| Each year in the lower elevations of Chelan County, | | | | the ground together. |
| Washington thousands of mule deer settle in for the | | | | As I rounded one corner, though, I startled a group of |
| winter seeking better opportunities for food and | | | | about a dozen. They took off in their characteristic, yet |
| warmer temperatures. So, knowing that the wildlife | | | | highly unusual gait, moving in a series of stiff-legged |
| habitat at the Preserve is ideal winter range, I packed | | | | jumps and hops with all four feet hitting the ground |
| up my camera last March and took a hike in the hills | | | | together, their small white rumps and black-tipped, |
| above Entiat, Washington to see if I could get a few | | | | white drooping tails receding quickly over the next hill. |
| shots off -- photographs, that is. As it happened, good | | | | Amazingly, mule deer can reach distances of over 8 |
| photos weren't too hard to find -- there were mule | | | | yards with each "hop" using this peculiar, bounding leap |
| deer almost everywhere I looked. In fact, from one | | | | and for a short while, they can reach speeds of up to |
| particular vantage point I was able to count over 100 | | | | 45 mph. These are definitely not the leisurely, graceful |
| deer! I'm quite certain there were yet another hundred | | | | leaps of their close cousin, the white tail deer. |
| or more hiding within the various gullies and draws just | | | | Late winter is actually a great time for mule deer |
| out of my line of sight. | | | | watching. While in the summer they tend to "stay low" |
| Personally, I find mule deer to be incredibly cute, what | | | | during the hot daylight hours, during the winter they |
| with their large ears that move independently -- like the | | | | come down from the higher elevations to escape the |
| "rabbit ears" of your grandfather's television set -- | | | | colder temperatures and deeper snow, where there is |
| constantly resetting to pick up the best reception. | | | | a better chance of finding food in their traditional |
| They're similar in appearance to the ears of a mule, | | | | "winter range" areas. During this time they seem to |
| which is from where, of course, they get their name. | | | | have a preference for the open hillsides and rocky |
| Mule deer usually hear you coming long before you've | | | | slopes where they graze, which makes them easier to |
| spotted them, which was pretty much the case for | | | | spot (although they do tend to blend in to the hillside |
| me. They gave me the "eye" for a bit, to see if I was | | | | rather well as you can see -- or can you? -- in the |
| a threat, then went back to grazing, albeit just a bit | | | | video). As the winter snow melts, they begin to move |
| farther away. But try to get a little closer and they'll | | | | back to higher ground, thus most of the photos in the |
| quickly move on over the next ridge with the largest | | | | video were taken above the 2000' level. |
| buck taking one last look over his shoulder to make | | | | I hope you enjoy these photos... the mule deer video's |
| sure you're not following. | | | | about 2 minutes long, and don't forget to turn your |
| Characteristic, yet highly unusual gait, moving in a series | | | | speakers on, there's a nice soundtrack, to boot. |
| of stiff-legged jumps and hopswith all four feet hitting | | | | |