Mule deer for the October Challege! by kimariehere

Photography • Challenge • posted on Oct 02, 2005

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Description

Taken at a local park . This is a female mule deer ! Done for the extreme Pov challenge for the month of October! ... got up close almost to her nose and shot -she only lasted a sec before running off! Here is a little info about this North American bambi..! ~~~~~~~~~~Mule Deer!~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The mule deer is a member of the cervid (deer) family. Its coat is reddish in summer and some kind of blue-gray in winter which blends much better with the snow-covered landscape than the reddish color. The mule deer of the Rocky Mountains region have a whitish rump patch. Their creamy-white ears are a quarter again larger than those of the whitetail deer and their tails have a black tip. They grow to a height of up to 3 - 3.5 feet Males weigh between 125 - 400 pounds, females between 100 - 150 pounds When alarmed, both bucks (males) and does (females) snort. The males utter a guttural sound during rutting season and, seldom heard, does and fawns (the young) utter a bleat. Mule deer young (the average is 2, but it can be just 1 or even 3), born between June and July just after the does have reached the summer range, are spotted and able to walk a few minutes after birth. It takes about a month until they are able to run with their mothers. The mule deer is considerably larger than the whitetail, its body is heavier and its legs are stocky and less trim than those of its whitetail counterpart. When something alarms the animal it seems to be changing into a completely different animal: it becomes graceful and alive when, with its head held up high, it starts to run off, making impressing leaps as high as 8 feet. It can reach a speed of up to 35 miles per hour that it can keep up for a few minutes. Although they look less aggressive than elk they are well able to stand their ground when facing predators like coyotes. With their hooves they may badly hurt or even kill such an aggressor. The rutting season begins around October and lasts until about December. The bucks, whose necks swell during the rut, are polygamous and can gather a small harem around them. The males grow symmetrical, branched antlers that are shed between January and February. But rather than using their antlers in actual fights they do more bluffing than for example the whitetail deer. Mule deer are most active during dawn and dusk or in moonlight nights. During the heat of the day they rest and oftentimes you can see beds of matted grass indicating that this is mule deer habitat. They can be spotted alone or in small groups and are more gregarious in winter. While bucks lead a rather solitary life except during mating season, the does form small groups and, in winter, get together in larger groups to spend the time on a winter range, which is the same year after year. The mule deer is a browser and feeds on shrubs and twigs but also on grass and herbs. They prefer coniferous forests, desert shrubs, chaparral, grassland with shrubs as their habitat. In mountainous regions they migrate to higher elevations in spring and come back down in fall. They tend to follow definite trails, especially in winter. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Hugs to all love ya ♥ Kimmers!

Comments (54)

ana-maria

4:04AM | Sun, 02 October 2005

What a funny portrait. Love the expression. Very well presented!!!

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sharky_

4:08AM | Sun, 02 October 2005

A very happy Mule. Excellent Portrait. Aloha

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Zacko

4:18AM | Sun, 02 October 2005

LMAO!!! What a cute shot Kimmie, and what a perfect one for this months challenge!!!! Wonderful natural light too, thats shining through that wodden fence. Have a wonderful sunday. #:O)

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nathalie06

5:24AM | Sun, 02 October 2005

Yes, a very cute portrait of this lovely deer ! And what incredible eyes she has ! Superb Kimmers ! Have a nice sunday !!!!

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Syltermermaid

5:35AM | Sun, 02 October 2005

For the first moment I thought it would be a mule!!!! Wonderful captured Kimmie, I never before have seen one!!!! Thank you also for your explainations it is very interesting to learn about such things!!!! Wonderful photo!!! Hugs Ute

thesymphonyofthelife

5:42AM | Sun, 02 October 2005

exceleltn portrait, i like teh presnetation is fun and cool. the colors are nice. have a good day

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kenwas

6:18AM | Sun, 02 October 2005

Great use of out of frame KM! Well done!

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Digimon

6:52AM | Sun, 02 October 2005

Ahhh! Now we no what REALLY happened to your camera! The Mule Deer ate it!!! LOL ; ) Awesome wideangle shot! So tell me what does Mule Deer breath smell like??? ; )

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rayburg

7:02AM | Sun, 02 October 2005

Kimmers, I like how you get right up close. You do whatever is necessary to get the cool shot..love this one..the out of frame =))) excellent choice..=))..you're the best..

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hotracer2

7:53AM | Sun, 02 October 2005

WOW, this on just jumps out at you, great shot:):):)...V

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jcv2

9:17AM | Sun, 02 October 2005

Wow, fantastic capture of its face! Wonderful work, glad it was not running those 35 mph LOL! Impressive work, makes me smile! Have a nice Sunday!

ovag

9:49AM | Sun, 02 October 2005

sniff sniff, oh my god, I have a deer in my room. His nose is wet, I have to clean my screen now. Funny shot.

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romanceworks

9:57AM | Sun, 02 October 2005

My My, what a big nose you have.:o) You always capture the most awesome povs, and I think it makes this sweet 'deer' even cuter. Such big soulful eyes and warm colors. Great photo for the challenge. :o) CC

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