Deer Stalking

During my recent trip to the New Forest with my youngest son we stopped off for a walk at a place called Whitemoor just outside Emery Down. We hoped to spot some wildlife but apart from a few ponies there wasn't very much to see and after a heavy rainfall the ground was water logged so finding a good path was a little tricky. 

I had almost decided to turn back so that we could try our luck in a different spot when we spotted a lone fallow deer in the distance. We carefully worked our way around the edge of the woodland to see if we could get close and as we did so we realised that there was a small herd of deer on the far side of a clearing and this made us even more determined to get as close as possible.

It was really difficult as the land was really boggy and we had to navigate our way crossing a couple of streams, all the time conscious of the fact that any noise might spook the deer and  any photo opportunity would be lost. We found a good spot just on the edge of a small copse and I was able to get these shots. We were still a bit too far away though and as we edged closer the deer became alerted to our presence and skipped into the trees where they stayed as if taunting us.

I like the first picture because there is a carefree feeling to the shot of the young deer at play, the second picture was captured at the point the deer became aware of us and they are poised to make their escape.

It was a great experience stalking the deer as we did and getting this close and while these are technically not the best pictures I am happy with them as a reminder of the day.