Now and then we hear the wilder voices of the wilderness, from animals that in the hours of darkness do not fear the neighborhood of man: the coyotes wail like dismal ventriloquists, or the silence may be broken by the snorting and stamping of a deer.

~Theodore Roosevelt

Signs of the approach of Fall ar now in full swing here in the woods in spite of the still warm temperatures. Yellowed Tulip Poplar leaves are drifting down on our walkway and the sound of this year’s abundant acorn crop thumping on our roof and deck are increasing. The trail cameras are also showing changes, especially in the resident deer herd.

With the Fall molt, their color changes from the reddish brown fur of summer to the gray brown of winter. The summer coat has no underfur and only thin, short, and solid guard hairs. In winter, the guard hairs are almost twice as long, thicker, and are also hollow. There is also a thick underfur. The trapped air provides excellent insulation. The darker color absorbs more solar energy and makes them much harder to see in the drab colors of the winter woods.

–Their coat color changes within just a couple of weeks from the summer reddish-brown to the winter gray-brown. This change helps them blend into the winter woods and provides insulation for the coming cold.

Another noticeable change occurs in the male deer. Bucks have been regrowing their antlers all spring and summer when they were covered in a soft velvet. The velvet allows oxygen-rich blood to reach the growing antlers, which, in white-tails, can grow as much as 1/4 inch or more per day. With changing day-length that growth stops and the velvet begins to peel off and get rubbed off in September. Bucks can usually rid their antlers of velvet in a day or two. When this big guy walked by a camera, I felt lucky to have captured that look..

–This 8-pointer has velvet hanging off his antlers as the rut is about to begin. He’ll be rubbing against trees to get his rack in shape for the battles to come. I have not seen this guy in our woods all spring and summer so he has moved into this doe-rich territory for the mating season.

Bucks rub their antlers on trees and shrubs to remove the velvet and mark their territory. Scent glands on their head deposit oils that help claim their turf and dominance.

–Two young bucks rub their antlers on saplings as part of the prelude to the rut and sparring with one another.

–The same young bucks engaging in some sparring. The one buck had laid down several minutes earlier and as the other approached, they both lowered their heads in anticipation of some pushing and shoving to test each other (or maybe just to practice).

–Finally, the one buck stood up to give the challenger a bit more of a tussle.

Another sign of Fall is the change in diet for our local deer. The White Oaks and hickories produced an abundant crop of nuts this year and the deer, squirrels, chipmunks, and other wildlife are cashing in on this nutrient-rich food source. For deer, it is a noisy meal.

–Deer are actively seeking out oak and hickory trees to forage on the nuts underneath.

This has been a very wet September with heavy rainfalls on several days. One thing I love about the trail cameras is they catch moments of just deer (and other animals) doing what they do that we normally miss seeing.

–A group of bucks working their way through the woods after a heavy downpour. This guy decided to shake off to get rid of some the rain drops.

–We have recorded this playful behavior before. Here, a young deer seemingly enjoys splashing around in a pool formed in our creek after the heavy rains. Apparently deer also dance like no one is watching.

–This herd of deer hung out in this pool for almost 20 minutes. Shortly after this clip, they hurried off.

–This may be the reason the deer departed…these two adult coyotes (not the usual pair that includes One-ear) came through the pool about 5 minutes after the deer left.

Next time, more trail camera videos of what the other critters have been doing lately.