Posted on 11/27/2002 6:00:53 PM PST by vannrox
Cleanup on aisle 10
BLACKSBURG - A confused deer, lost in the Gables Shopping Center, headed through two sets of automatic doors and proceeded to run amok in Kroger on Friday morning.
"It was a buck, probably a six-pointer," said customer Valerie Belcher, who said she hugged a cashier as the panicked animal came toward her. "We watched it just jump right over us."
After a frantic run through the store, the deer ran back out of the building and onto North Main Street, where it was hit by a van before disappearing, said Blacksburg Police Officer M.G. Mickey.
Like many Virginia localities, Blacksburg has such a quickly growing deer population that the animals have gone from cute to public safety hazard. The problems are usually confined to gardens and roads, though, not shopping centers.
"Not often that you see a deer go Krogering," said Mickey.
No one in Kroger was injured, but employees had some minor messes to clean up and the store was buzzing with excitement.
"I felt like that Elvis song - 'All Shook Up,'" said Margaret Cates, who hid behind her cart, then sought refuge in the First Citizens Bank branch located in the store.
"He was all over the store," said Kerrie Cook, a teller at the bank. "He was just so frazzled he didn't know what to do."
She said the deer, which was already injured, entered through the automatic doors near her counter. Sometimes slipping on the linoleum, it went through the U-Scan checkout area and down aisle 10.
Sushi chef Wayne Fleming said the deer jumped through his area, and he had trampled sushi containers to prove it. He called it a "natural disaster."
Linda Jilk was shopping with her daughter, Eliza, at the time.
The 2 -year-old already had Santa Claus on her mind, and when she saw the deer, she made the natural connection.
"Somebody yells, 'There's a deer in the store,'" said Jilk, "and Eliza's like, 'Santa's reindeer?'"
Jilk, whose planned purchase of butter was stepped on by the deer, said it was a surreal scene.
"People were jumping up on things - screaming and yelling," she said. "Everybody was so worried for the deer. He was just running so quickly and he was large."
She said she then tried to keep people away from the doors, so the deer wouldn't be scared to exit.
When he finally ran out the door, everyone cheered, she said.
Coincidence?
Maybe it wanted to go there.
sizing things up for the invasion, no doubt
Its just an antlered rat. You feed it some bread if you like such critters, and ignore it. I used to practically have to elbow them out of the way where I used to live.
Frickin' goofy deer...
Ahhhh, so I was right. They're forming gangs now.
Blacksburg has a special archery permit availible to shoot deer in town to deal with this problem.
Thank God you boys are fighting back against this new 5th column. Keep up the good work.
;-)
For the sake of humanity.
I used to hunt, and I wont say a word against the practice. I wear leather and eat meat. But I have come to love the furry monsters.
Bunch of friends and I, all former military, routinely go to the deep woods camping, armed to the teeth. Most of us hunted at one time or another, but are fond of critters. If an antlered rat wandered into our campsite, it'd probably be never safer in its life. We'd probably form an ad-hoc perimeter and defend it. :-)
They are a type of moose.
We (The Fire Team and I) cut the furry ba$tards some slack now. So I guess I'm deer-symp. Hunt all you want, and I'll pay you a compliment on your kill. But no arrows or bolts into our camp-site, especially when furry guests are present, as we return fire. :-P
Once: it happens.
Twice: it's a coincidence.
Three times: it's a conspiracy.
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