It’s almost time. Let’s get ready to rumble! The deer rut is fast approaching and the big boys are getting prepped. This handsome fellow was showcasing his muscular physique and was working on getting the last of the velvet off his weapons – those impressive antlers.

While he was still hanging out with his fellow bachelors, in another month or so that will change and those friends will become enemies as the hormones begin to rage. This guy will likely be a worthy contender for the ladies’ affection.

While this little one might only be a couple months old, it has already grown by leaps and bounds. Its spots are getting to be far less prominent and it had to have been about half the size of its mother.

I didn’t do so well getting pics of the fawns when they were first born but did have some luck recently, including with this one. They still are quite rambunctious, bounding around, rarely stopping for more than a second or two. This one was kind enough to stop briefly and give me a nice pose.

Clearly a deer with a comedic streak. 😉 The mule deer bucks are starting to sport some nice racks, all in anticipation of the fall and the rut. This fellow looked quite handsome in the early morning light recently – even if he decided to put on a less than regal pose.

The rocky landscape of Badlands National Park is pretty fun to hike around and explore for humans. For young four-legged creatures, it has to be a great place to grow up and bound around. These twin mule deer fawns definitely seemed to enjoy it, running around and chasing each other across the rugged terrain. It was an absolute joy to watch them as they explored their new world.

Well, no chance of sneaking up on this pretty lady for a closeup. 😉 

I was hiking a little trail, hoping to get a glimpse of some fawns that had been spotted in the area. The little buggers managed to evade me on this morning but some of the adults gave me a nice looks, including this one. I kind of liked how the trees framed her as she stopped and clearly was well-aware of her stalker.

A fresh one from just this morning. It will be another week or two before fawns arrive and the adult deer are looking a bit rough as they shed their winter coats so I haven’t photographed deer much lately. However, this handsome fellow looked kind of cool in the early morning light with his new antlers coming in nicely. Plus, he gave me a nice smile. 😉

Let’s call this Mulie Monday!

This big boy is one of the stars of the show at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge. While his antlers don’t have a particularly large breadth, they are extraordinarily thick and definitely make him a fun one to photograph.

While rut is over, he was still quite interested in the does this past weekend, sticking close to two particular ladies. In the coming weeks, he will shed those antlers and then immediately start growing a new set in preparation for next fall.