The bucks stop here, oh deer!

Just now when I went into the kitchen, I glanced out and there was a forked horn buck out back at our deer feeding area. He was pretty jumpy and was trying to chow down on some cubed alfalfa that we bought when the feed store was out of deer chow. He had also eaten the pears I put out last night. His jumpiness could be attributed in part to the wind - it was stormy all night and still is - and in part to the season/time of year. It is the deer rutting season here. When it is time for the deer to mate, the bucks really change their patterns of life and areas that they frequent. We have been having a group of bucks all come in together to feed. It is so fun to watch them gracefully bow their heads down to the pellet tray to dine and try not hit antlers with each other. In the past we have had problems with the pond being drained when one of them has hooked the fountain post attached to the pump with it's antlers and tipped it just enough that as it pumps away, it drains the whole pond out! Last week I was outside hand feeding our favorite doe (we call her Priss) an apple and another doe that was with her was watching from 20 feet away. A nice big branch antlered buck came in and decided he was interested in the other doe. He slowly came over and started following her, his nose in the air and making that grunting sound that the bucks make during the rut. He did not care at all that I was standing right there! Everyday there is a gift if we can only see it...