Living in London for a while next to Richmond Park I used to go running in there. One night in there in almost pitch black (but the gravel tracks were light enough colour gravel you could run them easy) just about got cleaned out by a hind jumping from one side to the other. Felt the rush of air on my face as she just cleared me.
Early Sept this year I think driving back from Turangi to home along SH41 and just after Kuratau and turn off to Western Lake road, about 12.30pm, what's that up ahead? It looks like, yep, arse end of a deer between some road side scrub. Took my foot off the gas and this stag reverses out just onto the edge of the road and looks at us. No ear tags (I know there's deer farms around there), scrubby short antlers, eyes widen then he clears the low fence just up the bank and bolts. Pretty steady traffic along the road so no idea how he'd managed to get onto the road there. It was a small bodied animal too. I'd swear it was a Sika.
Bookmarks