Cautious Mule Deer Buck

Mule deer frequent the fields around our home between Hotchkiss and Paonia, Colorado during the winter when deep snow covers the ground at the higher... more

by Dale Jackson

Title

Cautious Mule Deer Buck

Artist

Dale Jackson

Medium

Photograph - Photography

Description

Mule deer frequent the fields around our home between Hotchkiss and Paonia, Colorado during the winter when deep snow covers the ground at the higher altitudes where they live during the warmer seasons of the year. We start seeing them in the valley as the weather gets colder and forces them to move down with the snow line. We eagerly watch each morning and evening to see the big bucks with massive antlers in the hay field next to our yard and await the chance to get a photograph of the elusive animals. Usually it is too late and the light is not good for a photograph by the time they sneak out into the clearing to graze. But, never-the-less it is one of the highlights of the year to watch for them or drive around the fields at the base of the mountains anxious to get just a glimpse of a monstrous mule deer buck!
The mule deer was named for its ears, which are large like those of a MULE, it is indigenous to Colorado and the Rocky Mountain region of North America. They have a black-tipped tail and their antlers fork as they grow rather than branching out from a single main beam like whitetail deer. Mule deer are larger than whitetails on the average. A mule deer buck can weigh up to 460 pounds and the does up to 198 pounds.

Uploaded

September 15th, 2014