The Deer Ranch St. Ignace, MI

I can’t seem to get deer off my brain. Perhaps it’s the season. Guys and gals out in the woods hoping for that big buck to cross their path. Bob’s been a hunter since he was big enough to carry a gun…me? Not so much. I’ll make a confession here…I’ve never even seen Bambi and I never will. Just knowing that the mama dies makes me wanna cry.

Of course I’ve been wanting to share our little stop at The Deer Ranch but hadn’t gotten around to it until I was pondering these sweet creatures.

It seems our deer population in the U.P. has grown over the last couple of years. Not official data but based on the reports from our orange clad crew stomping through the forest, numbers are definitely up. Bob says he’s seeing deer from his blind everyday. A few bucks too but he says the small ones are safe with him. And while that 10 point has shown up on the trail cam, he’s steering clear during daylight hours.

Speaking of steering clear…while he hasn’t shot one he did come home with a lovely broken bumper from hitting one while on his way out of the woods. I’m only glad it wasn’t me that produced damage on our new-used truck. We’ve seriously had it for only a month! Ugh! Anyway it’s really just the plastic piece that holds a front license plate and we were able to order one from Amazon, but honestly, had it been me I would never hear the end of it…haha!

She was a doe and it sounds like she actually hit the truck instead of the other way around. Bob thinks something was chasing her because she slammed into him while he was only going about 10 mph. She was able to walk away and live another day…but still, poor thing.

Moral of the story: be careful out there, you never know what’s right around the bend. I see deer every single time I drive Hwy 123 coming home or going to work and they’re even more active as the weather gets colder and hunters start traversing their space.

The Deer Ranch – St. Ignace, Michigan

The Deer Ranch is a sweet little gem found just west of St. Ignace. A perfect stop if you’re out and about for the day, on your way to the dunes off U.S. 2 or headed further west and need a great way to stretch your legs.

An “all ages” activity. Be sure you buy plenty of carrots or apples to feed them. A dollar a cup and totally worth it!

Just look at those lashes! I could never shoot something with a face like that…or anything with a face. Maybe that’s why I’ll never be an official yooper, as a transplant or married into it.

I was a bit surprised at how warm their antlers are and so soft with the felt still on. He didn’t let us linger too long. Apparently the antlers are incredibly sensitive and the deer aren’t too keen on having them pet. But a scratch behind the ear was totally welcome.

I’m imagining how their conversation is going…don’t you ever give animals voices and crack yourself up? Maybe that’s why I embarrassed Kylee?? Oh well!

This stop at The Deer Ranch was in August but I think that the best time to go might be early spring. Plenty of new born deer to glimpse and perhaps some bottle feeding. How sweet would that be?

The chipmunks have it good here, too. You can witness them pattering from here to there, searching for a few dropped seeds or if you’re brave you can be like Kylee and feed them from your hand. *See our Twin Cedars Resort chipmunks up close and personal!*

This made me think of Harry Potter and his patronus – Yes, I think in movies sometimes and apply them to real life…hey I never claimed to be normal, hahaha!

That face…those ears…sweet spots…so cute!

So I’ll never be a hunter and while I always wish my hubby good luck, I never actually mean it…So good luck out there guys but don’t shoot anything! 😉

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