King of the Thornscrub
A White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) from Willacy County, Texas.
If the buck I posted the other day was a prince, than this is the king. This huge buck with chocolate colored antlers was one of the most striking deer I've seen. He can be seen here in the flehmen response. When a buck detects the scent of a doe's urine, he will curl his lips back in this manner and pass the pheromone laden aroma through his vomeronasal organ. This organ then analyzes the scent to determine if the doe that passed by that spot may be approaching estrus. This information likely helps guide a buck's movement during the rut. Since does are only in estrus for a brief window, it is important for a successful buck to seek out does that are nearly ready to breed in order to maximize his reproductive effort.
King of the Thornscrub
A White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) from Willacy County, Texas.
If the buck I posted the other day was a prince, than this is the king. This huge buck with chocolate colored antlers was one of the most striking deer I've seen. He can be seen here in the flehmen response. When a buck detects the scent of a doe's urine, he will curl his lips back in this manner and pass the pheromone laden aroma through his vomeronasal organ. This organ then analyzes the scent to determine if the doe that passed by that spot may be approaching estrus. This information likely helps guide a buck's movement during the rut. Since does are only in estrus for a brief window, it is important for a successful buck to seek out does that are nearly ready to breed in order to maximize his reproductive effort.