Wowzers! That is big. I would be tempted to string lights on his antlers, but that’s probably too kitschy for your taste. Did you post a picture of your mailbox this year? I always like to see how you’ve decorated it.

Are deer really that big? What are the antlers made of?

He looks like something that children would want to climb onto, but I'm sure that would not be safe at all.

I would be tempted to tie him to a tree.

He needs a Santa hat & a little red fuzzy nose!

Is he plastic? Looks pretty good if he is! Bought some plastic steps for my dog to get in and out of my vehicle and they've been sitting in the box since it came last week. Not looking forward to putting it together.

Beautiful piece!

Wow, that is a big decoration. And yes, it really looks like a large deer, but maybe beefier in the belly. Ours are whitetail deer. Here is one that wandered in our backyard a couple of years ago. We think someone took him down that winter.

Yeah, he’d be cute with a string of lights, a hat or a red nose.

Male deer can be even bigger than that, I believe - but yeah, that's big 'un as decorations go 😀

Fun, I did decorate the mailbox cover but forgot to take a pic. It was nearly the same as last year, with an owl, only this owl was new and was animated. It's sound activated, turns its head and hoots whenever a loud car or noisy truck goes by.

Yes, made of plastic. Plastic horns, too. Thought about a red nose, but maybe some other year. I really would like to have a harness made with bells. I probably could come up with something in that line. Also remarked to my sister-in-law that it would be great to have eight of them and then have a real life sleigh to go with them! $$$$

He's a nice piece in your living room - are you sure you want him outside?

He looks a lot like one of the several that have been hanging out in my yard the last several days. Mating season must be ending because he seems quite calm and pleasant - I am not running outside in my robe to yell at him for hooking his horns into my shrubs in his attempt to attract the ladies any longer, seems to have stopped that for the year. He's become rather a nice old boy with lowered hormone levels 😊 (now that I've said that, just wait. He'll ruin something)

WOW he's quite AMAZING. Can't wait to see him with his lights--and I agree he needs at least one or two more sets.

A motion-activated owl - that’s a great addition.

That is great!!! I think he would look good with a red leather collar with bells.

Lowes (or was it Hobby Lobby?) sells a brown leather-like strap with some bells that look like sleigh bells, but the strap isn't long enough, I'd have to buy two and connect them somehow. I remember them because the straps weren't very expensive. Good idea ladypat1.

Yes, Lars, he appears to be life size; some older buck deer are even bigger.

It’s not clear where the OP lives - where I live, in a town in rural Missouri, I would put an orange hunter vest on him. (I have a friend who lives in suburban St Louis who has numerous big deer in her back yard frequently).

I live in Northeast Ohio.

Just picked up some metal tent stakes - Coghlan's, 12" at a local True Value hardware store. I think they will anchor him pretty good as long as I can pound them into the ground well enough.

I plan on placing him right up close to the house, by the tall schoolhouse door. I always have a lighted wreath on that door, too. More worried about him blowing over or coming apart! I bet people will laugh, but will see how it goes.

ETA: There are deer in the field behind me lots of times. Sometimes they run through my yard, across the road, and into another field esp. during hunting season. State Rte. 250 is just beyond and is so busy, I always fear for the deer that cross there.

I see about a dozen deer on my daily AT hikes and yours is very realistic. I would anchor him well because I'd be afraid it would get stolen.

Ive never seen one like that, at least not a decoration. Its very cool! Yes he needs to be secured somehow.

Havent seen this guy for a while, but plenty of others.

Oooo ded a piebald! We have only ever had one in our backyard in the 33 years we have lived here

Katlan, we had a couple and then no more. Heres the doe.

That is cool - a pinto deer 😀

And FWIW, when I need to secure a trellis or cage in my garden, I hammer in thin rebar stakes right next to the legs and wrap wire around them at a couple of points. Thinking tent stakes could be used similarly.

Like this;

Now I'm wondering if there are holes in the bottom of his feet? That could be another way to secure inconspicuously with a thin rod hammered into the ground.

It has one of these on each foot.

He's so big that you could hang a lighted faux wreath around his neck - the kind of lights that comes with the little battery box you can hide in the wreath. You'd probably have to use wire cutters to slice open the wreath to get it around his neck but it could be really cute at night. Or you could just intertwine a strand or two of those tiny battery-operated fairy lights into his 'necklace/collar' so it would show up at night as well.

You might use 4 of these, then - I think they're called garden staples - or tie-down stakes?

I did think about a wreath. Thanks. The jingle bell lights are battery-operated, the only thing is how to hide the box or secure it. Normally I can tuck it away amid greenery. Those are the staples I always keep on hand for garden projects and I initially was going to use those, but the ones I have may not be long enough. Plus someone (a hunter who has experience with this decoy) suggested the tent spikes I mentioned above.

You know..........I have to confess after all the fun and excitement of this I'm feeling a bit conflicted. Keep thinking of how people have been stealing Christmas decorations and I wonder if it's a good idea after all. The deer would be close to the house but I'm also close to the road. I've never had any decor stolen myself - yet - but........

bummer.

I kind of like him as an indoor decoration. You can have him looking out the window.

Maybe place one of those electronic tracker tiles on it...?

Just got curious and checked this thread- how great is that!!

Gorgeous guy! I bet you all the girl deer would swoon!

I don't suppose he can be mounted on the roof or on a porch or something and chained down?

Barring something off the ground and harder to steal I would probably keep him inside and maybe put him on a table in front of a window so he could be seen easily and fully. :-). Does his nose light up?

No "nose so bright" on this buck. But who knows (ha) in the future, if he survives this Christmas.

I've been fooling around with the string of jingle bells around his neck. I'm thinking his head isn't quite in the right position, not a snug enough fit but every time I try to adjust it the head flies off! Just gonna let it be.

Porch isn't big enough, roof would be fun but I'm not climbing up there.

Tomorrow I'm going to try and snag some guy to help pound the stakes in, a hunter would know just how to do it.

My neighbor came over awhile ago and helped me anchor "Buck". I'll have to tweak the jingle bell lights some more but I'll have them lit tonight, will take another pic. Rain and wind next two days(!). Hang on, Buck.