Deer forage for apples in a Gardnerville Ranchos backyard.
My sisters and I spent a lot of time with our grandparents while we were growing up, and one of my fondest childhood memories of being with them in their home was our Sunday night routine.
Each week, after dinner and without fail, we would all crowd into Nana and Papa’s tiny den and settle in with bowls of ice cream to watch The Lawrence Welk Show and Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom.
There was something so soothing about Lawrence Welk’s calm voice and welcoming smile, which filled me with a sense of ease. I loved the “Champagne Music” and the bubbles, the smooth dancing, and the fancy attire of the performers featured on the program. It all felt so grown-up and glamorous.
What really got my heart racing, though, was the exciting access to exotic animals and distant lands afforded by Marlin Perkins and his trusty sidekick, Jim, on Wild Kingdom. There was nothing quite like being granted a front row seat to witness the beauty and brutality of nature on that show. I am sure my fascination with the natural world was nurtured through those early exposures, and I’m grateful to have retained that interest and delight to this day.
Over the years I’ve written this column, I’ve often shared tales of wildlife sightings, many of which have taken place right in my own backyard. Our proximity to one of the numerous irrigation ditches running through the valley makes our yard somewhat of a thoroughfare for a variety of visitors, including those furred, scaled, or feathered.
As the seasons have shifted, we’ve had more frequent visits from mule deer as they seek out plant-based food sources in preparation for winter. While doing a little fall yard cleanup on a recent early evening, I witnessed something that I’d only ever seen on television before.
On the other side of the fence, a good number of deer meandered around my neighbor’s acreage. A couple of young bucks stood alongside the does and yearlings, and everything seemed peaceful until a sudden commotion grabbed my attention.
I heard a clacking noise and looked over to see the two bucks locking antlers. They snorted and pawed the ground as they jostled together, each trying to dominate the other. I raced indoors to grab a camera in an attempt to capture the moment but alas, I won’t be winning any wildlife photography awards for this sighting; by the time I got back outside, they bucks had disengaged and gone their separate ways.
The Nevada Department of Wildlife explains that bucks will fight one another for the right to mate with female deer during the “rut,” or mating season, which takes place around November in our area. After the rut ends, a buck’s antlers fall off, and he grows a new set each year (ndow.org/species/mule-deer/).
I’m still in awe that I got to see this fighting phenomenon firsthand.
Our area is rich with opportunities to observe wildlife, but if you’d prefer to watch from the comfort of home, you can always learn more about Wild Kingdom episodes (both classic and new), at mutualofomaha.com/wild-kingdom/
Amy Roby can be reached at ranchosroundup@hotmail.com.
