“Nice buck… a large forked horn… he’s beginning the rut too… look at his neck… run little doe.”
We were watching a video we captured of Columbia Blacktail deer… buck and doe… a daytime video of the buck… unusual behavior for him… not unusual for a doe, but the bucks prefer to hide during the day and feed at night.
The deer apparently noticed the camera… they looked directly at the camera several times.
Having recently purchased a Browning Trail Camera, the Dark Ops Pro XD, I am learning the technique of capturing wildlife videos. Browning claims this camera is “invisible” but judging from the reactions of the animals I have photographed they seem to be very aware of the camera.
The doe triggered the camera… she was on the move when the camera began recording… The doe may be escaping the attention of the buck rather than the camera, but the buck looked directly at the camera immediately and seemed nervous the entire video, glancing in the direction of the camera. I suspect both deer are aware of the camera.
The breeding season (referred to as “the rut”) for this species has just begun, evidenced by the swelling of the neck on the buck. Usually, the bucks “get stupid” during the rut, throwing caution to the winds… but this one is clearly distracted by the camera, whether it is noise or light I have not yet determined.
Look at the YouTube video of the Columbian Blacktail doe and buck and judge for yourself.
story and video ByLarry
