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Odocileus hemionus columbianus
This stag and doe (along with the rest of their group) grazed on mountain forbs and grasses. It was a beautiful sight to behold at dusk!
Spotted on an alpine trail overlooking a valley in Mount Rainier National Park (Paradise, WA) at an elevation of around 5400'.
Delightfully, they appear un-fussed by human observers and have plentiful access to vegetation, especially wildflowers (which you can sort of see dotting the foreground in some photos). It's illegal to feed deer in the park, although they are known to approach visitors.
Spotted on Jun 15, 2019
Submitted on Jun 19, 2019
7 Comments
Thanks so much, Tukup. Good luck moving back to the US. We miss you on PN!!
Been away too much and just seeing this. Congratulations Mauna on the nomination for SOTW
Thank you kindly, Brian! Congratulations on your nominations too!
Yes, the snow was gone from most walking trails and just remained in some grassy, roadside areas and on the mountaintops. The temperature was really warm out for snow, though! It was 65-70 degrees or so, which I guess drew megafauna out in droves.
Congrats on your nomination Mauna. Beautiful images! I haven't had a chance to go there yet this year, but I'll get there. looks like the snow melted away quickly.
Thank you so much, for the nomination, Ashley!
Mark, thank you! That's a funny observation. I've never thought about it that way.
Wonderful spotting Mauna.
I'm perpetually confused by the description of 'Pacific Northwest' though. I know it's used a lot but surely if the Pacific is mentioned then it should be northeast. ;-)
Your spotting has been nominated for the Spotting of the Week. The winner will be chosen by the Project Noah Rangers based on a combination of factors including: uniqueness of the shot, status of the organism (for example, rare or endangered), quality of the information provided in the habitat and description sections. There is a subjective element, of course; the spotting with the highest number of Ranger votes is chosen. Congratulations on being nominated!