Mule Deer

Young mule deer appear

black rimmed ears twitch

like beautiful butterfly wings.

Squirrel

One of our three brown squirrels was leisurely eating from the seeds I poured on a bench, while the other two climbed up trees and over the top of our shed when suddenly our four female mule deer appeared.

Now there wasn’t going to be enough seeds for all the wildlife that had appeared, and the squirrel knew that. The deer jockeyed for position at the bench. One would stand up slightly on her hind feet and paw with her front feet at the others until they left the area. After eating by herself one of the deer returned and was allowed to stay. The squirrel really became upset watching the food disappear into the two deer. He’d run to the bench and stretch up of grab a sunflower seed. He was only a foot from the deer, but watching the seeds that had been his only a few minutes ago was too much.

Maybe our Abert squirrel was here earlier today. He likes to sit in the middle of the stand right off the deck and pick through the assortment of seeds and nuts. Last winter he would run off if he saw us watching him from the window, but this winter he seems to be at ease with our routine, and willing to let us watch him play in the trees. He jumps much farther and faster than the brown squirrels; he appears to be flying with the turfs of black fur on his ears, and the long soft fur on his body flowing in the wind.

This afternoon we may see our two red foxes or three rabbits. The term ‘still of winter’ doesn’t come to mind watching all the wildlife travel the snowy slopes of our yard.

Mule Deer

We’ve seen the mule deer often this week. Here a buck is scratching his antlers against the dead branches of a bush and digging a hole. We couldn’t decide if the hole was the result of scratching his antlers, or if he was trying to dig.

One morning after I’d put birdseed out for the birds this buck appeared. He kept pushing the feeder with his nose until he figured out how to tip it enough for seed to fall out into his mouth. Several Stellar’s Jays, a rabbit, and two chipmunks searched the ground around the deer picking up the seeds that fell.

Another deer showed up and stared up at Tad as if to ask for more.

Snow is back!

We woke up to light snow and paw prints on the deck. We're wondering what might have come to visit.

Today the snow is pretty because it is blowing around in the wind and if you don’t look at the ground the trees give the impression the ground would be covered in white.

While the boys are at the school the snow powder starts and stops; is blown away, and then the next round starts. Because it is sunny the snow melts and then freezes in the trees and on the grass.

After school the wind comes up, the boys look out the window and see a mule deer running in the back yard. Two more deer join in, all bucks with wide racks. Like big dogs they chase each other up and down the hill, kicking up snow. The take turns locking antlers and pushing one another down the hill. The largest of the group sees us, runs up the hill, and stands under the window staring at us. He doesn’t appear upset; maybe curious??? We are definitely curious. He continues to play up and down the hill, often stopping for a few seconds to look at us.

For perhaps five minutes the deer take turns playing with each other and scratching their antlers against any tree they can engage. When four more bucks appear and they all take off into the meadow behind our house.

P.S. Sunday we stop at a park to look at the field of ice and ask a park ranger about our deer. She said, “I bet they are just acting like teenagers.”