photo by Steve VanGunda

Brenda Parker feeds Kirby his morning cookie while her husband Larry recalls stories of when they first found the deer.

Deer makes himself at home with Natchez couple

Tance Hughes

Published Sunday, August 10, 2008

NATCHEZ — Most people wouldn’t consider a deer as a pet, but for Larry and Brenda Parker things are a little different.

A little over two years ago, the Parkers began bottle feeding a baby deer less than 24 hours old.

Now, one month after his second birthday, Kirby the deer is part of the family.

“We named him Kirby because the first time he drank the milk we gave him, my husband said he sounded like a Kirby vacuum cleaner,” Brenda Parker said.

Kirby is a six-point buck that makes two daily visits to see the Parkers, once in the morning around 6:30 a.m. and once in the evening around 6:00 p.m.

Each time Kirby comes, the Parkers feed him a meal that consists of peaches, bread, scrambled egg sandwiches, pizza crusts and even fruit loops.

“On his second birthday I gave him a birthday muffin also,” Brenda Parker said.

At a recent children’s camp at the Parkers’ church, the children had a pizza party but saved all of the crusts for Kirby.

“Everyone around here knows him,” Larry Parker said. “He’s a mooch.”

“When he was just over a year old, he started growing his horns,” Brenda Parker said. “I didn’t know that he would rub them off and when he walked in one day with a bleeding head I gave him Children’s Tylenol.”

The Parkers told many stories about Kirby, including one incident in which he entered the house, jumped on their bed and pulled the fan switch on and off.

“I thought it was our dog Jade,” Brenda Parker said. “But when I went in there I saw Kirby pulling at the switch hanging from the fan.”

The Parkers also told a story about Kirby coming inside and watching TV with them, only to fall asleep after getting comfortable on the floor.

“It was funny watching him sleep because every couple of minutes he would flip over to the other side really fast,” Larry Parker said.

The Parkers have grown to love Kirby like he was part of their family.

“I was already an animal lover,” Brenda Parker said. “But Kirby is special to me and I hope that nobody ever harms him.”

Kirby has never been caged or penned up and he comes and goes freely.

He also wears a bright orange collar that the Parkers bought for him.

“He’s not just our deer, he’s everyone’s deer,” Brenda Parker said. “I hope everyone will always take care of him.”