Black-tailed deer (a subspecies of mule deer) in Northern California.
In 1995, naturalist Joe Hutto authored the spellbinding book, Illumination in the Flatwoods. Finding an abandoned wild turkey nest, he incubates the eggs and raises the brood as the mother turkey. He lives every day in the woods as a turkey, accepted as a turkey. This acceptance allows him to witness spectacles outside the normal realm of human awareness. His book is an amazing tale of animal behavior, human drama, and well researched natural history.
The book was so compelling that the PBS television series, Nature, reenacted the story in an episode titled, My Life as a Turkey. It won an Emmy for outstanding nature programming.
This April 1st marks the release of his latest book, Touching the Wild: Living with the Mule Deer of Deadman Gulch. This time Hutto is irresistibly drawn to become a member of a herd of mule deer. He spends almost seven years living with the deer in Wyoming’s Wind River mountains. His acceptance by the herd gives him unprecedented access into the hidden lives of these creatures.
The PBS series, Nature, produced an amazing episode to coincide with the book’s release. It is an amazing film, and available online for free viewing. In the film, he is asked why anyone would spend seven years living with a herd of deer. His reply, “How could you not?”
I urge you to take the time to view the episode (below) to briefly enter the hidden realm of the mule deer.
I think this episode is much better than the one about wild turkeys. What did you think of the episode?
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That was a wonderful piece of art. Both beautifully shot and endeavored. Thanks for posting this.
The film was really nicely done. I wonder how they got all of that amazing footage. Did the deer allow the camera person close as well? Did Mr. Hutto film it himself? Maybe they just filmed from a distance with a long lens? I plan to read the book and maybe it explains how it was done.
– Steve