ROE MY DEER!!!

Hello again!
This post is about one of my favourites: roe deer!!

We are in the peak of the summer and temperatures are really high, above 35ºC most of the time...tough times for every living creature around this area.
But there's one species that comes particularly active during this time of the year, specially at dusk and dawn: roe deer.

Young male roe deer suspecting something...

The mating season takes place in July, but from June until August you can enjoy watching this beautiful animal if you don't mind getting up early or waiting patiently near the crop fields late in the afternoons. If you are careful enough, you'll be rewarded with what in my opinion is one of the best sights nature can offer. A roe deer placidly eating while the sun sets or, if you are lucky, a couple of them chasing each other playing Romeo and Juliette are images that will endure in your memories forever.

"Don't run away from me my Deer..."

The secret is to be very quiet, move slowly and, the most important thing of all, make sure the wind comes "from the watched and not from the watcher". The senses of a roe deer are very developed, mostly hearing and smelling. Don't forget that human scent means danger for all animals, so never use perfume, cologne, deodorant and stuff like that; you might think it covers your personal "fragrance", but in reality, the mixture ot the perfume and your skin odour is much more potent and thus threatening for them.

In this video you can see how to precede. Notice that the wind never gets from me towards the deer, I'm in a higher position, so the chances of getting detected are less, and I dont move or make any sound.

Is there a nicer way to see the sun set? 

Of course, you can enjoy the presence of these animals the whole year, 'though from December up until May, these "forest dwarves" as we call them around here, become undetectable. Notice that this is when males loose their antlers and females are at the end of their pregnancy or taking care of the newborns. Also, in this time of the year, it is not very clever to search for them (or any animal at all) insistenly for this is the time when they need to bee focusing on raising their babies and thei need to feel secure. So, never search the same areas and, if you do, limit your activities to quiet and relaxing walks, but be eyes wide open for there are many traces of animal activities; e.g.:

A fallen antler can easily be mistaken with a dried tree branch, but it's a definitive proof of deer activities.

Young pine used as a brush to mark a male's territory and to remove the velvet from the young antler.

If you find fallen antlers, droppings, "beds" in wind protected areas, young bushes which have bee used as "scratching brushes" or footprints, you have to know that very close there's a huge chance that one of these graceful animals is watching you for they are very loyal to their everyday territories.

Who played Barry White a few minutes ago?

"Let's find a less crowded place my Deer, I think we're not alone"

So, next time you come to Zaragoza, if you want to spend a couple of hours getting away from the day heat and watching these animals in these incredible landscapes, I'll be pleased to take you there. 

You'll never forget it.