A True Story: Co-existing with free-living Animals

Photo: Golden Rees with a rather sane reaction to our deer friend!

Once upon a time, I lived a magical reality. I literally lived for months on end, year after year for two decades, in a magical spot located in a national forest; at 8,000 ft. elevation. I lived there with human vegan friends and with other herbivore animal friends. This forest did not have bears, wolves, snakes, and rarely were humans seen. Interestingly, there were hardly any carnivores in this magical reality. I did meet a coyote once and introduced him to our little Magic ; our canine friend who ate a vegan diet. I lived with hummingbirds, rabbits, porcupines, wild turkeys, voles, chipmunks, and ground squirrels that ate seeds from our hands. I lived closely with deer that rested contently nearby in my campsite. They were friends and came when I called them over for some lovin or organic produce. After many years, we were able to pet them. I protected them during hunting season. Coping with the hunting season became the hardest part of living in the national forest. It brought me to my knees; broken-hearted and devasted.

I lived with cows and bulls that roamed the forest. The land was leased out to cattle ranchers. The first time I heard a bull s bellow echoing down the meadows, I about keeled over in fear. But I soon realized however fierce they looked or sounded, that they would not hurt me. They re herbivores. We co-existed on the long alpine and forested meadows. A cow could drink a five gallon bucket of water at a time - when we were generous enough to offer (we had to truck the water in from a spring an hour away.) We both enjoyed finding a spot to spend some time amongst the white barked Aspens and the sweet smelling bark of the Ponderosa Pine. We both liked living in peace away from humanity, above the world, under the big blue sky.

The only scary animal I ever came into contact with for over two decades was the human animals. In the end, I was literally forced out of the forest by a substantial forest fire. I made it out just in time! It was a fire started by humans. According to a female forest ranger present at the time, it could have easily been put out; it was just one tree. But forest management decided to let it go (for the benefit of the forest!) They made the wrong choice. A strong wind came and spread the fire through the woods. I visited once after the fire was put out. The white barked Aspens were now black stumps. My forest friends and I were driven out by the one species of animal that ruined everything. The human animal is the only one that I ever had any problems with while living two decades in a forest filled with many species.