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One of our visiting bucks has been looking a little lopsided lately.
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And while losing antlers is a normal annual occurrence for these big guys…
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This fellow has lost one side completely…
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And all but one small branch on the other.
Weird.
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Our resident buck is here every night.
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Sometimes alone…
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But most often with his harem and offspring.
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He has a rather strange rack with an extra point on the right.
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But he’s still an impressive fellow.
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Coming or going.
😉
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Our backyard has been pretty busy of late.
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And our resident herd of ten are showing up every night.
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They don’t usually visit when it’s still light enough to grab photos, so this was a treat.
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You can have television. I’ll happily sit and watch these beautiful creatures instead.
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The harem master.
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I’m so glad he made it through hunting season unscathed.
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In case you’re wondering why they’re called White Tailed Deer.
😉
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Our resident herd is back.
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I hadn’t seen them in a while but they came tromping across the back yard looking for a snack early enough the other evening for me to grab a few pics.
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There were 8 total. Does, youngsters…
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And the harem master… who honestly, is a bit of an ass. No one else is allowed to eat until he’s had his share.
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Except this brave little fellow…
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❤️
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After checking into our resort there was still daylight left to burn,,,, so we jumped in the car for a scenic drive.
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Being Vermont, you can’t go far without seeing a covered bridge and this one was right down the road.
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The Grist Mill Bridge, built in 1872.
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And to the right of the bridge?
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Grist Mill Park.
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If you’re wondering where the grist mill is? Join the club, so were we.
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And as the sun was setting, we drove.
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No particular destination in mind, just enjoying the scenery and the oh so very green grass.
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Untouched photo. The fields really were that green. A pleasant respite from the awful brown summer we had in Maine.
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Gentle rain started to fall as it got dark and we turned back toward the resort. It’s a good thing the husband was driving because on one of the twisty turny mountain roads, on a corner, in the dark, in the rain… it happened. A full grown deer darted out right in front of us. Thankfully the husband’s reflexes were good, and thankfully no one was coming in the opposite direction. He swerved just enough so we didn’t have a deer come through the windshield, but it hit my car’s right front bumper with an awful thwack. We stopped. The deer ran off and seemed to be okay. My car? Not so much.
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The husband managed to push the panel back in place, but it was cracked in numerous places and the fog light housing was smashed.
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It could have been soooo much worse. But good grief, it was a helluva way to start a vacation.
🥴
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All kinds of critters are showing up for the evening buffet at Casa River.
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Some of them a tad more odiferous than others.
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I wish it was still legal in Maine to de-scent a skunk and have one for a pet. A friend of mine did that back in the day and the little fluff ball was wonderful. Affectionate, playful and litter box trained. More than I can say for some of my friend’s husbands now that I think about it.
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Baby chucks are always the first to pounce. Carrots, apples, lettuce, melon and blueberries? Love them.
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Spinach, celery and strawberries? Won’t touch them.
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We have one young lone deer showing up for grain a few times a week.
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We probably won’t see the herd back until fall.
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Don’t you hate it when someone beats you to the buffet line?
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The only thing you can do is use your superior size to muscle out the competition.
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Or so I’ve heard.
The next two pictures aren’t the best quality…blame my zoom lens and our resident buck’s propensity for showing up at dusk…. but I thought someone might be interested to see the antler shedding process.
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One half gone, one to go. Talk about being lopsided.
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Right after the shed. What’s left are big boney bumps with an active blood flow.
It always looks painful to me, but I’m assured it’s not. Though how any anter-less naturalist can vouch for that I don’t know.
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A group of deer came up the other morning and since they rarely show in good light I grabbed my phone for a few pictures. If you look closely you’ll see the same doe sticks out her tongue ….
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Twice.
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That’s just rude.
Lord Dudley Mountcatten was completely uninterested in the visiting wildlife and slept soundly on the couch.
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When I die? I totally want to come back as a cat. These creatures never have insomnia.
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He roused for a moment when he heard the click of the camera…
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And then decided nothing the human was doing was worth disturbing his nap.
❤️
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Ever wonder why wild creatures are so often run over by cars? The roadkill count in my state is high and I can never figure out why seemingly clever animals always fall victim to large noisy vehicles.
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Mystery solved. Evolution just hasn’t caught up.
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I will now be distributing Cheer detergent to every hunter I know.
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When my husband worked for the Federal Aviation Administration drones were the bane of his existence. I’d love to have one for photography purposes, but his hatred runs deep.
Although this drone?
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Now that’s something special.
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I wonder if it would work for red squirrels…
😈
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When the herd shows up early, before we’ve put out the nightly snack?
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Raiding the bird feeders is the next best thing.
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And if you’ve ever wondered why they’re called white tailed deer?
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That’s why.
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Hey lady…. it’s time for dinner.
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River's world..... 