The Evolution of Atlas: A Breeding (and Chat) Thread

[speckledhen]

I'm seeing quite a few bucks here lately, unusual really; mostly one or two I know grew up on our property. They're rather young so antlers are not humongous, but past the spike buck stage. They are less afraid than any I've ever seen. The only reason I think they're the same ones is that at least one of them is seen with the same group of does. One stepped out of some brush when I was standing at the pasture fence watching his relatives close by. He just looked at me, listened to me talk to him, then he trotted away after the group, completely unalarmed. A couple of those does hang around even when I'm walking around, talking, messing with the chickens. When the next door neighbor began shooting close by, they didn't even flinch and one of the guys runs with that group. Could be his mother is one of them. When I was filming the last video, the main doe I recognize was hanging around the fence, even when I opened the chain link gate and stepped out closer to film her. I was being loud and she acted like she was hanging around for safety, kept looking toward my neighbor's house down the hill.
That group definitely feels safe here, but may change their minds when I get another dog. I want them to feel safe, even though they make me crazy eating stuff I want to keep, because we made need one of the guys to sacrifice himself for our freezer. I got a mineral lick to put in the pasture, forgot it in the car, dang it.
Sadly, I saw one of this year's fawns trotting across the pasture holding up its right rear leg yesterday, didn't put it down on the ground at all. I hope it wasn't broken. That one won't make it through winter unless it heals quickly. Too many roaming dogs run the deer, plus the usual coyote packs.