Keeper of the Clown Bell

Alive & Dead In early October, just before bow season starts, the whitetail deer are plentiful and playful in my part of the world. They're everywhere and since no one is trying to kill them (yet) they are quite bold and nonchalant in their meandering around the land, devouring crops and damaging property. This is the time of year when several unfortunate people will die as a result of a careless deer leaping into the road and smashing through the windshield at 50 MPH or (worse) forcing a car off the road and into a tree in an effort to avoid hurting the skittish animal. Noble and silent they hide out in the woods during the day, but at night they step out into the open fields and gather in herds 10-20 strong to roam the land. Go outside for a sunrise walk and you'll see them grazing on yonder hillside or strolling along the lake shore sniffing the air. They run, they jump and, from time to time, they get their hoof tangled in a wire fence where they dangle, prone and v