2509_0610 Down to the River
The young Mule Deer buck wanted a drink. I watched him disappear into the bushes, so I set up and waited for him to reappear... and he did, next to a beaver dam. They don't always behave as you would expect; this time I guessed right.
The beaver dam is a futile effort, as this river can run deep during spring melt - 15 feet or deeper, flooding its banks. By late summer, though, it's almost a wading pool. He drank his fill and continued to the opposite bank, disappearing into the thicket. The beavers did not note his passing, nor did the Frenchman River. That's what photographers are for.
In about six weeks I'll be out looking for the big bucks, as the annual rut will be starting. Always an exciting time, whether I guess right or not.
Photographed in Grasslands National Park, Saskatchewan. Don't use this image on websites, blogs, or other media without explicit permission © 2025 James R. Page - all rights reserved.
2509_0610 Down to the River
The young Mule Deer buck wanted a drink. I watched him disappear into the bushes, so I set up and waited for him to reappear... and he did, next to a beaver dam. They don't always behave as you would expect; this time I guessed right.
The beaver dam is a futile effort, as this river can run deep during spring melt - 15 feet or deeper, flooding its banks. By late summer, though, it's almost a wading pool. He drank his fill and continued to the opposite bank, disappearing into the thicket. The beavers did not note his passing, nor did the Frenchman River. That's what photographers are for.
In about six weeks I'll be out looking for the big bucks, as the annual rut will be starting. Always an exciting time, whether I guess right or not.
Photographed in Grasslands National Park, Saskatchewan. Don't use this image on websites, blogs, or other media without explicit permission © 2025 James R. Page - all rights reserved.