The Dry Side of Winter

As fall turns to winter in the mountains, the sense of impending snowstorms is in the air. After a summer of grazing, the mule deer feel the change and know it’s time for their annual migration from higher to lower elevations on the mountain range. Their coats have changed from the orange/yellow of summer to gray.

I live in a mule deer range and have them in my yard all the time,” says artist Rod Frederick on the subject of his latest fine art limited edition. “Although the bucks become scarce during hunting season, I chose to show a buck and doe in this scene. They’re fascinating to watch and I wanted to show the seasonal migration in this painting. The buck is in full glory, his antlers at full growth. He’ll shed his antlers in the late winter and they’ll start growing again the next spring, each year growing progressively larger.”