Whitetail Deer; Deer Family, Cervids, Cervidae. Whitetails, bucks and does. Whitetail bucks in rut, Great smoky Mountains National Park Tennessee. (Odocoileus virginianus)
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Artiodactyla
Family: Cervidae
Genus: Odocoileus
Species: virginianus
"Without some strong environmental legislation, I fear that every acre of unprotected forest, every mile of unprotected riverside and lakeshore, will eventually be covered with homes and businesses." -- Art Wolfe.
Wildlife, Wildlife 3, elk and elk 2, and moose.
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One of the prettiest whitetail bucks I've seen, this guy was also very skittish, and rarely allowed me to get close enough for good photography. I love the forest setting. (Odocoileus virginianus) |
This buck was very co-operative, and I managed a number of rewarding images with him. Cades Cove, Great Smoky Mountains NP, Tennessee. (Odocoileus virginianus) |
A very nice 9 point whitetail buck, in some nice early morning light, makes for a very happy photographer! (Odocoileus virginianus) |
Another forest setting, which can make for extremely difficult photography, but I find the images I get back are more exciting to me. Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee. (Odocoileus virginianus) |
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A very nice whitetail buck photo, in his prime, his rack glowing in some nice early morning light. (Odocoileus virginianus) |
Ireally wanted an image of a whitetail deer, especially a buck, in the snow. This short snowfall lasted about 45 seconds, and I was lucky to have this prime buck as a subject at the time. (Odocoileus virginianus) |
Often overlooked by photographers, the does are very elegant and beautiful creatures. I try to photograph them in a way that enhances that. (Odocoileus virginianus) |
The subtle lighting of the sun's final rays for the day compliment the elegance of this pretty young doe. Smoky Mountain National Park, TN. (Odocoileus virginianus) |
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Nicknamed "Dozer", this buck stands out in a crowd. Whitetail buck photo, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee. (Odocoileus virginianus) |
A whitetail buck with a very unusual rack, it totals 11 points, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee. (Odocoileus virginianus) |
Another of my favorite whitetail images, this buck is extremely photogenic, and surprisingly approachable, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee. (Odocoileus virginianus) |
This deer rates as one of the most obliging subjects I've ever photographed. He's a magnificent specimen, and very tolerant. A beautiful whitetail buck, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee. (Odocoileus virginianus) |
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A nice young buck in the forest, some fresh snow on the ground to boot! (Odocoileus virginianus) |
A nice whitetail buck, easily leaping this fence as he pursues some excited young does, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee. (Odocoileus virginianus) |
The light was simply gorgeous as this buck came out, and sniffed the vegetation, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee. (Odocoileus virginianus) |
Another great buck, giving me a nice frontal pose. Cades Cove, Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee. (Odocoileus virginianus) |
The best photographs are typically the result of a great deal of time, effort, sweat, perseverance, patience and a heavy dose of luck. This is never more true than when photographing wildlife, and especially so with whitetail deer. Even the most tolerant and acclimated deer can very frustrating sometimes, and many hours are spent with often little reward. I particularly like images of these whitetail deer in the forest, their more natural habitat, and photographing them in the woods can be very difficult.
I try to shoot them in the peak of their yearly cycle, which is around the Oct-Jan, as the does get ready to breed, and the males, or bucks go into the 'rut'. The whitetail bucks photos look their absolute best at this time of year, and it's a thrill to witness this activity; these majestic animals strut, play, chase and fight, pose, flehmen and mark their territories. I really look forward to this time of year when I can get back into the woods and look for these often elusive but very impressive animals.
These whitetail deer images were taken in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The Smokies are a fantastic place to visit, to hike and backpack, and to photograph. Every year I return there to shoot the whitetail deer rut, and every year produces something different. The weather, the light, the deer, even the year's acorn crop can combine to produce radically different images. Thanks for looking -- Carl Donohue, September 2004.