I mentioned that we see a variety of wildlife in our backyard. While we haven’t seen many other animals lately, it’s to the point that we get deer visiting daily. Once a night, my father-in-law, who lives with us, feeds them corn. It’s to the point that he can walk within a foot of them while throwing corn. They run away if he tries to get any closer, but within a foot is impressive.
Throughout this summer, we have watched a doe raise her two babies. They went from cute and spotted to grown and beautiful. The bucks had their antlers come in, and we squealed seeing one of them become a ten-point. The other night, I looked out the sliding door and saw what I call a herd of deer. It wasn’t one or two. There were three bucks, and five does!
Knowing I have these deer coming around often, I decided to use ChatGPT for a little more learning. Spring is when the mating season starts, known as the rut. They will give birth in late spring, hide their fawn during the days, and nurse at night. The bucks start to grow their antlers, which begin covered in velvet.
Their antlers continue to grow throughout the summer, and they harden and shed their velvet at the end of the season. While the rut intensifies during the fall, the bucks shed their antlers at the end. I know this is random information, but it’s interesting for someone who sees the deer in their backyard. It’s things I always see, but now I know.
I don’t have to take a trip around the world or be on a yacht in the Mediterranean to have happiness. I can find it in little things, like looking out into my backyard and seeing deer in the field. -Queen Latifah
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