Oh deer! Large buck recorded having late-night snack outside Westchester home

Spotting deer in west suburban Westchester isn't a rare occurrence, but it is unusual to have one snacking on your front doorstep.

Ellen Alamilla was going through video footage on her doorbell camera when she came up on a recording of a large buck with a tall rack having a late-night meal in her front garden last Wednesday about 2 a.m.

"We only live about a block from the forest preserve, and I walk the dog very early in the morning, so I often see deer in the neighborhood," Alamilla said. " But I don’t know what made one come so close this time."

Alamilla said her garden is full of native plants that smaller animals often eat, but she was surprised to see them attracting a deer that large.

It appears to be a seven-point buck that was drawn to Alamilla's tasty plantings.

"It hasn't been raining much so maybe it was looking for food," Alamilla said. "Part of native gardening is that you’re feeding things that are native to this area and although I've never seen a deer on my front porch, they are native to this area."

Alamilla has lived in Westchester for more than 10 years and says her home near LaGrange and Cermak roads gives her the perfect escape in the suburbs.

"It's the perfect blend of suburbia living and the peace of forest preserves," Alamilla said.

Last week, several residents came across a coyote roaming the streets in Park Ridge.

The young coyote was suffering from a form of mange, an ailment caused by burrowing, parasitic mites and resulting in intense itching that can cause host animals to lose their coating and lead to complications that might ultimately kill them.

Contributing: Dale Bowman