Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Ozark Velvet




 A group of deer frequent our surroundings,

 and we sometimes think of them as our herd, 

but they watch us too, and probably think of us as their people.





We never tire of seeing the little ones,

 those inquisitive fawns...





 as they get acquainted with their neighbors...





and trot off obediently behind their mothers.





The big bucks, we see them rarely.

With new velvet, their antlers are tender,

and they are, for the most part, nocturnal.

A group of them came through our field a few days ago,

before full light.





They didn't stay long, 

and they seemed aware of the stir they were causing among the does and fawns.





This young fork horn buck still eats with his sister.





He watched the parade of large bucks,

and he dreams of the day he can run with the big boys.