38 NEBRASKAland • OCTOBER 2015
A herd of mule deer gather on a sandhills prairie hillside in Garfield County.
Fall's Wild Faces
Photos and story by Michael Forsberg
A
sk a seasoned hunter or
fisherman what they enjoy
most about their time afield
in the wild places of Nebraska during
fall, and their answers may surprise
you. First they may tell you about the
hunt, or the fish that got away or the
bounty they are bringing home to the
table. But almost always those answers
meander off into why they are out
there in the first place: for solitude and
solace, for the companionship with
others, and perhaps most of all the
intimate encounters they experience
with the wildlife they see.
These are some of the wild faces of
Nebraska we may experience this fall
during the most glorious of all months:
October.
Mule Deer
Mule deer are creatures that require
vast tracts of open grasslands and
live in the western half of the state.
During early settlement, they were
nearly hunted out of Nebraska but have
long since recovered to more stable
populations thanks to careful game
management practices and stewardship
of their grassland realm. During the
month of October, the bucks are
entering the fall rut. Those bucks that
are dominant begin to gather their
harems and will soon breed.
