Tag Archives: deer

People and the Deer in Close Proximity

The rutting deer I posted about previously were in amongst the large herds of deer in Bushy Park. The park gives guidance on keeping out of the way of the deer and specifically keeping dogs on leads. However, that didn’t seem to have any impact. People seemed to be close to the deer on a regular basis. Even dogs were running free. Strangely, none of this seemed to cause any trouble. Perhaps the dogs and the deer are just used to each other.

At the time I was more focused on getting photos of the deer and not having people interrupting the shots. Afterwards, I wished I had taken more photos to show how the two groups were interacting (sort of) in such a regular way. These shots hopefully give some impression of how close they were to each other. I am not getting that close to a stag, however relaxed it might seem!

Rutting Stags in Action(ish)

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Part of the reason for our visit to Bushy Park was because the rut was underway and I thought it might be possible to see the stags at their best. I hadn’t anticipated just how prevalent the deer herds would be. One herd was right in the middle of the trails and, while there was a dominant male that was overseeing things, there were a couple of younger stags within the herd.

These two were trying out their jousting skills. They would engage their antlers and push each other around for a bit before getting distracted by something nearby. They would look at that for a while and then get back into training. It felt like they weren’t really trying to prove anything to each other but were just getting in practice for the days when they might be genuine contenders for dominance.

Initially, I was on the side away from the sun and thought I would have to make do with that. However, it proved easier than I thought to walk around them and get shots from the other side. They seemed uninterested in the people that were watching them. After grabbing a bunch of images, I thought that video might be a better way to record their action – even if it makes it clear that they weren’t really going for it.

Keep a Safe Distance from These Guys

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This post is another on a bit of a theme at the moment. While walking through Windsor Great Park, we made a loop that brought us to the statue of George III at the end of the Long Walk. As we started to head back to our starting point, I realised the route we were taking was not really the best, so we retraced our steps and headed south down the hill. Almost immediately, we got a surprise.

Just a short distance away from the statue with the many visitors that were there on a sunny weekend afternoon was a large herd of deer. This included some quite chunky looking stags that seemed quite aware of our presence. We gave them a wide berth and, while a grabbed a few shots with the long lens, I didn’t fancy attracting any more of their attention than we already had.

Staying 50m Away

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We took a walk through the grounds at Tatton Park while on our way to the Lake District. The park is known for its herds of deer, and we wanted to see some – well, I was particularly keen to see some and get some photos! It was the time for the rut and so it is wise to be more careful than usual around the deer. Signs warned everyone to stay at least 50m away from the deer. Sometimes that was harder than you might think.

Some of the males were off doing their own thing. That might include being on the ground watching things around you and, as you walk along, you didn’t always spot them quickly. Finding a large beast with extensive antlers staring at you can be quite startling. We did manage to stay out of the way, but it required attention.

When we came to the larger herds, the males were more active. As they asserted their dominance, there was much bellowing and pacing plus the occasional chase after a male that got too close. They would then start wandering towards us. I don’t think that they had read the signs about keeping a distance. We consequently were making an effort to keep our distance. I don’t know what the best behaviour is with deer. I’ve seen plenty about what to do with bears, but I don’t know what works for a deer. Fortunately, we didn’t have to find out. Our distance was sufficient.

Early Morning Deer Encounter

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Whenever I take a morning walk around Barton Meadows Nature Reserve, I am hoping that I will come across some local wildlife. The most likely encounter – aside from the birds – will be the deer. I don’t always take the camera with a long lens on these walks since they are more about getting some exercise in before starting work, but I do worry that I will encounter something special when I don’t. I had seen three deer in the middle of one field so assumed I was done with deer. Then, as I came up to the corner of another field, I saw one walking along the fence line. I tried not to disturb it by staying behind the hedge and got the phone out. Eventually it spotted me and ran a short distance before stopping, turning to face me and staring. Then it ran away. Here is the phone video I got.

The Local Deer Stay Out of the Way It Seems

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My regular walk near our new house provides a bunch of wildlife but it is pretty much the same stuff each time. That includes some deer. They seem to hand out on the same area each day but are always a bit far away. They seem to be pretty relaxed but not keen to get too close to the people walking along the paths around their area. Usually, they are a long way off. Early morning or late afternoon, they will be off in the distance. Only on one occasion have I found one of them relatively close to me. I thought it was going to scoot quickly but it stayed still for a while. I got a call while it was there and I thought I had lost the chance to get a shot but, no, it was quite patient!

The Neighbors Are Out When I Get to Work

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As the days get shorter at this time of year in the northern hemisphere, it means I start getting to work in the dark. One morning, I pulled into the parking lot and realized that some deer were munching on the bushes near the office front door. I thought the headlights of the car would startle them, but they seemed totally uninterested. Grabbing the camera from the trunk, I accepted that the dark conditions would mean very high ISO settings but who cares?

I took a few shots and then headed into the office. I figured they would scram as they saw me getting closer but was wrong. I walked right by them, and they only shifted a small amount once I was by. During the pandemic, the animals had taken over the area around the office again, but they have been out of sight for ages now. It was cool to see them back on that morning.

Deer in the Royal Park

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Richmond Park is famous for its deer. You don’t have to go far in the park to come across some. They seem pretty relaxed despite the presence of so many people nearby but I imagine it is a long time since anyone in the park was hunting them, so they don’t see us as a threat anymore. As we went for a stroll, we came across a few groups of deer busy munching away. Occasionally, they would look at us as we got closer but their lack of interest most of the time was obvious!

Deer Foraging in Juanita Bay Park

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Much of the wildlife I end up photographing in Juanita Bay Park is the birds or the aquatic life. However, I do occasionally come across some other creatures as I stroll through and one afternoon it was some deer. I have seen deer in the park before. They tend to stay away from the more heavily trafficked areas, but they do cross the paths when getting from one spot to another. That was what happened in this instance. They jumped out of the bushes ahead of where I was heading and across to more foliage. I thought they would be gone but they stopped and munched on some of the leaves for a while. Not clearly in sight but not avoiding me either!

Deer Invading the Office

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One morning I drove up to the office and, as I pulled into the spot I usually use, I saw a bunch of deer on the grass in front of me. This area may be popular with wildlife, but I have never seen anything near the office other than crows! I was going to stay in the car to avoid spooking them but, there was a guy from a contractor loading up his truck and they didn’t seem bothered by him so I figured I could go indoors without them worrying. Sure enough, as I walked by, they looked at me but were unimpressed.

Once I was upstairs, I looked down on them chomping on some of the bushes and then they headed across the parking lot and away. I thought that would be it but, when I headed home, they were back and in the same place. I guess they found our shrubberies tasty. I have seen them once more since but they are clearly not a regular feature yet. I could imagine that this was a thing when the office was closed for the pandemic but to have them around now when things are busy again was a surprise.