To our Mutual Surprise
It's 7 a.m. on a clear winter morning. I've just started down the backyard path leading to the city greenway. Two mule deer bucks stare up at me from less than 10 yards away. I'm hoping they won't spook as I pass.
Backyard Buck Brothers
So Far So Good
Nearly abreast, and Little Brother nerviously moves a few feet away. Big Brother holds his ground, watching me.
Tension Release
Just as I pass, Big Brother snorts and take a few steps. I turn to look just as he rockets straight up in the air, stiff legged, as if on springs. As he reaches the apex, he folds his legs, posing prettily. I'm impressed as hell, but he's not done yet.
Loud and Clear
He prongs up the path I just descended. At the crest, still pronging, he loops back down the slope until ending where he started. He's watching me again; making sure I got the message.
Pronging and Mule Deer Races (so to speak)
- Many animals prong, especially fast and agile ungulates like deer, pronghorn, and antelope. Pronging signals fitness to predators and rivals, and is a play behavior as well.
- The size discrepancy of the two bucks is common here where we see two mule deer subspecies, Rocky Mountain mule deer and Desert mule deer. Rocky Mountain bucks are much larger than Desert Bucks. Big and Little Brother are likely different subspecies.
- In nature, there's always an "on the other hand." Each subspecies varies widely enough that Big and Little Brother may, in fact, be siblings.
Art for this story is in the style of Frank Stack. Read about him in the Artists Gallery.