White Tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus)
Glen Helen Nature Preserve, Yellow Springs, Ohio
"I ask people why they have deer heads on their walls. They always say because it's such a beautiful animal. There you go. I think my mother is attractive, but I have photographs of her.” - Ellen DeGeneres
Caught in the act of grooming. This preening deer made for a captivating subject choice as it engages in this everyday activity. While not the most action-packed scene I've seen of these ungulates, I like and almost prefer to share a look into what their lives are like. From this angle, the head turned around made for an interesting composition, and at 600mm I was close enough to crop in for a headshot. Mammal headshots; hunting without killing.
Less than ten feet off the side of the trail, I am always enamored when a wildlife subject is cooperative. To me it feels as if I am entering their world for a few minutes (or an hour or two.) The ethics come into play here, the deer was never under distress by my unexpected early morning prescence. I stood completely still when it stared at me, and then carefully moved around when it was foraging or preening as seen here. Treat them as well as you will anyone else.
© 2019 Ryan L. Taylor Photography. All Rights Reserved.
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From Deer
