Touching the Wild

Starred review from April 15, 2014
Well known for Illumination in the Flatwoods (2006), which describes his two years living with and studying wild turkeys, Hutto has also intimately observed wood ducks, bighorn sheep, and other animals. A move to an old ranch in the Wind River Mountains of Wyoming brought him into contact with the resident mule deer, and a particularly friendly doe initiated contact with him and his wife, eventually bringing her family group into their yard. Thus began a seven-year study of the deer as Hutto habituated them to his presence and was able to integrate himself into their society. Recognizing individuals allowed him to discern family relationships and to observe how the deer conducted their day-to-day lives, and by noting subtle changes in behavior, he was able to learn what they meant. Naming the deer by physical traits and their personalities, Hutto makes the individuals very accessible for readers, who not only will learn quite a bit of mule deer ecology but also care about their fate. Full of color photographs of Hutto with the deer, this companion book to an upcoming documentary on PBS' Nature will charm anyone who has ever enjoyed a distant view of deer.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)