White-tailed Deer grooming gave me one of my favorite photos from a recent trip. One doe licked near the other doe’s eye, and the reaction made me laugh.
White-tailed Deer Grooming
Biologists call this behavior social grooming, or allogrooming. One deer grooms another deer of the same species.
Grooming can remove debris and external parasites from the coat. Researchers have documented allogrooming among deer living in social groups. The face, head, and neck can be hard for a deer to reach on its own.
I caught one doe reaching across and licking near the other doe’s eye. The doe receiving the attention looks straight toward me. Her expression gives the scene a comical touch.
At Sequoyah National Wildlife Refuge, I once photographed a White-tailed Buck and Doe grooming each other. The Mount Nebo scene gave me another look at the same social behavior.
Photographing Deer at Mount Nebo
I made this photo a couple of days ago at Mount Nebo State Park near Dardanelle, Arkansas. This park has always been a great place for me to photograph White-tailed Deer because I see them throughout the park.
Mount Nebo stands 1,350 feet above the Arkansas River Valley. Visitors can enjoy broad views from the Rim Trail and explore 32.6 miles of hiking and mountain biking trails. Civilian Conservation Corps crews built many of the rustic cabins, bridges, and pavilions during the 1930s.
Visitors can explore a certified Trail of Tears National Historic Trail Site at Mount Nebo. From the mountain, they can enjoy the views and learn about an important part of Arkansas history.
My main goal on this visit was to photograph the deer I found around the park. I wanted to share this grooming photo first.
The Reaction Makes the Photo
Wildlife photographers watch for brief gestures and expressions. This scene gave me both.
I like the grooming action, but the other doe’s reaction completes the photo. Her face makes me wonder how she felt about such close attention.
I cannot know what the doe thought. Her expression and the grooming behavior made this encounter memorable for me.