A Strange Yellow Loop
The young buck stood amidst tall stalks of wild goldenrod, his velvet-coated antlers framed against the overcast sky.
A thick strip of bright yellow cord was stretched taut across the bridge of his snout, hooking tightly behind the bases of his small antlers.
Every slight shift of his head pulled the binding harder against his fur, pinning his ears down at an unnatural tilt.
He blinked against the overgrown grass, turning his dark eyes toward the path where heavy footsteps parted the weeds.
A man in a dark shirt walked quietly through the underbrush, slowing his pace to an absolute creep.
Closing The Distance
Instead of bolting toward the tree line, the young buck lowered his neck and held his ground.
His nostrils flared, testing the scent on the breeze, but his four slender legs remained planted firmly in the sod.
The man reached his bare hand into the green leaves, letting his fingers brush the stalk beside the buck’s flank.
The animal flinched slightly, tilting his chin upward, but kept his body aligned with the intruder.
In the man’s right hand was a small kitchen knife, its silver edge turned upward and away from the deer’s coat.
The man slid his left thumb beneath the yellow plastic band, pulling upward to create a finger-width gap against the skull.
Working Against The Wire
The deer did not thrash or drop his chest toward the dirt.
He simply tilted his chin, exposing the soft, pale fur beneath his throat as the man maneuvered the blade.
Metal met plastic with a sharp, faint scrape as the man worked the blade back and forth across the taut synthetic band.
He kept his left hand anchored securely on the loop, bracing the cord so the pressure of the cut would not drive the steel into the buck’s forehead.
The young deer’s chest rose and fell in short, even breaths, his wide ears flicking against the man’s knuckles.
The dull yellow cord resisted for several seconds under the light sawing motion.
Then, with a crisp snap, the severed plastic peeled back from the fur.
The man drew the knife away in a smooth, low arc, keeping the blade pointed toward the dirt.
Free In The Tall Grass
The buck shook his head from side to side, letting his velvet antlers slice freely through the open air.
His ears instantly snapped back into their upright, alert position, rotating independently toward the forest behind him.
He looked directly into the camera lens for a second, his dark eyes wide and clear of obstruction.
He picked up his front right hooves, took three deliberate steps through the tangled field, and pivoted his body toward the tree line.
With a clean, springing leap, his white tail flared as he vanished into the dense green meadow.
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