LA BOTA RANCH WHITE-TAILED DEER UPDATE (08-29-13): Arrived in the West Meadow, western sector of La Bota Ranch near Laredo, Texas at 6:18 p.m. Hot and sunny with a temperature of 98 degrees F; calm with a few scattered cumulus clouds. WT doe "Annie" stood next to the road waiting for me as I drove into the area. Two WT fawns were seen in the pasture upon my arrival. The Axis deer was not present, as she usually is. I went through the same routine and poured a small pile of corn, but there were no real skirmishes for it this time. I also poured several small piles of corn along the road behind the truck, and it filled with WTD including large buck "Thor" who skirmished with a few lesser bucks. At 6:50 p.m. there were 5 WT fawns in the West Meadow. I watched large WT buck "Spikey" rub his velvet-covered antlers on the rump of another buck. I fed WT doe "Annie" by hand from a small pail. I took several handheld photos with the 75mm-300mm lens. I noticed one WT doe that had an injured left leg/foot, and was unable to walk on it. She hobbled along slowly, obviously in pain. At 7:08 p.m. WT buck "Orion" arrived in the pasture from over the NW horizon. I gave the Herd its first mass feeding at the troughs at 7:17 p.m. As I carried the first bucket of feed to trough 1 I noticed that some of the Herd members were alerted to the ridge at the north end of the pasture. A white cat was moving about in the brush, and a WT doe moved toward it to investigate. Shortly afterward, WT buck "Freddie" showed up as I loaded trough 2, and I then saw "Curly" at trough 1. I had the Axis deer on my mind, worried that she was not present; she has been present on every one of my visits the past couple of weeks. The white cat was seen walking across the NNW edge of the pasture toward the levee (obtained a few photos). I loaded up troughs 3-4 with feed, then at 7:31 p.m. as I looked up from my camera I saw the Axis deer just as she walked up to trough 1 to feed with "Curly" and a few other big bucks. I was elated that she was all right, and that made my day! I had a great photo session late in the afternoon with the Zuiko 300mm f2.8 telephoto. I watched as WT buck "Stumpy" worked his favorite licking branch on an oak tree at the east edge of the pasture. As he did so, WT buck "Thor" watched closely. When "Stumpy" walked away, "Thor" worked the same licking branch, seemingly in a state of ecstasy. I watched as a WT doe chased the Axis deer, but the Axis had already "had her cake and ate it too," in a manner of speaking. At 7:50 p.m. I gave the Herd a second light feeding at the troughs. i continued taking photos until well into dusk. very late in the day an "interloper" buck walked into the pasture over the rise to the NNW. I noted that the "new" buck alerted to my truck to such a degree that he never saw me standing out in the open. I took several photos of him, noting that he had a missing brow tine. As he walked into the area, twice he had hind-legged skirmishes with smaller bucks that intercepted him. Other Herd members moved toward him and congregated relatively close to him, out of curiosity. when he got to withing 35-40 yards of me, he saw me and started stamping his front hooves into the ground, then he let out a loud snort. At 8:13 p.m. several Nighthawks flew into the airspace over the pasture, coming in from the NW edge of the clearing. They were obviously pursuing the dragonflies that were numerous in the area. I terminated my photo-taking at 8:17 p.m. due to very poor lighting. At about 8:20 p.m. WT doe "Sheila" begged me for corn so I fed her some from a small pail. WT buck "Abel" moved in, so I took the opportunity to handle his right antler with my left hand. The antler was very warm to the touch, bristly, and I was able to grasp it firmly. Although "Abel" tilted his head as I handled his antler, he did not pull away. WT buck "Orion" stood just behind "Abel" watching closely, and WT buck "Eridanus" was right behind "Orion." At 8:25 p.m. an owl was heard hooting, though it was not as close as yesterday. At 8;25 p.m. I poured a small pail of corn into the troughs as a final snack for the Herd in the deep twilight. I left the West Meadow to the sound of loud, chirping evening insects at 8:40 p.m.
Posted on: Sat, 31 Aug 2013 22:08:34 +0000
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