Brotherly Love!

Although the rutting season has passed, the males are still sparring, like these two young males.

This sparring is more for sizing each other up and practicing. Full out dominance fighting is seen more with bucks over 3.5 years old and with bucks from outside their range, where it can turn quite violent.

These young bucks are probably 2.5 years old, as their antlers are even with their ears.

This week, we had three larger males, who are at least 3.5 years old, in the area, grazing together.

One male was off to himself,

while the other two were very friendly and affectionate with each other and even licking one another.

Usually the subordinate male licks the face and forehead gland of the recognized dominate male, which usually occurs before or after a sparring match.

Note their dark stained tarsal glands inside their back legs.

Except during rutting season, males usually spend time together throughout the year, away from the females, who can be bossy.

I wonder if these are the twins from July of 2011?

In Hot Pursuit!

It has been a very active rutting season this year, starting in early November. On a rainy, dreary, cold day, we caught sight of a large buck in pursuit of a doe, that lasted over an hour.

What was remarkable is that the doe actually hid from him in the meadow. 

As the buck was rampaging around, she ran to the meadow and ducked down. After he had slowly searched for her in the meadow, walking right by her, he eventually gave up and left. 

She then raised up very slowly and carefully looked around. 

When she felt she was in the clear, she then slowly walked away, looking attentively all around her the entire way.

Also, surprising, was that a young buck suddenly emerged from the meadow shortly after she left, running away from all the action.  Clearly, he was steering clear of the dominate male, too. 

The next morning the dominate male had settled down and had paired with a female, 

who was eating nearby.

Although the photos are not sharp, as I was shooting through tinted windows, I still wanted to share these interesting observations of deer interactions and behavior.