Doe and Buck bedding close

[mac]

IS it a little odd to see a mature doe already bedding close by a 3+ yr old buck.  I first saw them together last  Nov 11.  And then last week i started seeing them bedded with 10-20 yrds from each other and occassionally up and eating together. Since they both have a few years on them , you think she may be on an early estrus cycle and he knows the drill by now ? saw them 3 times together over last week.

[sampotter]

Sounds like it. How do you know it was the same buck and doe from last year?

[mac]

_{I know the dozen or so deer that are in this specific property tract. The bucks are easy to identify and this particular one has had the same large rounded spiny 6pt headgear for last few years. you can also watch his body grow like clockwork every sept/oct. the few others are all in the 1 1/2 & 2 1/2 yrs old range. (spike, 2 -4 ptrs , and a real odd looking 6pointer rack that could never be mistaken for another buck) and the doe has a very distinct long face.  After seeing the same population all year-every year , it is somewhat easy to ID the older mature ones. thats what leads me to believe they have early chemistry and she may be his first to breed.}