Landscaping Encounter with a Deer
Shelter Island is a town and island at the eastern end of Long Island, NY population about 2,000. The area was an early 17th century New World settlement. Take a stroll and you may notice a 1932 iron sign that reads:
“SHELTER ISLAND SETTLED 1652. NATHANIEL SYLVESTER 1610-1680 A SUGAR MERCHANT OF BARBADOS WAS ITS FIRST RESIDENT OWNER”
In 1651, the island was sold to Sylvester’s merchant group for 1,600 pounds of sugar.
The island was home to the Manhanset, an Algonquin tribe, and its original name is Manhansack-aha-quash-awamock, which translates to “Island sheltered by islands.”
But there is another inhabitant of Shelter Island that has interacted with its residents for centuries. The deer.
In fact, drive 30 minutes from NYC into North Jersey or Long Island, and you’ll likely encounter deer crossing the highway. The Northeast’s deer seem to have no intention of going away, and one specific deer made for a dramatic day when it fell into a Shelter Island resident’s landscaping.
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