Super Sayan Spinning Front Hoof Attack!

March 29, 2010 7:31 PM

My brother found this deer alone and malnourished when it was a tiny baby. My family bottle fed the baby, named Theen, until he was eating grass. Several months later he's very socialized with people, our black lab, and our cats. He is free to wander if he likes and we've seen him with several herds of whitetail and axis deer. Apparently he fits in just fine with them. He frequently comes back to the house to eat some catfood and play with our dog, Buddy. He doesn't care much for deer corn. One dog. One deer. One ball.
posted by lazaruslong (55 comments total)

Wow. That was great.
posted by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints at 7:41 PM on March 29, 2010

deer suck
posted by felix betachat at 7:42 PM on March 29, 2010 [4 favorites]

I love the flintstoning of the front legs.

(flintstoning should not be confused with kermitting, which is not nearly as circular a motion)
posted by yhbc at 7:43 PM on March 29, 2010 [1 favorite]

I could watch them all day. They both want to play, but Buddy wants to fight over the ball and Theen wants to do that boxing thing grown-up deer do. The amazing bit is at the end when the dog figures out how to play with the deer.
posted by moxiedoll at 7:44 PM on March 29, 2010 [3 favorites]

good stuff! thanks!

I showed this to the husky...she went out and ate the deer that's been hangin' out in the back yard....
posted by HuronBob at 7:45 PM on March 29, 2010 [1 favorite]

That was pretty good, thanks.
Doesn't beat one bourbon, one scotch, and one beer though. Sorry :(
posted by deacon_blues at 7:45 PM on March 29, 2010 [1 favorite]

a few years back I was out on a rather isolated lake in the kayak... I saw a couple of young deer on the shore doing that kick-boxing thing... they went at it for a while... I managed some fairly good video of them... they love to play!
posted by HuronBob at 7:46 PM on March 29, 2010

I also like that move around 3:45 where the deer is all like "chase me!" and the dog is say "ok go!" and the deer goes mmmrrrrrrwwwwwwooooooooonnnnnn like really fast and the dog is all chasing chasing and the deer looks back and is like "oh shit that dog is close" and then he justfuckingturnsright like a goddamn tron light cycle and the dog is left going "oh whoa, turnin' right, comin' round, watch out, right turn coming up". so that part is pretty cool.
posted by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints at 7:51 PM on March 29, 2010 [28 favorites]

My first thought was that the video would end in some tragic coming-of-age moment where the son had to shoot the pet deer because it kept eating the family's crop, and I almost had to stop watching. Instead it was far more cute.
posted by lilac girl at 7:53 PM on March 29, 2010 [2 favorites]

I like the end, when you see that the cat has been watching the whole thing.

Cats rock.
posted by SLC Mom at 7:58 PM on March 29, 2010 [12 favorites]

I'm more worried that the coming-of-age moment will be when the dog gets brained by a flying deer hoof.
posted by Decimask at 8:00 PM on March 29, 2010 [4 favorites]

I liked it when the deer was all "fwang! fwang! fwang!" with his front legs, but then I was all like, "C'mon, Buddy, share the soccer ball with your deer friend!"
posted by elmer benson at 8:07 PM on March 29, 2010

Proving that getting repeatedly beaten in the head by pointy objects is absolutely no deterrent to a labrador at play.

Also, yay invisible rack of antlers headbutt.
posted by jamaro at 8:07 PM on March 29, 2010 [10 favorites]

Anyone else get a Google ad for a hunting lodge?

