Deer

The deer rut is starting around here. We have a group of does and fawns that frequent our neck of the woods. We call them 'Our Herd'.  We see them on the trail cameras, and sometimes in person on our walks around the property, big white butts glimpsed briefly, as they bound off. 

Earlier this fall, a doe and fawn were grazing beyond the gardens in the early dusk.

There has only been one young buck seen on camera, a small guy with one prominent spike antler, whom we call 'Spike'. 

Earlier this week on a walk around, we found this. 

Its a buck scrape, made by a male deer to advertise his presence. There is a typical overhanging branch above the spot he has scraped, where he leaves scent from glands on his face. Dirt and leaves are flung back onto the snow from his hooves. Its a good sized scrape, made by a big deer, certainly not Spike. The following day, we found this on the trail camera. 

Well...HELLO! You are a big boy! 

We are wondering how this oncoming stretch of very mild weather, unprecedented for this time of year here, is going to effect the rut.