Whitetail Deer

Beautiful, Graceful, Powerful

This deer stopped in a field of pretty flowers at John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge in Philadelphia, PA.

The whitetail deer is such a fascinating subject to photograph. Since they are quite common in most areas, especially in southern New Jersey where I live, they can be easy to come by. This does not necessarily mean they are easy to photograph.
With such a keen sense of smell and hearing it can be very difficult to get close enough to a whitetail on the ground to get a decent photo. I don’t often go out to photograph the whitetail exclusively but this past fall during the rut in southern NJ I did just that, and was lucky enough to see some very handsome deer.

This buck was kind enough to stop for just a moment while on the trail of a female and give me this powerful pose.

In the photo above of the beautiful buck, I arrived at the park well before sunrise. I knew there were usually deer that grazed in the field in the morning so I figured it would be a good spot to watch. I found a good spot to hide that would put the sun mostly behind me and I waited. After about 30 minutes a doe and some yearlings wandered out into the opening. The little ones were running around and playing together as their mother kept an eye out in between eating some grass. This went on for about 20 minutes when I noticed some movement in the thick brush on the opposite side of the field. For a brief second I saw antlers so I knew a buck was hiding out back there.

I continued to photograph the mother and yearlings as they were coming really close to me. Eventually the three of them wandered away and the field was empty. Before I knew it another doe emerged on the opposite side of the field, not far behind her was the lovely buck pictured above. I could tell he was a bit more anxious but his desire to keep up with the female drew him out into the open. He followed in her direct footsteps across the open field and would occasionally stop in the beautiful morning sunlight. My patience paid off and I was able to get the series of photos I had been hoping for.

Every time I would press the shutter button this doe would look directly at me.

An adult and a yearling pose together in a late March snow.

Standing there surrounded by all the green, this deer actually stands out.

This young deer was very curious about me as I sat in full camo along the edge of a field. Every time I would press the shutter button it would look directly at me.

Can you find the deer hidden in this photo? A perfect example of camouflage.

A handsome whitetail buck walks along the marsh edge at Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge in Brigantine, NJ.

A young buck just starting to grow his antlers for the year grazes in the spring grass at Palmyra Cove.

One of my favorite Whitetail Deer photos.

A family of deer look right at me as the sun begins to set.

This huge buck actually surprised me. It somehow snuck right out of the trees and into the opening without me knowing and I was lucky enough to turn and see it for a moment before it ran off.

A doe checks me out while standing in an open and frost covered field mid-winter in Philadelphia, PA.

I was able to get incredibly close to this deer in the very early morning at Palmyra Cove. Just look at those big eyes.

A snowy morning seems like a perfect time for a nap.

I waited for a long time at the edge of this field hoping to catch a glimpse of this fella. He was hot on the trail of a doe that had just walked across the field a minute earlier.

I loved the glow on this deer as it stood in the early sunlight.

Palmyra Cove Nature Park in southern NJ, which I have visited often, is a wonderful place to find and photograph whitetail deer. I think I’ve seen some on almost every trip. They are quite accustomed to people and do allow you to get closer than at many other locations. It is certainly easier here but they are still wild, and that of course presents some challenges. Some deer have still been very spooky when I approach and as always in nature photography it takes time to get your subject in good light and with a pleasing background. I do enjoy the challenges though, if it were too easy it wouldn’t be fun! I hope you’ve enjoyed these photos and if you ever get a chance to visit Palmyra Cove Nature Park it would be a great place to start making your own photos of the beautiful whitetail deer.

This fawn appears to be trying to stay in sync with its mother as they walk across the path in front of me.