Little Deer

This young deer wandered up from the woods and into our back yard as the light was beginning to fade - the photo is taken from the kitchen window. (The fencing in the foreground is from the raspberry patch and is there to keep him and his friends out.) I went out into the yard to try and get a better shot - by then he had wandered across the lawn to the lilacs. He didn't run right away, but he froze and stared at me. Usually, they will go back to foraging after a while when they have adjusted to my presence, but this one did not, so I turned my back on him for a few seconds to make him feel more comfortable. And and of course he vanished. I couldn't even make out where he'd gone from his tracks in the snow. He'd do well to be cautious as deer season is already upon us, and everyone around here will be out to bag their quota. But he's way too cute to shoot. Isn't he?

Polk County, Wisconsin