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Black-tailed Deer are considered a nuisance in my town. And with cause. They devour gardens, munch on new trees, and can be a hazard to drivers. (Especially on fast-moving highways near here, drivers are a deadly hazard to them too.) This spring Kate spread blood meal around our property in order to repel the deer from our garden and young fruit trees, and it seems to be working. I’ve wondered if it has repelled some birds too, but can’t find anything online to validate my theory.

The deer may be pests, but they’re cute ones, and they never fail to delight our kids. A few years ago, Julia asked me what the yellow deer crossing signs meant. I created a story about a mystical creature named, impossibly, Mother Stag. I elaborated on the Mother Stag mythology over the years, usually during night drives back home from visits to the grandparents. Julia was briefly heartbroken when she learned last year that the legends weren’t true.

I took this photograph this morning at 6:30, perhaps ten miles outside of town. I used my telephoto lens to get close, then cropped in just a bit more.

Location: Marion County, Oregon

Date: May 1, 2021

Exposure: 1/80 second, f/6.3, ISO 2500

Focal Length: 600 mm

Gear:

• Camera: Nikon D750

• Lens: Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM Contemporary