Also, that deer is fucked when it encounters wolves. "Hey, bring out the soccer ball and we'll play!"
posted by showmethecalvino at 8:11 PM on March 29, 2010 [3 favorites]

But, seriously, don't ever adopt a baby deer. The mother is nearby and won't come back until there are no people anywhere.
posted by SkinnerSan at 8:13 PM on March 29, 2010 [5 favorites]

I hate to be the evil party pooper, but what's happening here is going to end tragically for the deer. A full-grown stag can kill an adult human with those kicks. I think it's great that the fawn is alive, but by habituating him to humans in the way that you have you are creating an extremely dangerous animal. When he hits sexual maturity, he's going to be huge (because he's getting better nutrition than any wild deer), completely unafraid of humans or dogs, and could be very aggressive, especially when in the rut.

http://lethalapp.com/news/2009/05/deer-attacks-men-and-child-in-virginia/
http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/story?id=1258792
http://www.watertowndailytimes.com/article/20091117/NEWS05/311179948
http://deadlykingdom.blogspot.com/2009/11/whittailed-deer-attack.html
http://outdooradventuresguide.com/deer-attack/

For an idea of what a deer attack looks like, this footage is pretty amazing (and very familiar after watching the fawn above)

http://videos.howstuffworks.com/discovery/33863-when-animals-strike-deer-attack-too-video.htm


It's really cute when it's a 30 pound fawn. It's not so awesome when it's a 200 lb. stag.
posted by Concolora at 8:16 PM on March 29, 2010 [23 favorites]

"C'mon, Buddy, share the soccer ball with your deer friend!"

I don't think the deer can get his tiny deer jaw around the soccer ball! Poor deer.
posted by craichead at 8:16 PM on March 29, 2010

"I hate to be the evil party pooper,...."...

Like we're going to believe that for a moment!
posted by HuronBob at 8:21 PM on March 29, 2010 [2 favorites]

I hate to be the evil party pooper, but what's happening here is going to end tragically for the deer.

Do things ever end not tragically for a deer? Cross the road... hit by car. Grow awesome antlers... shot by hunters. Overpopulate... starve to death.
posted by smackfu at 8:24 PM on March 29, 2010 [13 favorites]

As jamaro pointed out: I've forgotten how single minded labradors can be when they are at play.

Mine has been gone ten years this year and I still miss him.
posted by Samuel Farrow at 8:27 PM on March 29, 2010 [1 favorite]

I had no trouble with 2G1C but I couldn't make it through this video without skipping to the end to make sure the dog was still standing. These people are either incredibly naive or they don't give a fuck about that dog's wellbeing. I bet it is the former :(

Ellen Degeneres showed this video on her show and website on January 22nd

Ugh. Let me guess, they showed it without mentioning that "taming" deer is a terrible idea and doesn't actually work?
posted by finite at 8:37 PM on March 29, 2010 [1 favorite]

I think it's great that the fawn is alive, but by habituating him to humans in the way that you have you are creating an extremely dangerous animal.

Unless they plan to eat it. Might as well let it grow up a bit more, flesh out some.
posted by five fresh fish at 8:38 PM on March 29, 2010 [3 favorites]

I know it's wrong to feed wild animals and 'habituating him to humans' and all that jazz, but I would really like one of those to help exercise my German Shepherd!
posted by TooFewShoes at 8:48 PM on March 29, 2010

Concolora's post is what I love about the Meta hive. Every angle and facet of a subject/object will be exposed.

Regardless, great video. Thanks!
posted by zenpop at 8:48 PM on March 29, 2010

Deer pictures and cat youtube.
posted by eye of newt at 8:51 PM on March 29, 2010 [2 favorites]

I dunno, I struggle to muster any sympathy for hunters out in the woods getting their asses handed to them by deer.

That's re: the "when animals attack" video, not so much the sweet little deer playing games with the dog.
posted by Hildegarde at 8:56 PM on March 29, 2010 [2 favorites]

OMG THE DEER AND THE CAT
posted by Hildegarde at 8:59 PM on March 29, 2010

What I thought was really interesting was the complete inability I had to gauge the deer's emotional state at first. At first it looked as though the dog was freaking out the deer and that the deer was really just trying to defend its "territory." As you watch, though, you see that the deer only attempts to land a small percentage of its hits, and when the dog calms down, the deer immediately calms down as well. Its pretty obvious that the deer understands that this is play.

