Despite my best efforts to be really quiet when I'm photographing nature, stealth doesn't come easy. Sticks crack underfoot no matter how hard I try. So how is it that a 250+ lb deer can sneak up on me? Make that two!
This is now the fourth time that I`ve been absorbed in taking photos in this forest, which is adjacent to a marsh, when deer have joined in. This time I was crouched on the shore photographing trumpeter swans when I felt suddenly like I was being watched. When I turned around I saw two large buck curiously looking at me, about 25 feet away. How is it that I didn't hear a thing?
We checked each other out and assessed any possible threats, but all parties decided we could coexist in the same forest. Though I certainly kept my eye on them more than they did on me!
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| This beautiful buck was one of two that was slowly approaching me as I was taking photos of swans. |
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| At one time he swished his tail and opened his ears and I admit I was more than a little nervous! |
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We mutually determined that as long as we all respected each other's space,
we could share the forest with non issue (thankfully!). |
A few weeks earlier I was in the same forest taking photos along the shore and three female deer did the same thing. Once they decided I wasn't going to hurt them, they snacked on leaves and berries 30 feet away from me - really special to have the opportunity to observe them in a comfortable state in their natural habitat.
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| One of three sneaky deer watching me take photos in the same forest back in May. |
That's one of the many things I love about wildlife photography - you never know who is going to show up!
