Whitetail Deer

From time to time I will see deer while I am filming on the Patuxent. Since I don't move around much, they seldom realize I am there.

A couple days ago, shortly after the fog cleared, I heard a noise behind me, but it didn't register in my conscious thought for a few seconds. Then I remembered having seen a red fox on a little beach one time right where the noise came from, so I turned around to look.

Here was a little buck that wasn't even aware I was there. It seemed to take notice of the camera shutter for a second, but I switched over to a silent shutter setting so I wouldn't attract it's attention. I happened to be downwind of him, so he never even knew I was there.

Occasionally, I will see an entire family of deer. They are extremely cautious animals.

When I first saw this deer, I was looking right at it and didn't see it! I was watching a woodpecker on the bird feeder off our deck wondering why it was acting so funny. It kept peeking around the edge of the feeder to look behind it. It was only then I realized I was looking at a deer standing stock still.

I almost dropped my teeth when I saw how high these deer could effortlessly jump. Even the little spotted fawn cleared that stump without touching it from ground level. It is no wonder gardeners can have so much trouble keeping them out even with high fences.