Heart and Blood: Living with Deer in America
- ISBN-10
- 0679405224
- ISBN-13
- 9780679405221
- Pages
- 389
- Language
- English
- Published
- 1997
- Publisher
- A.A. Knopf
- Author
- Richard K. Nelson
Description
Heart and Blood: Living with Deer in America begins with the author tracking a deer on a remote island off the Alaskan coast. From there he takes us on a kaleidoscopic journey, visiting such disparate territories of the deer as a hunting ranch in Texas; a state park in California; a Wisconsin forest on opening day of the hunting season; Fire Island, New York; and the suburbs of Denver - where the deer have become so numerous that they pose hazards to landscape, motorist, and pedestrian alike. Nelson examines the physiology of the deer, explaining how its unique digestive system and grazing habits have enabled it to thrive in the varied environments of the United States, whether wild, suburban, or urban. He investigates the different methods of controlling the deer's skyrocketing numbers, from the more "humane" methods of relocation and sterilization, to hunting - in all its forms. Nelson also explores the role of the deer in traditional Native American life, takes us with him on a hunt, and awes us as he witnesses the birth of a fawn - an event rarely seen by humans.
