Home on the Range

A group of deer (Odocoileus hemionus) are passing through Alverno.  They had a leisurely breakfast of Agave (Agave attenuata) and other delicacies, then a stroll over to the pond for morning refreshment, and then an active day of chillaxin in the shade on the south lawn.  These iconic symbols of the forest are facing many challenges

Deer in California are suffering a massive decline due to habitat destruction.  This encourages deer to roam into gardens and golf courses, which can lead to conflicts between humans and deer.

For their protection, it is illegal to feed wild deer

Deer at Alverno

Chillaxin in the Shade

Mule Deer

Episode of Touching the Wild.  If you can, this is worth watching.

Joe Hutto’s idea of research is anything but normal, dedicating seven years of his life to becoming a wild mule deer. The herd would ordinarily run from any human but, incredibly, these keenly intelligent animals come to regard this stranger as one of their own. Accepted by the matriarch, he walks among them, is even groomed by them, and can lie with a pregnant doe talking to its unborn fawns. As he crosses the species divide Joe is tapping into a new understanding about these elusive animals, literally entering a deer society. The captivating joy he feels for his new family is nothing short of infectious, but this human predator also learns to see the world from the point of view of prey – and it’s an experience that will ultimately rock him to his very core; sharing their world so personally finally takes a toll that sends him back to his own kind.