But as far as body language, none of this comes across to me, the human. The deer's eyes look emotionless, its ears are constantly on alert, and it really looks like those fast moving legs are attempting to cause some damage. It looks freaked out. Contrast the dog, whose awkward, bounding gait and use of submissive posturing are immediately seen as play.
posted by Bobicus at 9:06 PM on March 29, 2010 [6 favorites]

Well, that and the dog has the ball.
posted by iamkimiam at 9:07 PM on March 29, 2010 [3 favorites]

my little one...

This is one of those boring or mesmerizing videos that I found mesmerizing.
posted by snofoam at 9:14 PM on March 29, 2010

My mom's pet deer. It loved to eat my grandfather's cigarettes.
posted by Tenuki at 9:15 PM on March 29, 2010 [2 favorites]

My mom's pet deer. It loved to eat my grandfather's cigarettes.


Tragically, it got lung cancer when it reached sexual maturity and DIED.
posted by water bear at 9:44 PM on March 29, 2010 [2 favorites]

I love how the hunter plays like a hunter, and the prey plays like prey.

Thanks for bringing a smile and a tear on a day when I could really use it.
posted by Sphinx at 9:45 PM on March 29, 2010

I hate to pile on, but I'll be more willing to call this video "cute" several years in the future.

iff: this particular deer's known to be dead, and
iff: he hasn't killed or injured any of the OP's family or pets.

I really hate to look forward to such a cool creature's death.
posted by The Potate at 10:19 PM on March 29, 2010

Bambi is a fantasy.

Come back to reality some day.
posted by HTuttle at 10:22 PM on March 29, 2010

(by "the OP's, I really meant, "anyone's.")
posted by The Potate at 10:34 PM on March 29, 2010

And I couldn't help but think of "Deer Woman".
posted by The Potate at 10:38 PM on March 29, 2010

Six bears. One ref. One puck.
posted by benzenedream at 11:44 PM on March 29, 2010

Overpopulate... starve to death.

Naw, this one will just mooch offa people. Like the 'tree rats' do at the local college - approach the humans with food and beg.

When its hunting season - someone will off the deer as this one sees people as not a threat.

(To be fair during one hunting season we dragged a deer that had fallen and could not get up off of lake ice. It was all good till the rope went round the neck and there was a bellow like a large injured rabbit. No deer were seen that night at the feeders. It stayed where it was put for 2 days, on the 3rd tried standing up when it was getting tossed corn and was gone on the 4th.)
posted by rough ashlar at 12:33 AM on March 30, 2010

I hope the deer doesn't end up crippling somebody or that dog with a "playful kick" when it gets older.

The dog? That dog is awesome.
posted by thisperon at 1:17 AM on March 30, 2010

It's not too uncommon 'round these parts for someone to hit a late term mama deer and have her birth the calf on the side of the road...and then someone takes it home and raises it up.

I'm pretty sure it's not technically legal, but I know there have been some cases of hunters shooting someone's pet deer and it's ended pretty badly for the hunters...although in most of those cases it's the bastards who drive and shoot from their trucks and then just strip the loins and antlers and drive off.

But yea, there's been some asses kicked.
posted by TomMelee at 6:44 AM on March 30, 2010

I'm really surprised that no one has mentioned that you should NEVER bother fawns even if they look like they are abandoned. Humans, along with other primates, are "carry" mammals and we don't let our babies out of sight, but deer are "cache" mammals. They hide their fawns while they search for food.

It's one of the top most annoying things for wildlife rehab centers and park rangers. They get call after call during the birthing season from people who have found "abandoned" fawns. The fawns weren't abandoned, well...until the stupid people messed with them and now the doe might actually not take the fawn back.

In the excellent deer book Heart & Blood by Richard K. Nelson, he describes an instance of a deer killing a dog...
posted by melissam at 7:05 AM on March 30, 2010 [1 favorite]

Someone did mention that.
posted by smackfu at 7:28 AM on March 30, 2010

I kept waiting for that white SUV in the background to start driving forward and the deer to go from cute-absent-minded-bounce-around-"Yay!-I'm-doin'-stuff!"-play, to kamikaze-arrow-rocketing-straight-for-the-passenger-side-door.

