Mule Deer (Ink Study)

Various deer and elk, who are indigenous to the area, regularly drop by. 

This petite mule deer was very shy and tried to hide behind the trunk of the cottonwood tree, while munching on some broom snakeweed (also known as rabbitbush) outside the studio window. 

Her black-tipped tail and over-sized ears (which some think resemble those of a mule) distinguished her from her cousins, the white-tailed deer, who sometimes grace us with a visit. 

She was quite interested in our cat, Frida, who watched quietly from the open window. 

Mule deer ‘chew their cud’ much like a cow, and this doe had an exaggerated ‘chew’, which I tried to capture. 

“Mule Deer (Ink Study)”, © 2013 Cathy Gazda, 4” x 4”, Pen and ink. ♥