Young Buck

[SCraig]

I was at one of my favorite shooting spots this morning watching a bunch of Wood Ducks and wishing they would get closer. The place I was standing was on a paved road (formerly public, now closed) that runs between two lakes. The shoulder of the road drops straight down into the lake on each side. I was concentrating on the ducks and heard a soft snort nearby.

I looked up and about 60' away stood this little buck. He was walking down the road and even though it's a protected area, and the deer there know they are quite safe, he was hesitant to walk past me. He watched me for a few minutes, pawed the road a bit, and decided he would go back the way he came. Then he noticed that there was someone coming that direction to. The other person stopped to watch, and the deer was caught between us with nowhere to go. I finally picked up my tripod (I wasn't about to let him kick it in the lake!) and started backing up the road, and he followed right along with me. When we got to a spot that he could get off the road he trotted of into the woods and turned and watched me again before heading up into the trees. Guess he just wanted to say thanks

 

[globeglimpser]

Great Capture!

 

[SCraig]

Thank you! I'm glad you liked it.

 

[MonicaBH]

I love his wonky little horns.

Beautiful shot!

 

[SCraig]

I love his wonky little horns.

Beautiful shot!

Thanks, Monica. Glad you like it. I've heard that they shed their horns in late summer and grow them back over the winter. True or not, I don't know. I also don't know if they do that every year or how long it takes for them to grow back, so I'm not sure whether he's actually that young or whether his rack just hasn't finished growing back. Regardless, I agree that his horns look "Wonky"