Some people that live in the Santo Domingo area were surprised when they noticed a group of wild deers near the capital.
- Thread starter NALs
- Start date
Wild Deers in the SR
Fortunately, deer, much like shrimp enjoy the privilege of being more than one without an S
They are Javanese deer introduced by Rafael Leonida Trujillo for hunting purposes back on the days.
Interesting and surprising! Deer meat (venison) properly prepared to remove the gamey taste by marinating in red wine and spices is delicious. I’ve hit deer on our highways at night. Small enough to not do significant vehicle damage but still a concern. Now you need permission to hunt deer on private property where I live because a farmer on a ladder picking apples in his orchard was mistakenly shot by a deer hunter but that’s another story.
Where do you live?
I had no idea there was anything left to roam freely in this part of the country. I'd a thought the Haitians had eaten them by now..
NALS thanks for sharing.
I learned something new today.
CR. I live in Atlantic Canada where we hunt deer, moose, caribou, etc. Like you, I was surprised to learn about the existence of a deer population in the forested areas near Santo Domingo. I’d be curious to know if anyone was monitoring the population to determine if it’s increasing or decreasing. Deer in dense cover aren’t easy to hunt or snare. Probably why they are surviving today.
The big issue with deer, at least in North America, is deer ticks that attach themselves to humans and spread Lyme disease, a very debilitating disease. Maybe the DR climate doesn’t allow deer ticks to survive. Given the fact that the offspring of the original transplanted herd still survives today leads me to believe they have very few predators and an ample supply of nutrition. They thrive on fruit, weeds, broadleaf plants, and the leaves, twigs, and buds of deciduous trees.
When I still lived in the US, I used to be able to get kosher venison from a guy in upstate NY. I seem to remember I would be 1/4 animal and he'd send me everything--cut for roasts, stews, filets, plus bones and all the scrapings, etc. I still remember a venison cholent I made. So delish.
I lived in Connecticut, the epicenter of Lyme Disease. I had it and it was awful; I had to take antibiotics daily for 60 days and I am a redhead with MANY allergies to antibiotics. To add insult to injury, our dog---a little Maltese mix---also had Lyme disease. I am not sure who was more miserable.
Deers are very common in Connecticut. Many eat very close to a road or a highway. The way to make sure they stay on the side of the road rather than cross it when you’re whisking by is to put the headlights in high beam. For whatever reason, that tend to freeze them as they stare at the lights. That only works at night and it doesn’t work with other animals.
That disease is named after a Connecticut town for a reason, though I don’t think it was an issue when the deers were introduced in the DR. If they descend from the group introduced by Trujillo since he was killed quite a few years before Lyme disease was a thing.
There was a wonderful restaurant by Killington years back called “Countryman's Pleasure". It may have sounded like a place where a redneck may have enjoyed a date with a first cousin, but one of their star plates was a venison medallions in a red wine reduction. It was 🎯
My niece in Nova Scotia contracted it. She has two Greyhound rescue dogs she thinks were the source of the deer ticks. Went through the same treatment and discomfort for a few months. She was exhausted most of the time.
While driving down Pedro Clisante last Friday night, I saw many gentlemen hunting dears.
As always NALS, interesting stuff. Your DR knowledge and research knows no bounds. The deer at night are one thing but ducking Moose and Caribou on the highways is a whole different game, especially on a motorcycle at high speed while navigating a tight turn. Nearly rear ended a moose or two in that situation. The creatures are high on their legs and one does not want his final demise to be a human suppository!
Diagnosing LYME disease is not always easy. As you mentioned not a problem in the DR. I’d worry more about mosquitoes that carry and transmit deadly diseases.
In Eastern Canada, I’ve eaten at several restaurants that specialize in game in season. The venison is always my first choice. My favourite is served in a red wine reduction sauce.
Always amazed at what animals governments will import to serve society elites. I’ve read reports of puma sightings in one province. Brought in for hunters a long time ago and a few still survive. Buffalo were transplanted to an East Coast island decades ago. They perished in the harsh winter conditions.