I’ve seen more mule deer in the Sandia foothills this winter than usual — and that’s saying a lot. Better yet, they’ve all seemed extraordinarily healthy.
I’ve been noticing that the does are generally much more tolerant of me than the bucks. When I first saw the scene above, it seemed as if the buck was hiding behind the doe. Cynical soul that I am, I immediately thought, “Well, perhaps chivalry is dead.”
I’ve revised my thinking since then. The bucks are routinely more wary and I think they have good reason to be, especially during hunting season. In my observation, hunters almost always go for the bucks (and their antlers), and leave the does alone. Perhaps this buck’s behavior has nothing to do with chivalry (or the lack thereof) and everything to do with survival.
If you think I’m jumping to conclusions about the deerest couple above, you might be right. On the other hand, here’s the same buck, less than 20 seconds before the couple’s photo was taken, getting a good long whiff of his beloved.
I’m looking forward to seeing the fawns in the spring and summer.
I don't know how I missed this one! Beautiful wild creatures!