Checkers & Mary's Adventure

Checkers and Mule doe in Mexican Standoff

On our first morning at the cabin on an early walk, Mary and Checkers flushed a large doe. Mary took off chasing it first up the hill. Soon the doe realized she was much bigger than Mary. The doe did a quick 180 turn and charged after Mary. Mary ran yipping back down the hill to us on the road.

Checkers then took up the chase and the doe fled back up the hill. Then again the doe turned quickly to faced Checkers head to head. For about five minutes there was a Mexican standoff with Checkers barking at the doe while she stared him down.

Then she stomped her front hooves (photo in mid stomp) several times and charged Checkers, who fled yipping down the hill back to us. The doe then disappeared back into the forest.

Those Eastern Sierra mule deer have zero tolerance for a single dog.

By the end of the trip, Mary and Checkers learned to gave chase together rather than one at a time.

We were laughing so hard at the whole incident, we thought you'd get a big kick out of the story and this photo. Peter had to max his telephoto lens to catch the standoff.