hiding

while camping in Ocala National Forest
The only downside to camping there this time of year is that it is hunting season. We could hear gunshots all times of day while at the campground. Although hunting is not allowed in the camping area, there are areas to both sides of it where it is. We took a short walk on a path with the dogs and startled this group of deer, very close to the campsites. I think you can see 11 of them in this shot, but there were about 20 all together. I snapped a few quick shots and we backed off, so they would stay where they were safe. Usually the deer there are much more timid than the ones we see at the state park at Lake Kissimmee, and they will bound off into the woods as soon as you come into sight.
(It's not that we have an issue with responsible hunting, but it seems there should be more of a buffer zone around the camping areas. the campground host told us that they had had a problem with the hunters running their dogs right through the camping area, to chase the deer out to the other side. They were allowed by law to catch the dogs on the property, and release them to authorities- and then had to deal with the angry hunters- but at least it stopped the problem.)