Kudos to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) and to the Eugene Parks and Open Space Department.
At dusk on Nov. 2, I was in the Spencer Butte parking area after a hike. There was a young deer (older than a fawn) by the steps, mingling around the various hikers; it walked right up to people as if looking for food. It was very tame and even approached hikers with dogs. One group of hikers said it followed them to the top, and they dubbed the deer “Snacks” because it would eat any snacks they offered.
I was concerned because this fearlessness is not normal behavior for a deer. I contacted the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, and the response was fast. Sadly, I was informed that this is a deer that was obviously taken and raised by humans — probably by people with a pet dog. I was told that this deer’s chances of survival are almost nil. Taking a fawn home and trying to domesticate it is a death sentence, because it never learns natural deer behavior such as how to avoid predators and forage for food. Released back into the wild, the deer is a sitting duck for any predator.
ODFW told me they subsequently made up flyers to post and sent them to the Eugene Parks and Open Space Department. When I went back to the parking lot a few days later, there were the signs posted at the trailhead warning people not to feed deer.
Thanks to ODFW and the city of Eugene for responding so fast!
Lorin Hawley
Eugene
A Note From the Publisher
Dear Readers,
The last two years have been some of the hardest in Eugene Weekly’s 43 years. There were moments when keeping the paper alive felt uncertain. And yet, here we are — still publishing, still investigating, still showing up every week.
That’s because of you!
Not just because of financial support (though that matters enormously), but because of the emails, notes, conversations, encouragement and ideas you shared along the way. You reminded us why this paper exists and who it’s for.
Listening to readers has always been at the heart of Eugene Weekly. This year, that meant launching our popular weekly Activist Alert column, after many of you told us there was no single, reliable place to find information about rallies, meetings and ways to get involved. You asked. We responded.
We’ve also continued to deepen the coverage that sets Eugene Weekly apart, including our in-depth reporting on local real estate development through Bricks & Mortar — digging into what’s being built, who’s behind it and how those decisions shape our community.
And, of course, we’ve continued to bring you the stories and features many of you depend on: investigations and local government reporting, arts and culture coverage, sudoku and crossword puzzles, Savage Love, and our extensive community events calendar. We feature award-winning stories by University of Oregon student reporters getting real world journalism experience. All free. In print and online.
None of this happens by accident. It happens because readers step up and say: this matters.
As we head into a new year, please consider supporting Eugene Weekly if you’re able. Every dollar helps keep us digging, questioning, celebrating — and yes, occasionally annoying exactly the right people. We consider that a public service.
Thank you for standing with us!
Publisher
Eugene Weekly
P.S. If you’d like to talk about supporting EW, I’d love to hear from you!
jody@eugeneweekly.com
(541) 484-0519
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