| In the region of North Idaho between the cities of | | | | my cooking, she seemed to have little fear of |
| Coeur d'Alene and Kellogg, there lies a beautiful | | | | me. As beautiful as this deer was, I shooed her |
| stretch of river known as the North Fork of the | | | | off so I could actually finish this meal but my |
| Coeur d'Alene River. Here is where an unusual | | | | shooing did little to keep her away from my table. |
| event took place between me and a not so dear | | | | The doe would not come up to me but she did |
| deer. | | | | come within three or four feet with her mouth |
| There are many wonderful campsites along the | | | | watering and her lips smacking. I gave in to her |
| North Fork that offer spacious secluded spots | | | | hunger and threw her some eggs and potatoes. |
| with many of them sitting right on the banks of | | | | She gobbled this food down quickly and wanted |
| this crystal clear river. Some of these sites have | | | | more. "That's all you get!" I told her and she |
| campground hosts and charge a small fee per | | | | eventually left but not before relieving herself of |
| night for your stay. Many of the sites are free | | | | some of her pellets on my site. |
| and this is where I chose to stay for my | | | | I love to hike more than just about anything in |
| weekend adventure. The site had great shade, a | | | | my life so after breakfast, I set off for a short |
| perfect swimming hole and was off the road | | | | five mile excursion along a trail that went to a |
| enough so I thought I would not be disturbed by | | | | gorgeous mountain meadow well above the river. |
| any humans so I could enjoy a nice quiet couple | | | | After two or three hours of some great scenery |
| of days. Well, it was not the humans I should | | | | and rugged terrain, I was back at the campsite |
| have been concerned about after all. I never | | | | ready for a snack and a cool drink. Normally when |
| thought a small female deer could be so much | | | | I camp, I am not too worried about putting my |
| trouble. | | | | cooler away until I go to bed so I had left it out |
| It all started on my first night while I was having | | | | under my table. Like I said, normally this is fine |
| a nice camp dinner of spaghetti, garlic bread and | | | | but not this weekend. My cooler had been tipped |
| salad. In the middle of my feast, I left the | | | | completely over with food and ice scattered |
| campsite for a minute to get some water from | | | | everywhere. Plastic wrappings that held a variety |
| the river. Down at the river, I heard a sound | | | | of different food items had been chewed open |
| coming from my camp table. I forgot about | | | | and whatever was in them was gone. The only |
| getting my water and hurried back to my table | | | | thing left was my raw eggs and bacon. I did not |
| only to find my dinner on the ground with a | | | | even think twice about who the burglar of my |
| beautiful doe munching on the spaghetti. I was | | | | food was. Can you guess? |
| quiet and watched her eat the rest of my food | | | | I was not really upset about this and it gave a |
| and when she was done, she sniffed around the | | | | great story to tell you. Luckily, there was a small |
| campsite for a while and slowly meandered down | | | | store and restaurant just down the road a few |
| the river bank. | | | | miles so In case you were worried if I starved |
| This was fun and exciting for me to see and I | | | | that weekend, I did not. I did learn a valuable |
| was thankful for the experience until the next | | | | lesson about putting away my food when leaving |
| morning. What a great feeling it is to wake up to | | | | the campsite. I also learned from a forest ranger |
| the sound of a rushing river and the crisp | | | | that I was not the only person in the area that |
| mountain air, I thought, as I began cooking my | | | | had been visited by this deer. The doe had been |
| breakfast of scrambled eggs, potatoes and bacon. | | | | going around to many of the campsites the entire |
| The coffee was perfect, the breakfast tasted | | | | summer and had actually had been given a name |
| better than any other and once again, I found | | | | from a group of campers a few weeks prior to |
| myself in the presence of my dear deer friend. | | | | my visit. The name they chose was Frita, for the |
| With her nose up in the air sniffing the aroma of | | | | deer's insatiable love of Fritos. |