Mule Deer are so named because their ears are like mule’s ears…big. Because they are so large, Mule Deer use them to advantage to alert them to danger that might be near them. Whenever we stopped our vehicle to photograph them in Theodore Roosevelt National Park, they were atuned to our presence and their ears acted almost like antennae moving this way and that to pick up on sounds that indicated whether they were safe or needed to run. When they stood alert with their ears facing forward, they had an irresistably cute look about them. This was a morning photograph, the sun still low on the horizon, creating a nice rim light around the deer’s ears.
