Anne Muller, Wildlife Watch
Photos by Anne Muller
Two boys playing
In the fall, shortly before hunting was to start, I looked up to see this boy from my window. I had taken photos of him when he was younger and now… my heart jumped. He had gone from being a little “spike buck” to a handsome boy. He was so gentle that you can see the squirrels continue their lunch without even looking up.
My heart jumped for two reasons: First of all, I wasn’t used to seeing a buck with antlers that size; secondly, I realized that QDM [Quality Deer Management] had to be going on not terribly far from where we lived! He definitely would be “permissibly” shot this fall.
Then, to my utter surprise, a second buck of his size joined him. Once they got over the fact that a human with her eyes popping out of her head and her jaw dropping was watching them, they started to “play” with each other. How often we see two bucks in battle in the hunter magazines, but these two guys were just enjoying each other’s company! I thought they would become so entangled that they’d never be able to separate from each other, but they figured it out effortlessly.
Amazingly, I later noticed that a couple of does were not too far away – and the bucks couldn’t have cared less. Why are we led to believe that animals live merely for sex and reproduction? It’s not true! There’s so much more to them. Play is a big part of their lives and I believe that it’s not merely a preparation for sparing with another male over a female, but just for the enjoyment of the activity. It’s like our playing chess or doing judo just for the sake of the activity. What an exciting moment that contained so many revelations… before turning to concern, and then prayer for their safety.
It’s time to start taking back “our” wildlife from the killers. It’s a long road ahead, but I feel that as the camera documents animal behavior to a degree that has never happened before, we will realize that animals are not merely things or species, but individuals who share many of our characteristics. But, of course, I’m speaking to the choir.