Run girls: The rut is on

After a summer of mostly doe monopolizing the trail camera photos, some bigger bucks have started to appear.

Their hormones are high as they move through the back woods in search of those very doe.

A few bucks have been rather large and sporting decent racks.

However since they are on a mission of love, most pictures are blurred as they continue their search for the ladies.
As the hormones flow, the bucks are also busy defending territory.

Several cameras seemingly got photos of a large buck stalking a smaller one at the neighbor's pond.

​One camera captured two bucks sparing, but it was too far way to tell whose horns were the biggest.

The neighborhood nursing buck turned out to actually a be seven-point.

Although it wasn't a pretty seven by trophy standards, one camera captured him shedding his velvet.

However,  now he is now a uni-horn.

​He must have lost a fight with one of the bigger bucks.

Mr. Uni-horn is a member of the backyard apple cleanup crew. A camera placed under a neglected golden delicious apple tree showed several deer making sure the yard was free of fallen apples.

Over the course of last week, the cameras picked up snowy scenes, something blue, turkeys and wood ducks.

The was an abrupt change in weather on Nov. 2 complete with a couple of inches of snow.

​It's like the fall scenery changed to picturesque winter views overnight.

I felt blessed to view photos of the wildlife from the comfort of my heated home.

I was reminded of winter's harshness as I downloaded a photo of a buck trudging through a blustery winter night.

While I downloaded last weeks' trail camera pictures, I saw something large and blue in the preview picture. Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be the tail end of a blue jay.

The stealthy trail camera nabbed some turkey and wood ducks as they visited the neighbor's pond. I also was able to get a couple of wildlife photos in person.

A smaller buck stopped for a moment and I was able to get a shot through the trees. (Top of the blog post)

I also tried to be stealthy and sneak up to get a photo of the wood ducks. However, I just can never get as close as the trail cameras can with their unassuming appearances.

Speaking of the ducks, one morning Kyle, the goat, was snorting a warning to something at the pond. He was making me very uneasy as he does this to alert to possible predators. I could only surmise that he saw the ducks and decided they were untrustworthy.

Sometimes, Kyle's warnings are warranted. He can smell a bear and gets very wary for good reason. Thank goodness there have not been many bears on the cameras. Mostly they pass through once a month. Lately, coworkers have reported bear troubles and missing bird feeders. So far, taking our feeders in at night has kept ours from demolition and disappearance.

However, we did almost walk into a bear several years ago. This one was eating suet in the yard at 3:30 p.m. on a Sunday afternoon. It was right on the side of our house.

I would have walked up on it with all three dogs and two goats, if it weren't for some intervention.

The neighbor across the road called my mom who stopped us in her yard before we reached the location of the hungry bear. Thank goodness for alert neighbors who watch over us along with some guardian angels.

The bear left and we returned home. However the minute we stepped into the yard, Kyle was on alert even though the threat was gone.

Bears aside, the camera at the pond caught another animal on the prowl.

It was our ever escaping house cat Timus, who isn't supposed to be outside. Nonetheless, he is undaunted in his attempts as he uses the doggie door and clears the 6-foot kennel fence to freedom.

We have tried several ways to deter him, but none have worked yet. Timus was spotted trekking around the neighbor's pond.

Readers need to realize when I say neighbor, I mean "country neighbor.

It takes the dogs, goats and I about 10 minutes to make the trip from our house to the pond which is several acres away.

Timus has also been spotted in the early morning on one of the closer cameras walking our trails. Perhaps he wonders what all the fuss is about with the walking and wanted to try things for himself.

As the days get darker and the light wanes, I turn to the trail cameras to be my backup photographers.

They are there 24/7.

No matter the weather they provide glimpses of what goes on when we are not around. I get to view the wildlife's comings and goings.

I also get to see the late night and early morning travels of a certain disobedient yellow cat who so far has managed to avoid getting into trouble.

​That's just the nature of things 'round here.