I do not see deer very often at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. A few times a year, the refuge is closed for for a few days for deer hunting, so I know that there must be plenty of deer, but they remain hidden most of the time.
On Friday I photographed a White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) at the refuge. It was part of a group of at least four deer that I spotted as they grazed alongside the trail that I was following. Three of the deer moved into the brush on the side of the road as soon as they detected my presence, but one remained in place and stared at me with what appeared to be curiosity.
I had the impression that the deer was young, though I must confess that I have so little experience with deer that I have no idea how to tell their age. The deer appeared to be in good health. Some of my fellow photographers are virulently against hunting, but I recognize that deer overpopulation is a problem in our suburban area. Periodic hunting is a viable way of controlling the population size, though I personally am not a hunter and do not even own a gun.
My goal is to capture images with my camera of the wonders of the natural world and I felt blessed to be able to spend a few moments with this beautiful creature. After a few moments of staring at each other, the deer slowly made its way into the vegetation and disappeared from sight.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
Great shot! I find that deer scarper as soon as I move, even when I am in my house and move too quickly at the window. I actually had a young deer in my backyard this morning. It was in the middle of pooping when it clearly spotted me watching it and it ran off as soon as it was done. I felt bad for interrupting its private time. Ha ha!
Great shot!
New Jersey is overrun with white tailed deer. In any given week I will easily see at least two to five white tailed crossing a roadway or backyard. The deer population in some areas of New Jersey far exceeds sustainable levels, leading to ecological imbalances. Hunting is a cost-effective method to manage this overpopulation and mitigate these issues, although there is some ignorant opposition to this approach.
I totally agree with you. Short of increasing the number of predators, which is probably not a viable option, hunting seems to be the best way to manage the overpopulation. The alternative would be for deer to starve to death or be injured or killed in multiple car accidents.