No ok but I actually met him. Several of my colleagues and students were hired to do some assessments for several manmade and natural ponds on his property. He wanted to maintain them with several different fish populations so that kids nearby could fish and have a good time.
While we were working he rode up in his four wheeler with a terrified look on his face. I never thought I would see a former football player on the verge of tears, but boy howdy he nearly was. Several of us stop what we were doing and go over to see what was up.
âI was running the tractor through the field and almost hit a fawn.â He says.
Now, for reference, itâs pretty common to have farmers run over and kill fawns. The defense mechanism of fawns when they are young is to lay down low and not moveâŚwhich obviously isnât great for when thereâs a tractor. It happens all the time, but it can be pretty bloody. Itâs not a pretty sight.
So, thinking that maybe such a gory scene unnerved him and that we may have to dispose of the body, I say âMr. Brown, is the fawn still alive?â
He says âYes, I took it to the barnâŚbut Iâm afraid the mom wonât take it back because it has human scent on it.â
The myth about âhuman scentâ is a common one, but itâs just thatâŚa myth. But still, this guy was absolutely terrified that this little deer was going to live the first few weeks of its life without a parent. He was distraught.
Luckily my professor/boss was like âDonât worry Mr. Brown, if you return the fawn relatively close to the spot that you found it, the mother will come back. The human scent thing is just a myth. The fawn will be alright, just be sure to keep the barn quiet so that the fawn doesnât panic.â
Mr. Brownâs face lit up and he let out a sigh of relief. âThank Godâ he said âI was so worried.â
And thatâs the story of how I met the sweetest man ever: Mr. Jason Brown.