Plymouth btw Jones and Broadway

uhm…..venison stew, so tasty.

Sure, using road kill is a good idea but that’s a high price to pay, sacrificing your car’s front end. Or other parts. That seemed like a large herd on a busy street in what is still the middle of the city. This was around 7:30 am this morning. Are they common there?

Which way were they going? North to Argo or up the rail line, or South to Island or Fuller Parks?

Were they rousted out by a tree trimming crew? They’ve been busy this week too.

They were heading Northwest, I was driving away from the bridge, heading up the hill away from downtown. Right were you can see the back of Arbor Springs on the right, they crossed from that patch of land, across the street and then to my left, to the hill behind Traver I suppose. So to Argo or that area eventually. From the SE side of Plymouth to the NW, since Plymouth runs north and a bit east at that point.

They like to nest in swamp grass and cattails this time of year, probably going up river and crossing where they did because the dam might spook them.

Speaking of road kill. Charlie Parker”s nickname was The Bird. ( Charlie Bird Parker)This was given to him on tour. They were driving and accidentally hit a chicken crossing the road. So rather than waste the chicken he tossed in a stew pot.True story.Thus the nickname “The Bird”
By the way there are herds of deer along the river in various places. I’ve seen as many as 7 at one time along Island Drive and at Island Park.
Had some venison chili the other night…tasty.

I work on Jones Dr. I’ve seen that herd walking along the rail line high above Plymouth, crossing Plymouth, wandering in the back yards between Jones and the creek; and crossing Jones heading towards Broadway.

Pretty awesome! Kudos to the driver who got out to ensure the safety of both the deer and other drivers. When I was a child, living in Detroit, by Schoolcraft & Wyoming, there were train tracks just a couple of blocks north of us. We used to play there. We noticed foxes, pheasant & deer among cattails that grew just off the tracks in a small wetland patch. It always amazed me that such wildlife could exist within the city.

That said, Ann Arbor is a place that is very conducive to allowing wildlife to co-exist within it’s borders. We have peregrine, owls, hawks, fox, raccoon, skunk, possum & even chipmunk! Great post Diane!

There are a *lot* of deer up there. Along Traver Creek, up along Cedar Bend and down through Island Park to the river, there’s a lot of undeveloped land. And it’s always surprising how many deer live on North Campus. I see them crossing Beal, Hubbard and Hayward all the time. I’ve never seen any crossing Plymouth but I’m not surprised.

By the way, that story about how Bird got his nickname is only one of many. See here: [link]

Thanks for all the information. I still don’t easily think of dear living amongst us this closely. And didn’t expect them early in the morning on Plymouth Road. And Bear, don’t forget the coyotes. I’ve heard them, but not seen them.

Bear, you forgot the wolverines in that taxonomy too, for shame.

I know of a well established buck rut close to town that’s been there 40 years or more, I suspect they’re here to stay.

There’s only been one wolverine spotted in Michigan in the last 200 years and that was several years about 90 miles north of Detroit. [link]

Yeah, Diane, coyotes are definitely amongst those making a comeback.

On a bike ride yesterday in Scio and Webster Twps., I saw over a hundred deer in a little over a mile, on Tubbs, Stein, and Joy Roads. The herd appears to have made it through the winter in fine shape.

Bear, I think everyone else knows I meant the two-legged variety of wolverine.