Mule deer feeding

I was watching deer near my home this evening and was thrilled to see more than 50 head feeding in this field. It was fun to watch them come down from the hillside and mill around.

I saw a few small bucks and then this one stepped out from the brush. He is probably a three or four year old and has a lot of growing yet to do but he should be a dandy one day.

He followed the rest of thee deer around the field just feeding and chasing the younger bucks. This time of year, deer are only concerned with surviving the winter. They don't have much to eat and rely on fat stored under their skin to get them through.

In southern Utah they tend to congregate near the roads and highways in the early evening. The light is great and the deer remain undisturbed if you will just stay in your vehicle. Soon after these photos were taken a couple stopped to look and got out to get closer. Needless to say the deer left, wasting precious energy reserves and were not able to spend the time feeding. By all means stop and look. Just stay in your car and let the deer feed in peace.