Also, you can actually see the blood vessels underneath the velvet, which makes the growing antlers look pink! Their fur was soft, but their tongues were rough! I only know that because the deer used my arms like a personal salt block. I learned that deer really enjoy salt, so they were attracted to the salt on my skin from my sweat (yes, a little gross)!
When I first spotted the deer, I was excited. Even from a distance, it was shocking to see them so close. I also noticed that there were people even closer to them on the trail. As I mentioned, this is a very popular hiking trail. These deer were big and imposing, but they seemed to handle the terrain with ease. Although they were big, they were quite graceful. Anytime I see wildlife, it is always a great reminder of the beauty found in the world around us. It felt like the easiest reminder for me to slow down and enjoy the world around me. I can’t lie, when we continued to move up the trail, and the deer did not seem to mind, and we got closer and closer, I felt a bit nervous. You can never predict how an animal will react to you, so I kept my distance. However, when one of the deer started to approach me, I was feeling more uneasy. I thought, “Maybe I got too close, and I’ve somehow provoked or threatened the deer.” Thus, I froze! To my surprise, the deer just wanted to take a big lick of my arms! Letting out a breath I didn’t know I was holding, I felt such relief and joy from such a shocking turn of events.
