View allAll Photos Tagged BigBuck
Captured at breakfast time. Was searching for the tastiest sagebrush bush it could find.
Oklahoma Panhandle
My husband and I had watched this buck and several others for several weeks prior to hunting season. Haven't been back out to check on them lately.
Beaver County Oklahoma
Despite the 2020 white-tail rut being almost over in Colorado, the handsome, big buck thinks that he might smell something interesting.
Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge is a must see!!! Located just outside Denver, Colorado. I seen these 3 large Mule Deer lounging around with their velvety antlers. BEAUTIFUL!!!!!!!
A White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) from Willacy County, Texas.
Late November I found myself in the South Texas brush country photographing the white-tailed deer rut. I had one spectacular morning where I was able to witness and photograph several different bucks engaged in various rutting behaviors. This young buck was one of the prettiest. I captured this image shortly before he lost an intense battle to an older buck that had smaller antlers, but a larger body and presumably more combat experience. I expect this young buck learned a valuable lesson in his defeat that he will carry with him into future ruts. I like to ponder what he will look like in a year or two, and imagine that he will become a true brush country king. I think it's safe to say that his days on the losing side will soon come to an end.
This teen big white-tail buck is exploring and marking in a state park in Colorado. I grab my cameras when the snow starts falling.
(Odocoileus virginianus). Willacy County, Texas.
A handsome buck struts his stuff in the South Texas brush country.
Handsome was a top buck this year and is still carrying his antlers long after most others have shed.
It's after the rut, but these two mule deer bucks are burning off some excess testosterone. They fought hard enough that one or the other got two or three "stingers", which had one jumping away to rub off the sting.
A White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) buck from Willacy County, Texas.
During the rut, whitetail bucks are constantly on the move. They are patrolling their territories in search of does that are ready to breed, tracking them and testing the pheromones in their spoor. This is the last of my whitetail portrait series, for now, but I have plenty more images from the rut to post in the coming weeks!
This is on our property and the buck is used to seeing me but of course he is prepared to leave if I head in his direction. I refer to this buck as 'Bully Boy' because he chases all the other deer so he can pig out on the treats.
This big white-tail buck is showing his new velvet antlers. His mottled fur is transitioning to his new summer coat.
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.
A White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) Buck from Willacy County, Texas.
Another big buck visits the licking branch. To many this may look like the deer is browsing on leaves or soft twigs, however he only holds the twig in his mouth long enough to coat it with his scent. Bucks will often make a scrape directly under the licking branch, providing a one stop pheromone shop for any other deer that passes through the area.