White-Tailed DeerWhite-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) AKA Virginia Deer and Whitetail
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White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) - Page 2
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White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) - 37
(White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) - 37)  On 30 June 2003, as we were taking an early evening walk in the same area, we spotted these two fawn on the road.  We knew Mommy deer had to be close by her children.
White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) - 37a
(White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) - 37a)  We then spotted Mommy deer browsing in the shadows along the side of the road.
White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) - 38
(White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) - 38)  As we continued to move a little closer, the deer looked up at us.
White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) - 38a
(White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) - 38a)  One of her children also looked up at us, but the other one continued to eat.
White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) - 39
(White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) - 39)  The fawn on the left seemed to be a little skittish about our presence, but the other one was not frightened and continued to eat.
White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) - 39a
(White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) - 39a)  The deer seemed concerned that her one of her children was frightened, so we stopped walking.
White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) - 40
(White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) - 40)  The mother deer remained on the side of the road, but her children moved closer to her.
White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) - 41
(White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) - 41)  Realizing that we presented no danger to her or her family, the deer returned to eating with one of her children, but the other child was still frightened by our presence and began to run away.
White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) - 42
(White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) - 42)  Mommy deer was concerned about her frightened child and started to go after him or her.
White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) - 43
(White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) - 43)  The deer walked up the side of the road toward her fleeing child.
White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) - 43a
(White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) - 43a)  The frightened fawn stopped running as mother deer walked toward him or her.
White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) - 43b
(White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) - 43b)  Even after his or her mother and sibling had left, this little deer continued to look at us for what seemed like a couple of minutes, before bounding off to join the family.
White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) - 44
(White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) - 44)  As we were walking along the road, we saw this deer walk into the woods; and as we were taking this photo, her baby ran up to her and they rubbed their faces together in a greeting of love.
White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) - 45
(White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) - 45)  As we walked down the road, this white tail deer was slowly walking into the woods.
White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) - 46
(White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) - 46)  We believe that these are the two youngsters we photographed with their mother the previous week.  This time they were without Mother.
White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) - 47
(White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) - 47)  I was softly talking to the deer as I slowly walked toward them.
White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) - 48
(White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) - 48)  As I moved closer, the deer on the left trotted up towards me and stopped next to his or her sibling.
White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) - 49
(White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) - 49)  Some flies seemed to be bothering the deer on the left, and he or she kept trying to chase them away.
White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) - 50
(White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) - 50)  The deer on the right seemed particularly interested in me, as I continued talking and walking closer.
White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) - 51
(White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) - 51)   These young white tail deer made no move to leave.
White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) - 52
(White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) - 52)  By this time the biting "deer" flies were beginning to bother all three of us.
White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) - 53
(White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) - 53)  A little breeze began blowing, and the flies left, and the deer returned to eating the white mulberries that had fallen on the road.
White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) - 54
(White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) - 54)  As I slowly walked closer, they looked up at me, but didn't make any move to run away.
White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) - 55
(White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) - 55)  It is this gentle innocence of the deer that proves to us the evilness of so-called "sport hunting."
White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) - 56
(White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) - 56)  As I was taking this photo, a fly began annoying the deer on the left.
White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) - 57
(White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) - 57)  We continued watching each other.
White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) - 58
(White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) - 58)  The flies continued to bother the deer on the left, as I moved to within about 30 feet of these young deer.
White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) - 59
(White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) - 59)  Trying to chase away the annoying flies, the deer on the left kept swishing his or her tail and ears.
White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) - 60
(White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) - 60)  The deer on the right returned to eating some of the berries.
White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) - 61
(White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) - 61)  The more encounters we have like this one, the more we realize how morally bankrupt a person has to be to deliberately kill another healthy being, and how absolutely evil it is to kill for pleasure.
White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) - 62
(White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) - 62)  We pray that the hearts of the killers of life would be softened to feel the greater pleasure of preserving life and enjoying it as God created it to be.
White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) - 63
(White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) - 63)  We just stood and watched each other in peace.
White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) - 64
(White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) - 64)  Once again the flies broke the serenity of our encounter, and the deer moved apart so that we could not photograph them together.
White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) - 64a
(White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) - 64a)  The biting flies also brought us back to the reality of the corrupt nature of this world, and how it separates us one from another; however, as peacemaking children of God (Matthew 5:9, Romans 8:18-25), we can minimize this corruption.
White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) - 65
(White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) - 65)  Then the deer moved back together.
White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) - 66
(White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) - 66)  And they returned to eating the white mulberries.
White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) - 67
(White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) - 67)  "Hey!  Did you find something better over there?"
White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) - 68
(White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) - 68)  Then a fly interrupted the deer's quest for food.
White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) - 69
(White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) - 69)  As the deer walked up the road, so did we; and the sound of our footsteps caused them to look back at us.
White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) - 70
(White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) - 70)  How horrible it must be to live in fear all your life, where even the slightest noise causes you to have to look for danger.
White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) - 71
(White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) - 71)  I was softly talking to these deer as we stood looking at one another.
White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) - 72
(White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) - 72)  Then the deer began to slowly trot up the road to return to their mother.

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Lamb - Right Lamb - Left Presented here are just a few of the countless components of God's creation.  Just as we cannot have human and animal life without water and plants, neither can we have lasting peace without love and compassion.  It is our hope and prayer that this series will motivate people to live and act in a cruelty-free manner; that we would no longer hurt or destroy each other, the animals or our environment.