It's not very often that we see large animal wildlife around here long enough to even bother to stop and take photos. They're usually too far away, or moving waaaay to quickly ... or both. So today when I saw this buck in the pasture, I was quite pleased that he stuck around long enough for photos. He was aware of me, but didn't seem all that concerned that I was there.
His left eye looked a bit swollen and scarred, and his horns weren't very spectacular. I could see where they had started to fork, but clearly they weren't very long and they weren't symmetrical, that's for sure.
I was surprised that he decided to lay down on the far side of the cactus from me. He continued to lay there clearly not finding me much of a threat.
At one point, he got up, trotted about 30 feet and turned to look at me. Not once did he raise his tail and display is white hiney. And apparently when he saw I wasn't going to leave, or chase after him, he returned to lay by the cactus.
And that was when my eye caught a flicker of something else just beyond the cactus. It was the ears of another deer ... a LADY deer! No wonder he was so interested in the cactus, and soooo NOT interested in me!
Ah, yes .... he's in LOVE!
I stayed to watch them for a good long while. This was as exciting as it got... a mid-day nap in the sunshine. Well, at least one of them was thinking about napping... *grin*
PS: I made these photos slightly larger than my usual photos, so when you click on them you can get a larger view. Enjoy!
Cool find, Anna! The buck's horns are terrible--wondered what happened to him/them. Glad he had a little lady friend to cheer his heart. :)
Posted by: Shellie Daniel | December 09, 2012 at 12:21 PM
Love the beautiful photos of all of your animals, but the photos of the white tail buck are very intriguing!! I caught several photos that look like the "same buck" on my game camera!! I don't hunt the deer, but enjoy seeing what kind of wildlife is passing through. Especially enjoy seeing the deer since they have only come into this area over the past 10 years! Because of the size of the buck, and the large base of the horn it looked like he may have broken his antlers fighting another buck. North central Texas area between Maypearl and Grandview of I-35W Thanks for sharing!!
Posted by: Diana Bell | December 05, 2012 at 09:17 PM
Great information! I am very fond of the wildlife and love to know about it.
Posted by: Wildlife Consultant | November 30, 2012 at 08:24 PM
The deer photos are spectacular! You are so lucky to witness extraordinary occasions like these. Isn't nature wonderful to watch when we take the time! Thanks for always sharing your special moments with the whole world; my family delights in seeing all the nature that surrounds your home.
Posted by: Rita | November 27, 2012 at 06:33 AM
Great photos, as usual. Lovely colors. I like the cacti photos. I"m a nut for succulents. :)
There is a deer tail sitting on top of my microwave. Do you think it's a hint of some sort?
ARe you having any trouble down there with disease spreading to the deer from cattle? We are. They say it's from the drought...brings the deer in to the same water sources as the cattle.
Posted by: Shala | November 26, 2012 at 09:08 PM
Hello Barb!
No, your eyes are not deceiving you ... you can see her in 4 of the 6 photos. :)
Cluck, cluck!
-Anna.
Posted by: SweetMissDaisy | November 25, 2012 at 05:48 PM
Anna, these are great photos! Are my eyes deceiving me, or do I see the female deer's ear in the first photo too (right between two cactus leaves)?
Posted by: Barb S | November 25, 2012 at 04:59 PM
Saw a white tail buck in our front yard this morning...didn't take a picture...I was walking the dog, almost home and we stood across the street and watched him...it was still dark. When he took off, his "flag" looked like it was 15" tall!! I love the deer...XO
Posted by: jeanneh | November 25, 2012 at 03:29 PM
Interesting, the rut is starting then, he does not seem to be very old initially but I suspect he is a mature buck that is on his way down as far as testosterone is concerned. the small horn mass yet a fairly large base would seem the reasoning and yet his body is plump and rounded not bony or stringy looking. nice to see a deer there maybe the coyotes are on the decline in your area enough to allow for a few more fawns to make it..... The here in Washington are finally starting to be a little more amorous with the weather finally cooling to their liking...great pictures!
Posted by: Dan Wight | November 25, 2012 at 09:34 AM
Nice photos! I love to watch the deer. They walk right by our bedroom and through our backyard. Last week DH was out of town and 3 buck and 2 doe came through.
Posted by: diane zechman | November 25, 2012 at 06:01 AM
Of course we see lots of whitetail deer in these parts. So many they are a bit of a nuisance. Especially when crossing roads. One ran into my Dad's NEW truck last week! For some reason I thought your part of the country had blacktail deer. I hope he returns next fall and sports a nicer set of antlers for you. :)
Posted by: Carol Dee | November 25, 2012 at 05:17 AM
What a great photo op! I'm amazed you captured so many fantastic shots of your white-tailed visitor(s). Here's a link to a short video of wild elk. I hope you enjoy. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BUOQ_yPW_0s
Posted by: Gabriela Divine | November 25, 2012 at 05:11 AM