Eau Deer

Moving season in Eau Claire is busy. Every street hosts helpful parents with piled-high trailers and U-Hauls. College students move into new-old houses. Barstow and its branches bustle with ice-cream-eaters (Olson’s or Ramone’s, both are lovely), and coffee-drinkers. As cliche as it sounds, the springtime brings new life ahead of the impending summer season.

I returned to a busy Eau Claire on Sunday morning after a family wedding in Minnesota, unsurprised to see a small crowd of five or six people gathered outside of my apartment building. I assumed they were a part of a move-in crew relaxing between furniture-laden trips to someone’s new apartment.

“That deer just had a baby!”, shouted someone in the crowd.

The slightly hungover and exhausted part of me dismissed the call, but the part of me that was holding my packed camera bag knew it was too good of an opportunity to pass up.

Now, a disclaimer. I can’t encourage anyone to approach wildlife, especially newborn wildlife regardless of how cute it may be or any assumed danger it’s in. In this case my 85mm lens let me keep a safe distance while still appreciating the fawn. The white-tailed new mother watched from up the hillside as I took a few photos, each of us respecting each other’s distance.

Animal control arrived around the same time I did. They were happy to keep watch while the fawn climbed the hill away from the busy street. The situation played out optimistically for every party. I got my photos, and the deer-duo made their way to safety.

Alright, enough preamble. I know why you’re here.

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Cheers, 715