Because, in my experience, that's what deer are forever trying to do; fulfill some kind of murder/suicide pact with any cars they see.
posted by quin at 8:31 AM on March 30, 2010 [2 favorites]

This video reminds me again what truly truly amazing creatures dogs are. They remind us of what humanity could be if we put away our prejudices and violent instincts and just play with one another.
posted by hecho de la basura at 9:13 AM on March 30, 2010

I'm really surprised that no one has mentioned that you should NEVER bother fawns even if they look like they are abandoned. Humans, along with other primates, are "carry" mammals and we don't let our babies out of sight, but deer are "cache" mammals. They hide their fawns while they search for food.

Fascinating -- I'd never heard that. Thanks!
posted by Pantengliopoli at 9:31 AM on March 30, 2010

hecho de la basura: "This video reminds me again what truly truly amazing creatures dogs are. They remind us of what humanity could be if we put away our prejudices and violent instincts and just play with one another."

Dogs really are amazing animals, and will engage in play with damn near anything.

Case in point: Sled Dogs playing with freakin' polar bears.
posted by lazaruslong at 10:04 AM on March 30, 2010

Oh great. Sao this is going to be both Old Yeller AND The Yearling.
posted by Astro Zombie at 11:04 AM on March 30, 2010

Because, in my experience, that's what deer are forever trying to do; fulfill some kind of murder/suicide pact with any cars they see.

I dunno, the deer in my neighborhood seem perfectly content with standing in the yard chewing hosta leaves and idly watching cars drive by.
posted by aught at 1:25 PM on March 30, 2010

Concolora, note that the guy in the video of the deer attack had freakin' sprayed himself with female deer urine. Deer can be aggressive, but I worry a little more about bears, even more about (human-habituated or not) moose, or a lot more about ordinary cars. And of all the deer attack stories, only the one 73 year old guy didn't heal from his injuries, and the next worst was a broken clavicle, which you can get from playing ultimate frisbee. You're way more likely to be injured by running your car into a deer (or moose) than you are being attacked by it.

I have lived in places with moose, and been threatened and charged (once) by them. My Mom's crappy little herding dogs are particularly unhelpful -- they'll run ahead of me on a hike, find a moose and start barking at it, then when the moose charges, they come running back to me for protection. Damn dumb dogs.

P.S. Showmethecalvino, I don't know where that deer lives, but unless it's near the border of Idaho/Montana/Wyoming, or in way upstate Michigan or Wisconsin, it's got nothing to worry about from wolves. Hunters, yes, but not wolves.
posted by Hello Dad, I'm in Jail at 5:26 PM on March 30, 2010 [1 favorite]

Deer in Japan have learned to panhandle.
posted by Countess Elena at 6:02 PM on March 30, 2010

Hildegarde: I struggle to muster any sympathy for hunters out in the woods getting their asses handed to them by deer.

Especially when it's a damn bowhunter. Almost got what he deserved.
posted by Johnny Wallflower at 7:53 PM on March 30, 2010

Especially when it's a damn bowhunter. Almost got what he deserved.

WTF, Johnny Wallflower?
posted by IAmBroom at 9:59 PM on March 30, 2010

Bobicus said:

But as far as body language, none of this comes across to me, the human. The deer's eyes look emotionless, its ears are constantly on alert, and it really looks like those fast moving legs are attempting to cause some damage. It looks freaked out. Contrast the dog, whose awkward, bounding gait and use of submissive posturing are immediately seen as play.

...

I wonder if that is a reflection of the fact that humans and dogs have had a friendly relationship for so long, and have not had that same relationship with deer? As in, are we more likely to recognize the dog's submission / play "attitude" since we've known dogs as pets for a very long time?
posted by dwbrant at 8:19 AM on April 1, 2010

Or vice-versa: dogs have evolved to behave in a manner we find playful.
posted by five fresh fish at 12:14 PM on April 1, 2010