I was looking for a shortcut to the beach and ended up in a tangled maze of mangroves and creepy crawlers. Instead of bushwhacking my way through, I walked around the edge of the marsh until I spotted a deer trail. In a small clearing lay a scattering of white bones, and I realized that I had stumbled upon the spot a male key deer spent its last moments. It appeared that the deer had died recently, as its antlers and skull still remained, usually the tastiest treats for the critters that feed on it and will be the first to be nibbled away. A few days ago I saw turkey vultures flying above the same vicinity.Were they waiting for the deer to die as it lay dying ? How did the deer die I began to wonder? One of the antlers appeared to be broken off. It is my sad guess that the little corpse was the victim of either Thor or another of the massive bucks (32 inches) roaming about attempting to protect or gain territory during rutting season. I am intrigued by the ability to witness nature, even its rawest moments, in these last few months, right from the very beginning when I saw Thor crossing the salt marsh on his way to SeaGrass beach.
