Bucking the trend

It is quite clear that the black-tail deer foraging on the grassy slope 500 metres on the other site of the valley is an older buck. The body size, the grey winter coat and the massive, forward turned antlers denote his age, as does the fact that he is alone.

We can’t get closer to where he is, as he grazes quietly against a wooded gorge, but when he gets far enough for the tree top to hide him, we will move forward.

He is only a few metres away from being hidden as dense fog rolls over the top. All morning the fog has been laying like a padded blanket under us, but with the sun warming up the air, it rises and allows us to move closer, where we quickly get into position. Unfortunately, the fog lingered so long that