Our visiting buck walked through the backyard this morning.
Not more pictures lady!
He’s not putting any weight on his left front foot, so he limps slowly as he moves through the yard. I remember thinking his front leg was folded weirdly in the images I shot a couple evenings ago.
Stopping to look both ways before he crosses the road.
When Katie and I went out to do snow photography later in the day we could see his tracks, one foot dragging. When he runs, though, you wouldn’t know he’s injured.
Startled by some people walking on the road he heads for the woods.
I know it’s the same buck that visited with his girl earlier in the fall. In those photos I noticed a big bloody gash on his back hip. Today I got a shot of him from that side and there’s definitely a healed over wound back there.
Over exposed so I can see the wound on his back right haunch.
I hope his leg doesn’t hurt too bad, but I think it might, and that makes me sad.
I’m sorry, big guy.
Change Is Hard 
January 2, 2021 at 2:59 pm
Lovely photos of the resident buck. Really like the effect of the overexposed photo.
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January 3, 2021 at 2:04 pm
He’s a handsome dude.
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January 2, 2021 at 3:04 pm
Hopefully he’ll be able to recover, safe in your backyard.
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January 3, 2021 at 2:04 pm
I hope so.
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January 2, 2021 at 3:09 pm
They are so skittish…even if you could get a wildlife person to attempt to help him, they probably would be unable to get close. I am such a fan of overexposed photos, and this one is beautiful.
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January 3, 2021 at 2:06 pm
I know. Maybe he got hit by a car, maybe both injuries, the scrape on his hip and the leg are from the same incident but I don’t remember him limping when I saw him the first time, and the gash on his leg was still bleeding at that point. I think he’s maybe accident-prone. Years ago there was a mama deer with twins and one morning Katie and I went out back and one of the baby deer put his head down and pawed his front feet and advanced on us. I like to think this is that little guy all grown up.
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January 3, 2021 at 3:14 pm
I love that!!
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January 2, 2021 at 4:17 pm
I wonder if his injury came through fighting. Good luck to him!
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January 3, 2021 at 2:06 pm
Could be. The first day I saw him, a couple months ago he was with his girl.
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January 2, 2021 at 4:23 pm
I’m thinking fighting another buck, so sad and hope he recovers. Nature is sometimes hard to witness. He’s a handsome fellow. Thanks for sharing as your photos are always beautiful!
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January 3, 2021 at 2:07 pm
Sometimes it IS hard. We had a Coopers Hawk get one of my birds right under the feeder this week. Lots of body parts and feathers left behind. I came upon the incident as it was almost over and the hawk took the biggest body part and flew away. I was sad, but still it was pretty awesome too.
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January 2, 2021 at 4:46 pm
Poor guy. I guess hanging out in your yard is safe while he (hopefully!) heals.
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January 3, 2021 at 2:08 pm
I hope he stays safe too. But we have a pack of coyotes that we’ve heard, and now neighbors have seen 4 of them…so I don’t think he’s really safe.
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January 3, 2021 at 5:21 pm
Not good. Let him know he can hang out in your yard any time and tell Katie to mark to keep the coyotes out 😉
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January 2, 2021 at 11:55 pm
Poor guy…hope he makes it…up here the wolves would get him. Happy New Year:)
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January 3, 2021 at 2:08 pm
Will be coyotes here.
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January 3, 2021 at 7:33 am
I would be sad too. But he sure is a handsome fellow.
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January 3, 2021 at 2:09 pm
He sure is.
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January 3, 2021 at 8:53 am
It’s so hard to see them when they’re limping or not doing well. My mom had one that visited her orchard for several years, a doe she called “Limpy”. We had one visit regularly maybe ten years ago. My heart goes out to your fellow–and to you who have to see him struggle.
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January 3, 2021 at 2:09 pm
It’s hard to watch him walk through the snow, so slow, struggling so much. I wish he’d just stay in our yard, but he’s wandering through on his normal trajectory, I think he goes through here every day, usually earlier in the day.
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January 3, 2021 at 2:13 pm
You have a good heart, Dawn! I often wish I could wrap the outside cuties (birds, especially) in a warm cozy blanket and keep them safe from harm. Let’s hope the buck mends soon — at least he’s not leaving a scented trail for predators. Nature can be cruel.
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