Column: What seems random is probably more of a survival instinct

MAINE SUNDAY TELEGRAM • January 15, 2023

My mother used to say, “Everything happens for a reason.” That’s especially true in nature. Behavior that may seem unusual to us usually (though not always) has a purpose, and it’s most often related to survival. Just a few weeks earlier I was sneaking through that same patch of woods donned in orange vest and cap and carrying a rifle when I heard the unmistakable sound of a deer blowing. Biologists surmise that the white-tail salute likely serves as a signal to other deer in the dense cover deer often inhabit. Other deer, especially young ones, may not have detected the danger and when alerted to its presence, may not know which way to flee. The flag-waving deer is signaling, “Dirigo – follow me.” ~ Bob Humphrey