Look Who’s Visiting

You never know who might show up in the backyard around here.  This evening we had this young gentleman munching on the grass just minding his own business.  This time of the year it isn’t just the birds molting either.  If you look closely at this fella’s right antler, you can see the velvet is coming off.  Every winter a deer sheds his antlers and when spring rolls around starts to grow new ones.  They’re just cartilage starting out and the velvet provides not only protection, but also blood flow and nutrition.  Come fall, the velvet drops off and the bone dies, becoming the hard boney like material we’re used to seeing.  So, hopefully we can keep an eye out for this guy and his mates and follow them through the fall days to see the fully developed antlers.

Of course once he saw the camera, like all little boys he just had to stick his tongue out.  But then, I can’t blame him, I’d probably do the same thing.