They’re bunching up. Deer know this time of year is the time to find food and shelter because it’s going to be a while before they can live stress free.
I was at Cross Ranch State Park earlier and lost my light down in the valley. So, I headed home, and up on top of the hill, as the sun disappeared to my back, I caught this herd barely visible in a stubble field. They stood alert, watching me as I got in to position to snap a couple of images.
Though this is my beloved “golden hour” for taking photos, on a day such as this when it’s an overcast, all the colors are muted and the image turns out “blah.” Even so, this is what North Dakota looks like in mid-October. Not my favorite kind of image — too bland, hard to pull out details.
Do you notice how colors at the end of an overcast day seem to dissolve in to desaturated, detail-muted scenes?
North Dakota 365 
The photos display how these animals blend into their surrounds. They would be nature science textbook worthy.
Tough to see, aren’t they. No wonder they’re trouble for motorcyclists at sunset.