Male Mule Deer with His Harem During Mating Season

The beginning of October is a mating season for mule deers.  During this time a male deer will collect several females to form a mating harem and will compete for breeding opportunities. 

The male Mule deer I photographed last Sunday was very successful and got into his harem five females that followed him devoutly.  He would aggressively defend them from other males around. 

A young female Mule deer, a very skittish but curious.  She stopped for a few minutes to look back. 

This female also was curious but took some precautions and was almost invisible. Very smart!

For Mule Deers survival depends on how much fat they can put on during the summer to do well in winter.  

A few female Mule Deers had tags and GPS collars around their necks.

One of the reasons why wildlife biologists are doing it on Antelope Island and all over Utah is to help the deers to stay healthy especially in winter and follow their migration. 

The GPS collars help biologists to track the movement of deers or even tell if an animal has died.

Another female Mule deer who wasn't hiding and giving me a long stare.

Generally, life is good!