Hungry Neighbors

Yesterday I was delighted to open my garage door 
and find hungry neighbors gathered outside.  
I had been missing them during our thankfully-departed cold snap.

My neighbors are mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus).

They are named for their spectacular ears.

I don't mind sharing some grass, bushes, or spruce needles 
with my four-footed neighbors 
from the nearby Ponderosa Preserve; 
but, if they start eating the wood on my house, 
I'll have to scare them off.

Muleys are browsers, 

and they feed largely on woody vegetation 

such as twigs and leaves of bushes and trees.  

They also eat crops such as corn, 

and they forage on landscaped plants and gardens. 

 http://wildlife.state.co.us/WildlifeSpecies/Profiles/Mammals/Pages/Deer.aspx

I keep reading that mule deer eat little grass, 
but it has been my observation 
that they are quite willing to eat it during the winter, 
especially if other food is scarce.

 
     Chowing Down on Grass!





Winter is a difficult time for muleys, 
and they die in larger numbers during this season.
Slowing down their metabolism 
is one strategy they have to survive the winter months.
Less activity requires less food.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mule_deer

Mule deer mate in the fall, 

and by now the does are showing their baby bumps.
Gestation lasts 190-200 days.

Does generally carry two babies

and give birth to them in the spring.

The fawns stay with their mothers throughout the summer

and are weaned in the fall after some 60-75 days.

  
I usually don't see bucks with does at this time of year,
but this one is definitely a buck!
Normally the sexes separate after the fall rut, 
and the bucks form loose bands or go off on their own.
The fall rut can be exhausting for bucks, 
and they may not survive the winter as a result.
http://www.nps.gov/romo/naturescience/mule_deer.htm 

Typically mule bucks shed their antlers in mid-February.
The new ones begin growing almost immediately 
after the old ones are shed.
Changes in the length of day govern
the cycle of antler growth throughout the year.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mule_deer

Counting the points on a mule deer can be confusing!
Mule deer points are usually tallied
by the "western" count method,
where only the points on one side of the set of antlers are totaled.
When counting points on a mule deer, 
any projection over an inch long is counted, 
but eye guards or brow tines are not.
This muley is a two point buck.

Some westerners use a side by side count,
so this muley has a 2 by 2 rack.
And I am not going anywhere near asymmetrical point counts!
Points are tricky to count,
but on this muley not so much!
http://www.taxidermy.net/forums/BeginnersArticles/05/j/051039A05B.html

Mule deer have acute senses that help them detect danger.  

Their eyes are located on the sides of their heads,

resulting in excellent peripheral vision 

that enables them to see everywhere but directly behind them.

Muleys can see better than humans at night,

and they can detect the slightest movements.

Smell is another sense that is strong in mule deer, 

and they can detect the slightest odors 

within several hundred yards.

http://www.trophymuleys.com/muledeerinfo/muledeerinfo.htm

Mule deer also have excellent hearing,

much better than that of humans.

Hearing is one of a muley's main defenses against danger.

When it hears something, a mule deer will face the sound

and direct its ears toward it to find the possible threat.

http://www.trophymuleys.com/muledeerinfo/muledeerinfo.htm 

I am happy to share my habitat with my four-legged neighbors,
but I never forget they are wild animals 
when I move among them with my camera.
Despite their small size, 
mule deer can inflict serious or fatal injuries 
on humans if they are provoked.
Fortunately such incidents are rare.

If you would like to read another blog post I have written about muleys you can click on this link:  http://selkiegrey4.blogspot.com/2012/11/along-piney-creek.html