As is often the case, the whitetail rut was the signature event of the last four to five weeks. Typically, the primary breeding season begins in late October and continues well into November. It is a time when deer are on the move and can appear unexpectedly at any time of the day or night.
In late October I was inspired by a seductive blend of morning sun, fog and colorful foliage. A short walk led me to an opening where a clump of golden-yellow aspen trees caught my attention. I positioned myself for a landscape shot, all the while harboring a greedy thought: in a perfect world, the scene would include one more element: deer. At that instant, a doe burst into view and very nearly ran me over. The chaotic scene was soon followed by another: the soft grunts and quick pace of a rutting buck, following the scent of the doe. He immediately filled the camera frame with a blurry, brown view and rendered me helpless. As luck would have it, he saw me twisting in a knot in a desperate attempt to record the moment, spun around, and ran.
His route was a half circle across an opening, giving me a chance to collect myself and capture my dream for all to see!
Photos by NB Hunter (late October, 2019). © All rights reserved.
Nick's Nature Pics 
A dream scene come true: you have captured the action, the power, and the beauty!
Aaaah…the power. A mature buck at peak weight and strength, before he’s run himself ragged chasing does and avoiding hunters, is a beautiful thing. Thanks Anne.
How exciting.. wow!
🙂
What an absolutely lucky outing. Beautiful. Of course, it takes skill too…
Lately, these wildlife surprises seem to be the norm rather than the exception. I find myself adjusting camera settings as I walk through different habitats, trying to anticipate an encounter where I have just a few seconds to react. I still fail, but am addicted to the challenge! Thanks Michael.
Oh, wow, Nick. All I can say is MAGNIFICENT..you did it again. Brought back a lot of memories. Thanks, Nick.
So glad you’re still following and tossing such good comments my way! Will do my best to keep you guys connected to the snow belt. Thanks Gloria.
Fabulous. A great adventure. Jo
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Thanks Jo. This property has paid for itself a hundred times over. Access is everything when it comes to outdoor adventures.
How fantastic and what an experience! So glad you were able to capture it so beautifully on camera too. (Now I can truly appreciate why they are named white tailed deer!)
Much appreciated. I don’t think I’ve ever captured the “white flag” and rump displayed this well. The large deer, flight response, angle of view, color contrasts….the stars aligned!
Indeed they did! And you had the presence of mind to capture it 🙂
Awesome captures!
Thanks! One of the few times that I’m gifting a print…to myself!
Good pictures of the buck. I really like how you captured him off the ground.
These shots are spectacular. Wildlife photography often renders us having to scramble to save a missed shot. You managed to quickly compose yourself and manage some terrific action images. We all get greedy in fantasy of that perfect shot. You were gifted with something other than plan A. I think you did awesome with your quick-thinking plan B!!
Perfection! The stars aligned indeed, but you managed that critical catch to show us!