Tension stalks four young deer as they browse on twigs and vines in the grove. Tails are half-raised and legs stiffened while their eyes check the woods frequently. At the first sign of danger, they will escape. A sunny mid-October morning has replaced the chill of the night. The tree crowns have thinned, and leaves of red and tawny gold rain down on the animals. Decomposing leaves give the air a sweet musky smell. Another scent rides the air; that of does ready to mate in the seasonal rut ensuring new fawns will be born in the spring. —- Later that day, as shadows lengthen, a doe and fawn, already showing their darker brown winter coat, advance along a chain-link fence restraining the encroaching woods. Stretching their necks, they pull on wild grapevine leaves wrapped around tree limbs. A sharp slope drops down on the other side of the fence into decades-old beech, oak, and maples. Coils of dense vines encircle and attach to the bark. Farther down the slope where the terrain flattens, thorny ground brush provides shelter for many animals and birds. The quiet feeding is interrupted by an eight-point buck gliding out of the woods and into their path. The doe flinches as her eyes lock on him; her fawn halts behind her. Pivoting, the wide-eyed doe bolts past her fawn, lightly scraping the corner of a building before correcting, then bounding over the fence and is soon out of sight. The fawn is left to face the buck. The youngster appears uncertain about what to do while the larger animal is staring at him. He recognizes the buck, but something is different today. Seconds go by, neither moving. The fawn takes two steps forward. Tilting his antlered head upward, the buck responds with an explosive snort. The loud sound terrifies the fawn. He dashes past the buck and leaps over the fence. Plunging into the brush, he gets entangled, then fights free and continues running. The fawn has experienced the reality of the mating season. The buck walks without haste in the direction to doe ran, pausing to grab a few of the higher grape leaves.
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