Playful deer sneaks into a candy store for a curious sniff and some sweets for himself: 'Definitely surreal'

Talking about a surprise visitor, a candy store owner was in for the shock of her life when she had an unexpected visitor appear out front. Jennifer Strobel was at "Buddy & Howie’s Candy Store," a sweets shop she and her husband own in Ocean Shores, Washington when a deer stunned customers by strolling in. “He was walking down the street and wandered right up to our front door,” Strobel told The Dodo. “He poked his head in. My first reaction was surprise: ‘Wow!’”

The usually shy creature went around the store sniffing the candy. Footage caught the animal sniffing at the taffy display and then carefully walking around the aisles. Even he couldn't resist the sight and smells of good old candy! “He was definitely interested in the saltwater taffy. In the video, he looks like he actually snatched a piece of buttered popcorn taffy,” Strobel said. “I was trying my best to stay calm. It was definitely surreal.”

Soon, when customers whipped out their phones and began taking photos and videos of the deer, he was spooked and sprinted out the door. Fortunately for the store owners, no damage was done. “He didn’t leave any damage!” Strobel added. "That’s the best part. I am worried he might tell all his friends where the best taffy in town is! Hopefully, they will just window shop and not come in. It was definitely a once-in-a-lifetime experience, that’s for sure.”

Strobel also posted the story on the shop's Facebook page writing, "We had a special visitor come in and check out the taffy boat this morning! He approves!!! Edit: added a video of the whole thing, ocean shores police I think we have a taffy thief on our hands." Many netizens found the story truly amusing. Audrey Hall joked, "I’m in Ky and we have watched this video several times. He was just checking to see if the taffy was under a Buck." Daniel Ling added, "I guess the candy is that good."

There are plenty of beautiful tales about people's connections with the stunning creatures. Last year, singer Travis Tritt got a surprise visit from the deer his family cared for as an orphaned fawn 3 years prior. Sharing their heartwarming reunion on Instagram, the 59-year-old wrote: "He obviously remembered me.” In the video, Tritt can be seen asking the deer, "What's up, buddy? How are you doing?" The deer fearlessly approaches the "It's a Great Day to Be Alive" singer and lets Tritt pet him while reciprocating the affection by licking his human friend's arm.

Tritt added, "I was walking around my property tonight and I suddenly received a visit from an old friend. This is Oakley. He was an orphaned deer that my wife bottle-fed and raised from a baby. He used to hang out on our pool deck as a fawn. I had not seen him in over a year until tonight. He obviously remembered me and came right up to me as if he had never forgotten who I was and knew I wasn’t a threat to him. Nature is amazing!"