I have never seen anything like it.
Never.
Now, before anyone reports me to the Department of Wildlife Rehabilitation, let me explain.
Around here, LSD doesn’t stand for what you think it does.
It stands for Loco Swinging Deer.
And ladies and gentlemen…
I have the photographic evidence.
It started like every other peaceful morning on the Narrow River.
A beautiful white-tailed doe emerged from the marsh.
Elegant.
Graceful.
Walking with that smooth, effortless gait that makes deer look like they invented floating.
She wasn’t limping.
She wasn’t nervous.
She wasn’t looking over her shoulder.
She simply strolled toward the water as though she had reservations for breakfast.
Naturally, I did what every wildlife photographer does.
I ignored her.
Well…
I tried to ignore her.
Truth be told, I was secretly hoping she’d wander out onto one of those little fingers of marsh grass where I’d get a gorgeous reflection.
You know…
A nice, calm, peaceful image.
Nature had other plans.
Through the magical engineering marvel known as twenty-seven pieces of Nikon glass…
Something caught my eye.
She seemed…
Odd.
Not sick.
Just…
Odd.
So I did what every self-appointed wildlife detective does.
I scanned the marsh.
Predator?
Nothing.
Coyote?
Nothing.
Bobcat?
Nothing.
Buck?
Nothing.
She turned around and calmly retraced her steps.
Everything looked perfectly normal.
Then…
It happened.
Apparently someone hit PLAY on her favorite rock-and-roll playlist.
Because she instantly transformed into the four-legged reincarnation of a rodeo bronc.
Head down.
Back arched.
Rear end skyward.
WHAM!
Both hind legs exploded into the air.
She twisted.
She kicked.
She bucked.
She landed.
And did it again.
And again.
If there had been a cowboy anywhere within fifty yards, he would’ve won the world championship.
I just stood there.
Mouth open.
Camera firing.
Brain buffering.
Now here’s the funny part.
When a deer is escaping danger, they’re all business.
Tail fully raised.
Powerful, efficient bounds.
Straight line.
Gone.
Not this girl.
She wasn’t trying to leave.
She was auditioning for Deer Dancing with the Stars.
One moment she looked like a ballerina.
The next she looked like she’d enrolled in a CrossFit class taught by kangaroos.
At one point she became so vertical I honestly wondered if gravity had taken the morning off.
Being the highly trained wildlife biologist that I most certainly am not, I began diagnosing the situation.
Predator?
Nope.
Neurological disease?
Didn’t fit.
She walked perfectly before…
And perfectly afterward.
Then it dawned on me.
Horseflies.
Deer flies.
Greenheads.
Those tiny, winged demons that make perfectly civilized creatures question every life decision they’ve ever made.
If you’ve ever been bitten by a greenhead fly in a Rhode Island salt marsh…
…you understand.
They’re basically tiny flying tax auditors with teeth.
Imagine one landing someplace…
Sensitive.
Now imagine trying to swat it…
Without hands.
Suddenly…
The Loco Swinging Deer made perfect sense.
Wildlife biologists have documented deer reacting exactly this way.
Head lowered.
Back rounded.
Violent twisting.
Explosive hind-leg kicks.
Repeated bucking.
It’s the deer’s version of screaming,
“GET OFF ME, YOU LITTLE VAMPIRE!”
From a photographer’s perspective…
This was gold.
I’ve photographed deer standing.
Walking.
Running.
Grazing.
Watching.
Sleeping.
Even politely ignoring me.
But a white-tailed doe bucking like Secretariat possessed by a rodeo clown?
That’s a first.
And probably one I’ll never witness again.
So there you have it.
A beautiful summer morning.
One unsuspecting doe.
One incredibly determined biting fly.
And one photographer lucky enough to document the entire performance.
I guess I owe white-tailed deer an apology.
Not long ago I said they needed to be doing something spectacular before I’d bother photographing them.
Apparently…
Mother Nature was listening.
And she replied,
“Hold my greenhead fly.”
I’d love to share my posts with you. If you subscribe, they’ll come straight to your inbox—most days, like a little note from me to you. It means a lot to know you’re reading along.
Browse my complete art portfolio and shop for prints at imagesbygacioe.shop
Leave a Reply