On Friday night, just around 6:30 pm, I noticed something move in the front yard. First one deer, then a second, walked slowly across the end of the yard and stopped. My husband and I moved slowly to the living room window to watch, we didn't want to spook them away.
They saw our movement and stood still, watching us in return. The four of us just stood still and watched for several minutes. Nick got a closeup of their faces. We figured that the slightly bigger one was the male and the smaller one was his doe. She looked as if she had come through a rough time, her coat was bedraggled and rough; perhaps she is shedding it for spring. I could see tits so we knew she had given birth recently. Which makes me wonder if deer have extended family, because they had left the fawn(s) somewhere for safety as they came looking for food.
After watching us for several minutes, the male began to stamp his foot. I googled this later and read that they do this when they sense imminent danger, it is a warning to the others. He did this for quite some time. The advice to hunters is to get their rifle lined up for a good shot, because the deer will soon flee.
Which it then did, flying off through the brush that surrounds our property. Off to the woods up close to the seniors' manor, which is where they hang out apparently. The staff at the manor have set up a feeding station outside large picture windows; this is to bring the deer in close so that the residents can watch them.
Personally I am glad that hunting season is only two weeks of the year. They are lovely creatures and may they successfully flee the shots of the hunters.
