custom ad
FeaturesOctober 24, 2014

I photographed this young whitetail buck as it sprinted past me at the edge of a sunflower field. It is a healthy beautiful deer with a shiny coat, but there is an indication that something has recently happened that did not end well for him. This young buck has had its left antler broken off... most likely in a skirmish with a larger buck...

story image illustation

I photographed this young whitetail buck as it sprinted past me at the edge of a sunflower field.

It is a healthy beautiful deer with a shiny coat, but there is an indication that something has recently happened that did not end well for him. This young buck has had its left antler broken off... most likely in a skirmish with a larger buck.

Receive Daily Headlines FREESign up today!

Further evidence that a larger buck frequents this area is the bark missing from the trunk of the small tree in the photo.

In late summer into early autumn, a buck will vigorously push its antlers into numerous small trees and shake its head. This activity results in the removal of dieing velvet from the antlers. The resulting scars on the small trees are called "rubs." Reasons for this action are not clear, but may include ... strengthening the deer's neck muscles in anticipation of fights with other bucks as "rut" sets in, and getting the velvet off the antlers so the antlers can mature more quickly into a harder condition.

The deer in this photo is approximately eighteen months old, having lived through one winter.

Story Tags
Advertisement

Connect with the Southeast Missourian Newsroom:

For corrections to this story or other insights for the editor, click here. To submit a letter to the editor, click here. To learn about the Southeast Missourian’s AI Policy, click here.

Advertisement
Receive Daily Headlines FREESign up today!