal I see on the highways just breaks my heart. Today, I'm so glad and grateful that we came along when we did. Or this deer child would have been just another road kill.