Mission Island is located in Lake Superior, just off the shore from the city of Thunder Bay (which it happens to be part of).
Mission Island is a fairly large island, only accessible by car via one bridge, and by train via two bridges. It’s a quiet wooded island that contains a conservation area, a couple of marinas, a power generating station, a scrap metal yard, and only a few residential homes.
Over the last few years Mission Island has become overrun with deer, probably because of the islands characteristics as listed above, but also because deer hunting is prohibited within Thunder Bay city limits (which includes Mission Island), and there are no natural predators which threaten the deer.
So, countless numbers of deer have made Mission Island their home. It is for this reason that many local residents and visitors love to drive (very carefully I might add) to the island, for one can get up close to view and feed the deer.
The deer are very tame and not frightened of people at all, probably because they know and love the hands that feed them.
Interestingly, the locals that live on Mission Island treat the deer as their own pets by feeding them and making sure they stay protected from Poachers.
While I was taking these photos of the deer playing in someones yard, the homeowners arrived and backed their SUV into the driveway. While the homeowners were putting away their groceries, the deer kept frolicking in the yard, making themselves quite at home, playing with each other like domestic dogs or cats would.
So, if you ever find yourself visiting the Thunder Bay area, drive out to Mission Island and visit the deer. Bring carrots and your camera, and enjoy your interactions with these gentle creatures.
