Today’s image is of a Whitetail Doe standing in grass covered in heavy frost. This deer was on the side of one of the service roads located at the Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge in Oklahoma.
I arrived at the refuge before sunrise and parked near the beginning of the auto tour road. I like to watch the sunrise and listen to the early morning wildlife sounds. When there was enough light to photograph, I started my drive into the refuge. During this time of year, the Snow Geese begin arriving, and I take a moment to listen to them as they land in a nearby field.
Just before the 4-corner intersection, I spotted this Doe moving across the road, leaving a field, and heading onto the service road. I parked at the entrance to the service road and lowered my passenger window to get the above image. I guess that she was heading to her bedding area for the morning after feeding in the field during the night.
As you can see in my photo, there was a heavy frost, and you can see a light layer of frost on her.
I love unexpected wildlife encounters like this one. That brief special moment with the lone doe will stay with me, a special memory of the refuge coming to life on a sparkling Oklahoma fall morning. The solitude and tranquility, mixed with natural beauty, is exactly what draws me to wildlife photography. Capturing scenes like this whitetail doe reminds me of the simple joys of wandering through nature with a camera in hand.
I’m sure glad I arrived early enough to catch the morning light filtering through the frost-covered grasses. It created the perfect opportune moment to photograph this beautiful creature in her fall refuge habitat. Wildlife photography often requires patience and resilience against the cold, but this frosted scene made braving the chill completely worthwhile.
Image Information:
- Date: 12/06/23
- Time: 08:30 AM
- Camera: Canon EOS R5
- Lens: RF 100-500mm F4.5-7.1 L IS USM
- ISO: 5000
- Aperture: 7.1
- Shutter: 1/500
- Exp. Comp.: 0
- Lens (mm): 500
- Program Mode: Manual