Because you all insisted, here's some more backyard action:
Seeing a general uptick in activity (as would be expected). Rather than an early estrous as I previously guessed, I'm starting to think these old apple trees, which were planted back in the dawn of the town of Longview, serve as kind of a meeting place or a place to leave scent around so the other deer who came earlier or later know who is still in the hood, and who is new. Something like a corner bar where you stop in for a drink and socializing before going home I guess.
My best guess now is that today's fawns learned this spot from their mothers, who likely learned it from their mothers, and so on, possibly dating back many generations to the time of the original plantings. It certainly makes no sense to come hang out here, night after night during October and early November, year after year, and not eat apples. Especially with the numbers of deer that frequent the trees. That is what I noted last year on cam and is apparently going to repeat itself again this year. Perhaps this goes on under all apple trees this time of year??
Anyway, more and more deer showing up every night, not really eating much, but just kind of sauntering around a bit then back to where they came from or on to some other unknown location. Last night:
- a couple of does with a fawn in tow were first in just before 1:00 AM.
- Crab claw buck returns for second night in a row about 45 minutes later.
- Other does and yearlings start showing up again around 4:00 AM, in and out of frame. Then a small 3 X 2 does some mock fighting with a pretty good sized button buck who's obviously been eating well his first 5 months of life. Perhaps he's 1.5 year old with buttons? Attached a link of the video of the two bucks play-jousting. I think at some point, the neighbor's lights go on as he gets up and gets ready to go to work.
