Crumbly Acres Cottontails and Cervidae

 We made it to the dentist. I was a bit worried about impending snowfall or ice rain. Turns out it was just snow, and not until we returned home around 4. We'll have some clean up today! 

Not too much snow. And I spotted the slow plow driving by. We should be good.

Hoppy Cottontail

I've been watching Labbit. I'd forgotten we had two one winter (Jan. 14, 2022). They blend in with the garden rocks! 

I snapped a photo of these tracks. She used the same path (the driveway), coming and going. I liked the pattern. 

Down go her front paws, with the hind legs giving her the oomph. 

It was a Wordle word! Seriously?

Cervidae  – hoofed ruminant ungulate (AKA deer!)

Joe Brian has been watching this doe. He is calling her Lefty, as she has twisted her back left leg. Proof of life!

A great surprise Monday morning was to see a buck out the kitchen window. He's lost an antler. We had a big snow or I would have gone out to look for the shed antler. Usually they drop later in January, but it has been cold. Testosterone has been diminishing.

One year (Jan., 2014), I found five antlers. It was a really cold winter, and 5 bucks hung around, which was unusual. I weighed the antler.

457 grams

We don't often have the bucks, but here was Tigger on Jan. 15, 2018. The females stick together, for the most part. 

Then there was Jake, in Jan., 2017.

Back to the present. The fawn was nibbling at the evergreen needles. That's how they get snow on their foreheads!

I love this fawn. It reminds me of Tigger, back in the day. Tigger must be long gone. This one bounces around, looking for trouble. There is a hierarchy, and the older males are boss, then the older females. Everyone knows their place.

   

Saturday's Critters

 Chad Coyote (the girls named them!), was in the backyard. It is obvious that he is wary of the house, and glances at the windows checking for humans. That is a good sign. That and the fact that they don't come around in the daytime.

Chad in the forest is another story. There was something up at the house to set off the motion sensor spotlight at the house. As he leaves, he went up the hill and pooped on the path! 

We have a bigger buck than Carl. He's not all that big, Tigger lived longer and had a bigger set of antlers. [Tigger: More deer tails and Whitetail Savvy]

But Gerald has a respectable set. He is maybe 3 years old. I texted and asked for a name; Josephine suggested we name him Gerald! I've not seen any deer scrapes, where they mark their territory during rutting season.

Having the trailcams at either end of the path captures them coming and going. Carl saw me coming, and hoofed it.

Next, Gerald appeared in front of the window. He was trimming my peony plant, which is dead for now, of course!

For more critters: Saturday's Critters # 415, thanks to Eileen for hosting!

Saturday's Critters # 415

Jake, et al

Nearby, 2 km away, the first bear has been sighted and trapped.  There were two, an older female and a younger bear with blonde on its butt. Time to bring in the feeders...
Walkies have been fun.


The dock is holding up, despite our 36mm of rain over the last few days.


In the morning sunshine, he rested. April 18, 2019. Our snow is gone.
Jake from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

Jake never did leave me even one antler. They lose them in January/February and will regrow them shortly.

Robin nesting from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.


Pileated woodpecker from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.
Frog pond from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

Breakfast and bucks

It's been cold, with light snow today and yesterday. The Weather Network radar and the government N.A. satellite were a bit of a mystery! In fact, my 2nd (newer) trailcam hasn't been working either. It's just been too cold!


We've been watching the Australian Open Tennis, but it's tricky with the time difference. I write my blogs in the a.m., we usually tape the games that go after 9 p.m., then watch them over breakfast and coffee! Annie likes JB's no dairy or yeast bread. Daisy is just spoiling for a fight. She needs to get out and play. Poor Hooper will even eat crumbs.
In the meantime, I cannot access any Social Media, as people tend to give the tennis scores!



Back to the main thread of my post...
The deer are appearing at the feeders, were up to 12 at a time. This is our regular momma/yearling pair. She's a big one. She watches us carefully, and closely. She has burrs, or something, on her coat, and I want to give her a good brushing! That is facetious, as they simply aren't that tame.

doe, a deer from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.
I'm fondly looking forward to seeing the bucks in the yard. We had a pair of (about) 3-year-olds all this week.

Here he was in the front yard, this is out the living room window. I'm thinking these are all deer from the same family, as normally the does hang out together and the bucks in their own winter yards.
The tines are interesting, as they are many, but very small. He is an 8-point, as they count them this way.

On Sunday evening, I spotted this buck.  The bucks, especially the big ones, usually travel here between dusk and dawn until real winter sets in.
It appears his one brow tine has been smucked sideways. We'll have to keep an eye out for him. It looks like blood on his antler, as well.
They can get into trouble, in arguments with fences, and trees, and one another, but they are due to shed their antlers any day now and grow a new pair in spring.

1. buck from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.
2. Buck from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

There is good old Tigger, haven't seen him yet this year. He'd be 8 this summer. I've followed his progress all these years, fall of 2010. He was a young 'un our first year here. He had a twin, as well. His twin (we never named him!) was much more shy. Tigger would bounce up to us, a happy lad,  wasn't as afraid as the other ones.

Tigger last Spring

Also, Jake. We can tell them apart by their behaviour, the shape of their antlers, and their tine counts. Jake was pretty new visiting us, and very skittish. I hope to see them this year. A client was proudly JB the buck he'd shot during the hunting season. sigh. I liked Jake!

The tree, the buck, the doe, a deer

The evergreen trees are hidden in summer. Once the leaves fall, it is obvious! As the leaves drop, the count down is on.


Saturday, we had a real frost. I guess it's time for people to change over from Hallowe'en to... errr, many are converting to Christmas! Seriously!


Last night, a doe and her fawn appeared in the back yard. I think this is the fawn, I guess a yearling, who was struck by a car last month. Both are ambling around the forest again.


I put out pumpkins for the deer in front of the trailcam. They didn't disappoint! First Tigger, our big 10-point buck, a bat, and these two young bucks. Hunting season has begun. We cross our fingers.
Trailcam deer from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.
About 36 sec. in, you can see the bat coming up behind the deer!
Trailcam Nov 4-6 from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.