In my back neighbor's back yard this past week. My heeler was acting wigged out (technical term for canine anxiety ), so I checked it out, had my phone with me, got the pics.
Mule deer doe.
We've got resident deer on the Boise Bench, living in some parks, cemeteries, irrigation canals, other green spaces. But, this one like many, was probably driven into town by the wildfires. It's been an ugly, smoky summer, and it may not end entirely until winter.
I was going through the pictures on my phone and saw this one from last June.
This guy landed on the outside of the kitchen patio door and just sat there for a long while and posed for pictures and didn't even move when I held a tape measure up to him.
A truly wonderful bird. I have shot (and shot at) many in a high wind over the many years of bird hunting. Like the wily pheasant and quail, they occupied some of my best years. I'm 'not mad' at them - they are a treasure to just simply watch and observe now.
Life is tough on a Mexican beach. One minute you are with a bunch of your friends being fed lunch by a bunch of kids and the next minute you get taken out, on the wing, by a bigger, badder bird and you become lunch.
Cheers