The driveway to Aunt Mel’s farm is very long. Two overgrown fence lines and large unkept pastures flank it. Leaving the woods, the deer often walk along the drive on their way to feast in the neighbor’s apple trees. Usually they move at dawn or dusk but sometimes they’re out in the middle of the afternoon.

Returning from errands, one hot summer afternoon, Aunt Mel had to slam on her breaks to avoid hitting deer in her driveway. Five large bucks were headed toward the apple trees. They stopped for a minute to make certain Aunt Mel was not a threat. Once assured, they hopped the fence in front of the truck and continued on their way.

The leader was a very large buck with a rack of at least six or eight points. The bucks that followed were progressively younger, with smaller and smaller racks. The last deer barely had a stub with two points. Their antlers still growing, soft, thick and fuzzy. In the summer, the male deer will bond and form a temporary herd, as there is safety in numbers. They live together until mating season late in the fall. The older bucks teaching the younger ones how to survive.

They five bucks were magnificent and Aunt Mel hopes to see them again.