Herd of White-tailed Deer At Veteran Acres Park

This is the largest herd of white-tailed deer that I've ever seen in this northwestern suburb of Chicago. About 24 of them, in two large groups, converged upon Veteran Acres Park on February 13, 2011.

They grudgingly tolerated my advances, occasionally dashing off to eat in peace. I suspect the deer had come the park to nibble on trees because more than 20 inches of fresh snow had recently fallen, burying their food sources in the fields and open areas outside of Crystal Lake. At the end of the video, one young deer approaches me. It was so close, that I actually had to step back to shoot photos because my zoom lens has a minimum focus distance of about four feet. Some of the deer in this area are regularly fed by people living near the park, so it might have been looking for a handout.