“Ranger, Ranger Audra! Look! There are deer!” I lift my head from studying the ground to see four beautiful bucks, with their fuzzy winter coats and showy antlers, standing only 20 feet or so from my group of 5th graders and myself. We have been out learning about tracking animals this January morning, and I was so busy looking at the ground for signs of animals that I failed to notice if there were any actual animals around! My group comes to a stop and I do not have to ask them to be quiet so we can watch the deer- they are all silent and still, observing the bucks. The bucks are meandering through at small oak shrub area, and as they move they are picking off any leafs that are still hanging onto the bushes. Wow. I see mule deer almost everyday, but these bucks are beautiful. Their faces look gentle and their big brown eyes are kind. And those ears! What character those big ears give the bucks as the ears move independently from one another. We watch the bucks for 10 minutes or so before they begin to move farther away from us. After the deer leave, my group of students eagerly search the area the bucks were in to find animal signs. They successfully find many tracks, some hair that had caught on a branch, scat, and also small drops of blood. What a great experience for my students, and what a perfect way to learn about animal sign and mammals that live in the Pueblo Mountain Park!
