"A Sand County Almanac"

"THERE ARE SOME WHO CAN LIVE WITHOUT WILD THINGS AND SOME WHO CANNOT."
"FOR US IN THE MINORITY THE OPPORTUNITY TO SEE GEESE IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN TELEVISION.".....Aldo Leopold




"LOOK DEEP INTO NATURE, AND THEN YOU WILL UNDERSTAND EVERYTHING BETTER".....Albert Einstein


“Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature’s peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you and the storms their energy, while cares will drop off like autumn leaves”.....John Muir


Saturday, October 20, 2012

The Pre Rut Phase of the Whitetail Mating Period

Each passing week brings us closer to the rutting season, or rut, of the whitetail deer which usually gets underway by the second week of November.  During the pre rut bucks spend a lot of time checking for does that might be in estrus early…



 

They begin to leave their bachelor groups and test their strength against each other by sparring.  Sparring is one of the ways that bucks determine their status in the herd…

 
This four point buck has a glint in his eye that says that he wants to spar with the three point buck...


 

 
The young doe fawn shows no interest in the bucks.  Her attitude towards them will change greatly in just a few weeks...

 
Mature bucks that normally are cautious and nocturnal become more active, and visible, during daylight hours making them more visible to hunters and photographers…
 
 
 
I don't know what the doe in the next photo is communicating but it may be annoyance with the spike buck that is following too closely...
 
 
 The next photo is the only one taken in the morning which accounts for the difference in the light quality...

 
In this photo the eight point and the spike buck may be "checking out" the doe...
 
 
This buck is surrounded by does and fawns.  The piebald is a button buck I have been seeing frequently.  I hope to watch him grow into a mature buck over the coming years...
 
 
Many fawns are often seen alone as they explore farther away from their mothers…

 
As the last photo demonstrates, sometimes deer can be difficult to spot even when they are standing in plain view...
 
 
Thank for stopping by, stay well and come back soon.
 



1 comment:

  1. A lovely serie from the beautiful animals.
    Greetings Bets

    ReplyDelete

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