I spotted a hilltop white-tailed buck after spending more than an hour waiting for wildlife at a pond. This happened one morning during my camping stay at Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge in Oklahoma. I had gone there hoping to photograph animals coming for water.
Waiting at a Low-Water Pond
I parked at the historic Ingram House and took a short hike to a pond I had scouted last summer. Google Maps did not show a name for it.
The pond held little water when I arrived. The area had been in a terrible drought, so I sat nearby to see what might come for a drink.
After more than an hour without a visitor, I decided to walk farther into the refuge. I found no wildlife to photograph along that short stretch and headed back toward the pond.
Photographing a Hilltop White-tailed Buck
On the return walk, I spotted a white-tailed buck watching me from a hilltop. I could see its head and large antlers above the ridge.
I took a few photos from where I stood. I knew the distance and limited view would keep me from getting the kind of deer photograph I wanted. Still, I wanted to give readers a sense of the surrounding area.
The rocks and grass around the buck help show the terrain I was walking through that morning.
I also photographed another buck in a different area of the refuge during a morning encounter with deer and elk.
One More Wait Before Returning to Camp
After photographing the buck, I returned to the pond and sat for another wait. A refuge employee arrived on a tractor and began working nearby.
I left the area and headed back to camp. I had hoped to photograph wildlife at the water, but the buck was the encounter I came away with.
The photos are still beautiful even when far away and uphill, I would have loved being there and seeing that. Thank you so much for sharing your wonderful talent.