Spike

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One of two spike bucks caught on the trail cameras the second to last week of January.

He's a nice one and half year-old deer if you can get past that crazy head gear.  I sure would hate to be impaled by one of those antlers.

Wonder what kind of a rack he's going to sport this year?

New Location

Follow the trail west from the house that curves to the north and crosses the stream.  On your way (and before reaching the stream) a well-worn deer trail intersects the mowed path from west to east - sort of in the direction of the pond.  The deer trail doesn't cross the pond as it makes a turn to the north and crosses the creek heading north east behind the first Guard Tower.

If you're on your snow shoes and cross the creek heading north and immediately take a right turn (east) you will find where the deer track emerges.  You can't miss it.

That's where one of the cameras was relocated three weeks ago.  

Three whitetails.  Gosh there is a crap ton of deer on the landscape.

Mama and the Twins

Photos taken a day apart from two different locations of mama and the twins.  They're likely the same family unit and if they aren't this would be compelling evidence that there is a crap ton of deer on the landscape.

In this pic they're relaxed and going about their business.

In this pic they've just gone on high alert - seconds from bolting in a blur. 

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Frosty Deer

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I left the date and time stamp on this trail camera photo so that you can independently verify how cold it was when this whitetail snapped a selfie.  

Looks chubby and a bit shaggy with his winter coat.

The whitetail deer is a remarkably adaptable animal - all the way down to -3 degrees.

Amazing.

Antlers

In December the trail camera at this location captured a photo of a deer missing half of his rack.  I thought that was unusual as it is typical for male deer around here to retain their antlers well into February.  At the time I hypothesized that the buck might have been stressed and thus was shedding his antlers earlier than usual.

The last batch of trail camera photos confirmed that typical pattern.  Three distinctive antlered deer all sporting their headgear.

Here's a picture taken exactly two weeks ago today by that same camera.

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Trail Camera Photography

Just like the sunsets sometimes the lighting, shadows and maybe even a critter will conspire to set-up a nicely composed photo taken robotically by an inexpensive trail camera.

Same camera, same location, same day, different times.  I did crop the pics.

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Consecutive Sunsets!

What are the odds of capturing four beautiful sunsets consecutively - with a trail camera?

Rather slim I would guess.

The camera located at the curve that happens to be closest to the house is coincidentally located in such a position that the passing and setting of the sun is just about right for it.

Last month this patient sentry photographed multiple images of the setting sun on four consecutive days beginning on January 17.

As evidence of this I didn't crop the photos leaving the date and time stamp - sunset appears to be in a 30 minute window.

Bonus - some whitetails showed up too.  Evidence they enjoy a good sunset too.