One of my classes is from 4:30pm to 7:20pm. I live in a very woodsy town with a lot of deers roaming around, plus there's barely any lit places at night (not enough street lights) so it can get dark to the point you can't see.
My home is just 2.5miles (50 min by walking and 5 min by car) from my college and I will probably have to walk home every Wensday unless the teacher let us out early since it's a 3 hour class. The last bus is always at 7:22, so that gives me about 2 min to try to make the bus, but if not I have to walk home. I should've just did the dorms.
But I'm planning on asking my teacher to let me out at 7:18pm instead 7:20pm but there's no guarantee. I can't rely on a cab because sometimes they just don't show up at all and then won't inform you that their not coming.
My brother tells me I could do it because he has been hitchhiking and backpacking across Europe by himself, but I'm still nervous about the whole situation.
Does anyone have any words of encouragement for me or how to best deal with the situation? I'm hoping that I don't have to drop the class because I need it on my application by the time I apply to the nursing program, but it looks like I have no other option.
Ok, I will admit that once when I was young, we went to a deer park. There were deer *everywhere*. I was so excited to feed them!
And then......stampede. You'd have thought there weren't dozens of other tourists who'd also fed them. They were ravenous, pushing each other out of the way to get to me and the food. Frightening to a small child.
OP, make sure you don't carry deer food and you should be fine.
On a more serious note, I would encourage you to take a self defense class to bolster your self confidence and train you how to decrease odds of attack (by humans, lol) and how to react if the worst does occur.
Two minutes (7:18 vs 7:20) isn't going to make a bit of difference. My hometown is in rural WI. Deer dart out into the road when they get spooked, such as by a car. Not very smart, but hey. Otherwise they cross the street at a leisurely pace. They do, however, total cars. One totaled mine driving hone from a 3-11 CNA shift, one totaled my grandma's car. I even had an ICU pt from a deer vs motorcycle collision last year.
They're much safer than hitchhiking though -- don't give that option another thought!
No, I have nothing against deers. I'm just terrified of wild animals (any wild animal) plus it will be dark and probably hard to spot them.
I used to live downtown Chicago before I moved to the suburbs, so I am not used to seeing so many deers at once.
I'd be more concerned with coyotes and mountain lions. Coyotes are EVERYWHERE and lions have been seen in several states in the midwest and east. Lions usually hunt at dawn and dusk. I seem to recall one in the Chicago suburbs a while back. Large populations of deer also attract them.
As for Bambi, don't be too fooled by them. They might be cute and people think they are harmless but a doe will protect her fawn at all costs. You might not see her but she's around and never far from her baby. And like someone pointed out the plural form of deer is also deer.
LOL I'm in rural upstate NY and deer are everywhere here. I walk through my yard and hear them galloping away. If I am walking at night, deer are not high up on my worry list.. or there at all. (driving is another story). I guess OP could be a victim of a random stampede, but being set upon by wild turkeys in the daytime is probably just as likely. :)
I'd be more worried about the two legged predators with no street lights, etc.
Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.
My home is just 2.5miles (50 min by walking and 5 min by car) from my college
It takes you 50 minutes to walk the 2.5 miles home? If you can speed up your pace by walking a 12-minute mile, you'll be home in less than or equal to 30 minutes.
I'd be more concerned with coyotes and mountain lions. Coyotes are EVERYWHERE and lions have been seen in several states in the midwest and east. Lions usually hunt at dawn and dusk. I seem to recall one in the Chicago suburbs a while back. Large populations of deer also attract them.
I should've just did the dorms.
(driving is another story). I guess OP could be a victim of a random stampede, but being set upon by wild turkeys in the daytime is probably just as likely. :)
Anna Flaxis, BSN, RN
1 Article; 2,816 Posts
Does pepper spray shaped like a little pistol count?