It might appear that this buck is talking back to me but he is actually doing what is called the ‘flehmen response.’ A lot of mammals actually do this when they smell something interesting – think of it as them taking a deep whiff of something. I guess perhaps I was particularly stinky that day? 😉
Even deer think they are comedians
This deer buck appeared to be having a good laugh yesterday afternoon at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge. He was hanging out with three of his ladies and keeping close watch on them. The rut is in full swing and the bucks are ensuring no interlopers steal away the attention of the females.
Sign does little to deter a buck
Somehow I suspect the sign doesn’t apply to buck. 😉
Snow doe
This whitetail deer doe was quite curious about the guy taking her picture. She looked beautiful in the freshly fallen snow just outside of Denver, Colorado.
First images with Tamron SP 150-600
First images from my new Tamron SP 150-600 mm taken this afternoon. Conditions weren’t very good with overcast skies and it being mid-afternoon but it was good to finally use the new glass. All in all I am very impressed and happy with the results. Looking forward to playing with it more. I shot shutter priority for them all in order to keep the speed up. All images were hand-held – a real trick with this big thing.
“Hey! Are you checking out my butt?”
A mule deer doe seems to be a bit upset with my chosen camera angle for this shot. 😉 Taken this past Sunday at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge, Colorado, this lady and two of her friends were hanging out with a nearby buck. It was a cold but sunny morning and the deer were quite active allowing for plenty of photo opportunities. If you are ever in the Denver area, the Arsenal is a ‘must see’ attraction with abundant wildlife, much of which you can see without ever leaving your vehicle.
Buck beds down in the snow
A very cold morning here in the Denver area (15° F or so) and light snow. The deer out at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal were out and about and relatively active despite the cold weather. This buck and a doe were taking it easy and bedded down in some tall grass – keeping a close eye on me though. 😉 He might have escaped unseen were it not for those big antlers stick up!
Proud buck
Elk are getting a lot of the ‘press’ now days in Colorado with the rut going on but this good looking buck deer made a strong case of his own. The mule deer rut typically begins in November which probably explains why he and another buck were shadowing six does in the area. Once the rut begins, the two males won’t be willing to be quite so close to each other.
But, Mom, look at that guy back there!
Taken at Rocky Mountain Arsenal Wildlife Refuge back in July. This doe was leading her fawn through the grass but the young one really seemed to want to stop and watch me like I was watching it. 😉
The Standoff: Coyote and Young Deer Wait for the Next Move
Following a first attack, a deer and coyote size each other up. Absolutely amazing sequence of events this morning at Rocky Mountain National Park. The story is a bit lengthy but worth reading.
We were just starting out on a hike when we hear what almost sounded like a bird screeching or a kid making sounds. Didn’t give it much thought initially then there is a burst of motion behind us and a young deer is running through the grass with one coyote running alongside trying to latch on, another not far behind.
The deer smartly ran to the edge of the parking lot for safety while the coyotes were too skittish to follow near humans. Naturally I didn’t have the right lens on for this type of thing as I was planning to take landscapes (UGH!). I ran to my car, swapped lenses and captured this image.
The deer thought it was safe so bounded out the other side of the parking lot while the coyotes looked on. Unfortunately the deer chose to circle back where it originally came from and the wily coyotes did as well.
We hear more ‘screeching’ from the other side of a bunch of trees and here comes the deer toward us again at full speed. Again the coyotes backed off not wanting to come close to humans. They kept their distance as they worked their way around us, closely watching the deer.
Last we saw, the deer was bounding over a hill with the coyotes in pursuit. Just amazing to witness!