10.12.25: Making eye contact

‍This looks like a posed portrait of a deer with its gaze focused directly on the camera and a subtle smile on its lips, but I’m not a portrait photographer. 

‍This is a deer I encountered in the woods north of Columbus, Ohio. The deer was resting on the ground surrounded by fallen limbs. I saw it from a distance and crept along the edge of the trail, hoping not to disturb the deer, and set up in a spot with a clear view.

‍The deer was facing away from me so I focused on the back of its head, hoping it would do something interesting. Then it turned its head and looked right at me as I grabbed a few shots. The deer turned away, then looked back a few more times before standing up and moving deeper into the woods.

‍I don’t set out to photograph deer when I’m on my wildlife photo-hikes. I’m looking for small birds. I have a very long telephoto lens on the camera to bring those birds up close.

‍But I do encounter enough deer to have a somewhat sizable collection of photos.

‍Most of my deer encounters follow the same pattern: The deer spots me, assumes its alert posture, stares at me to determine if I’m a threat, then walks (or runs, depending on the perceived threat level) out of sight.

‍So I have to be quick to get the photo.

‍I have had some less-cordial encounters, though. The deer, usually a male but occasionally a female with fawns nearby, shows threatening behavior — stomping a forefoot, shaking its head somewhat violently and occasionally taking a step or two in my direction. I slowly back away when that happens.

‍One memorable less-than-cordial encounter happened on a trail through the woods in a local park. I saw four or five female deer to the right of the trail and stopped to get some photos before they left.

‍But they didn’t leave. Instead, they all looked right at me.

‍As I was grabbing some photos, I realized the deer weren’t looking at me. They were looking past me.

‍A glance over my shoulder explained why. A large male, with a large rack of antlers, had stepped from behind a fallen tree that had blocked my view. He was about 10 yards away and wasn’t pleased that I was between him and the others. He made a loud snorting sound, reared up on his hind legs and stomped both forefeet, then shook his head in a threatening manner.

‍I moved about 20 yards up the trail, keeping my eye on the deer at all times. He immediately crossed the trail, rejoining the others, and they moved deeper into the woods.