Deer Sightings Increase With Dry Weather

Whitetail Deer Feeding In Early Morning

 Early morning, a light fog blankets the lower areas, as the faint glow of the yet to appear sun, tinges the atmosphere.  In the cool of the morning, the grasses are wet with the morning dew, but in a few short hours, the relentless rays of the summer sun will absorb the moisture and most deer will leave the open areas shortly before the rays of the sun hit them.  Only a bit over a week ago deer, especially the bucks, were more difficult to see. But then one day it stopped raining incessantly and the sun shone with a brutal power.  Within a short time there was a different feel in the air and the grasses in the more exposed areas withered.  To an experienced summer whitetail person, this meant that deer sightings were likely to increase.

Bucks are more likely to appear--either solitary animals or bachelor groups of two or more.  Earlier small streams provided a plentiful water supply in the  mountains, while lush green  foliage  and plant growth offered excellent forage during the wet weather, but with the onset of dry conditions, secluded meadows that are near  near to streams now provide better living conditions and this makes the animals more visible.  Only some of the yearling bucks actually travel with the extended family groups of does and fawns. Older bucks such as this one have gone out on their own. They may feed near a herd of does, but if one watches closely they will see they that the bucks usually arrive and leave by themselves.

Solitary Buck Leaves Meadow Before Sunrise

While fawns have been seen from time to time since mid-May, this also marks the period that they begin traveling with the does more frequently, or ranging about on their own and browsing on vegetation, and as a result fawn sightings skyrocket. Earlier they spent most of their time hiding in the tall grasses or the forest and nursing from the does.  For awhile they will derive nourishment both from feeding from the mother and grazing, but by autumn they will be weaned in most cases.

Whitetail Fawn In Late Evening

At this time of year more than any other, most whitetail photo opportunities occur either extremely early in the morning or late in the evening.  In the photo above a fawn did appear while the rays of the evening sun were still hitting the meadow, but often the deer appear after the best photographic light is gone.

Originally posted at Pennsylvania Wildlife Photographer by Willard Hill.