Deer at Birch Lodge, Trout Lake, MI

When we used to visit Birch Lodge and after we bought it we wondered why Ann Badgley fenced off the area around her laundry lines with ten feet of chicken wire. Was it to keep animals away from her sheets? Do Upper Peninsula wildlife eat pillow cases?

Recently, while going over some of the old photos we found in the lodge, we had an "Ah HA!" moment. While historic post cards show fawns were "adopted" at the lodge,

Cliff and Ann Badgley apparently carried on the tradition, and there are a number of images that show at least one fawn that was "domesticated." It is shown with people on the lodge lawn and in the lake,

and even more surprisingly, in the lodge itself in the lobby and kitchen ( Ann didn't look too happy--wonder what the health inspectors would say about that?)

The deer even made it into the Birch Bar!

Our revelation - the fencing was not to keep deer out but to keep deer IN. One image shows Ann with a fawn in the pen and another with guests.


Even though we appreciate those who over the years were "fawning" over Birch Lodge, we imagine the MDNR deer regulations would not treat such behavior too kindly today(!).

Guess our guests will just have to be satisfied to be greeted by our dogs; Ralph, our mixed breed from Trout Lake, and Polly, our basset hound . . . always willing to take a treat!