Got up with the alarm this morning, started the hot water on the stove, and then went back to bed.

And to sleep.

Got woken up by a call from one of the wardens. Had a call about an injured deer in town, and he was already 25 miles out. Could I check it out?

Sure. Been meaning to get up anyway (oooops).

Got into the right neighborhood, and found two does feeding peacefully on a lawn at the corner. Looked fine, although a little on the skinny side. Suspect they have fawns that they have been nursing.

Finally found two fawns in a backyard nearby. Took a while for them to move around, but both looked fine.

Okay, time's a wastin'. We got a check station to get to (although heeler sisters are enjoying stalking deer with a pickup much more than sitting on a boring check station).

So I call the warden to get the RP's (RP="reporting party", but you already knew that, didn't you? At least Jerseygrrl did.) name & number. Call the RP (a friend) and find out he didn't see the injured deer, his Dad did.

What's their address?

Turns out I'm parked in front of their driveway. The fawns are in his folks' yard. I'm in the right spot.

Go to the door, and it opens before I can get there. The son called, so Dad is coming out. He reports there was a fawn bedded on their yard, and when it got up, it's hind legs didn't work right. Kind of stiff, and splayed out.

But no sign of blood or anything.

My hopes are up.

We pass through the house and check out the back yard from the balcony (nice house). The does have joined the two fawns. But those fawns aren't the one he was watching.

I spot a pair of ears tuned to us, in the tall grass under the hedge trees, just over the wire fence.

"Well, good morning there!"

The Dad asks if his neighbor lady is out in the yard. He may watch and like the deer, but apparently he never talks to them.

I head out into the yard and get the third fawn to stand. Looks fine. A quick circle of the house confirms there are only the three fawns. I return to the back yard and move closer to the third fawn, forcing her to trot off.

Everything is working fine.

I know what is going on now. It is a good morning.

Ungulates have almost no muscle in their lower legs. Skin one back and all you will find is thick bones with thick ligaments and tendons. The muscles that work those incredible legs are all higher up, working by remote control, as it were.

And their limbs lose circulation and fall asleep, just like ours.

Get one up after a long bed, and they have to stretch those limbs out, getting the circulation going. Until then, the limbs don't work right. They're stiff and unbending.

Just like what the Dad saw that morning when the fawn first got up.

So the deer hunt is over. Off to check station we went.