Butt shots are rude, this is a general rule that applies in wildlife photography too. But as always in life there are exceptions from the rule. I have quite a few pictures of White-tailed Deer on my hard drive but what I didn't have until now is the shot of a White-tailed Deer with its signature element, its white tail, up in the air.
Last weekend, deep in the woods of Northern Wisconsin, a group of deer came very close to the cabin of my buddy Bryan. I stayed close to a corner of the building in order to blend in and the deer, only a few yards away, didn't seem to mind my presence for some time. Finally something spooked them and they ran away. Usually that would have bothered me but this time I just pressed the shutter and let the camera rattle with six frames per second. It was already after 4PM, the light was worse than just mediocre, and the autofocus was at its limits. I know there is room for improvement but the motion blur tells the story about a deer on the run. To be honest, I like the second image the best despite its flaws because of its story telling. Got back into the warmth of the cabin with a big smile on my face...