Large stag deer comes out of forest to share this man's apples

There is a protected forest in Northern Ontario where the deer have learned that the humans will not harm them. They cannot be hunted and the people who live here treat them with respect. The deer will let a quiet observer watch them from a distance, and occasionally, the more curious will wander close to someone sitting very still. This is a delightful experience on the rare occasions when it happens.

This man has learned that sitting silently for a long time and crunching on apples will sometimes cause a deer to come close. Whether it is the sound, or the smell, it's hard to say. The deer that show up are almost always young females. On very rare occasions, they will even bring their fawns out of hiding if a person is patient and still enough.

After many afternoons sitting in this tranquil and beautiful forest, this man has seen many deer, and he has even hand fed a few. They will almost always stay back far enough that they are out of reach, but they will eat chunks of apple tossed in the grass. Until this day, Dave has only ever seen a stag (male deer) from a distance. He has never seen one come close before. As he sat and munched away, he heard the crunching of the leaves and twigs in the distance. As they grew closer, he knew it was a determined and confident deer heading right toward him. As it emerged from the trees and walked closer, Dave could see the large antlers that only bucks have. Dave had placed a few cameras around him when he sat down and the deer can be seen approaching, and also coming up to meet Dave. Apple chunks thrown in front of one of the cameras on the ground convinced the stag to go over and stand in front of the lens so we get a great view of him happily munching on apple too.

Sitting quietly in a peaceful and secluded forest is a wonderful experience, but it becomes truly magical when the animals decide to come up close for a visit. They don't often come so close to humans and when they do, it's completely on their own terms. One quick movement or loud sound would send this deer off into the trees with his tail in the air.

Who wouldn't love to sit and share apples with such a magnificent creature?