Opinions.....

[growalot]

So once again today I had a doe fawn with a button buck...same  ones that chased around my stand the other day.....Now this little guy makes me laugh and curious...for he barely has buttons and has been dogging that  poor doe around for over a week and a half...today he came in and caught the estrus I had sprayed...LOL he made such a production out of lip curling then rubbing little saplings....even did a little scrape and urinated in it...hahaha..but the whole rubbing thing......they were barely twigs and he worked it hard...the nubs... forehead.... eyes.... up and down his face..

 

So here is my question...do you think the actions of a nubbin his first rut can be an indication of the type of rack he'll display the following year?...Now I know nutrients are a huge factor..but hormone levels are as well...thus racked doe...so what are your thoughts?

[Bayou]

I don't think it will mean much. He might be more aggressive than other bucks, but I don't think any of this translates into rack size.

[Uncle Nicky]

Doubtful, he's probably a little over-sexed. It will no doubt lead to his downfall very soon.

[NFA-ADK]

I don't think its possible to tell.  If  you can identify him next year I would love to see a pic.  I think he will be more aggressive next year if no other bucks are around.  Cool story!!! 

 

Depending on how hard the winter is, spring arrival and how healthy he is when antler growth starts again, plus nutrients in what he eats will all effect his antler growth.  The stronger he is after winter and the more healthy will determine his rack size along with genetics and food.  Mild winters result in a healthy deer population and larger antler growth.   

[growalot]

He actually has a very good body size for a nubbin......I can say I have never seen one act like this ...ya.... do the sparing thing with others..but this..he's just funny to watch...he also does a head swagger like he was actually carrying real gear...LOL...definitely I believe he will give his playmates a rough time next fall...too bad I can't find any distinguishing marks on him...other than that doe he's been dogging...she is very very grey and he is a deep chocolate brown in coat color...but that will certainly change...

[thphm]

I had one like that last year, always with his 2 sisters, less then a year old with around 1" spikes he was very agressive, this year he is a little 4 pointer and rubbing just about everything.  

Edited November 23, 2013 by lurking

[Bayou]

Sounds like a stud in the making

[Catskill Hunter]

Just a horny teenager

[josephmrtn]

i suppose if your a good enough shot u could give him an identifying mark .... would hate to try that tho!

[GreeneHunter]

Sounds like a stud in the making , unfortunately he will probably during the rut timeframe be thinking with his small head (sorry) and get nailed for being stupid ... kinda like an 18 year old !

[BUCKANDAQUARTER]

Fiesty little bugger. I helped an old timer drag a 4 pt he shot about 150 yards from my stand on opening day this year. That 4 pt's antlers were rubbed over a 1/4 of the way through. It was weird as heck! He actually had little tiny wanna-be brow tines.

[Jennifer]

I had a button buck acting the same way in the woods behind my house, in September. He was this year's fawn, I 'knew' him and his sister and their momma doe (she has a distinctly lighter coat every year). He made a little scrape under my apple tree and was lickin' the branches and lip curling, the whole works. Pretty entertaining! I might have photos of it, let me check.

[Jennifer]

I did get some photos of it. The datestamp was 9/28.

 

He he is. You can actually see a faint row of spots still along his spine if you look closely. It's hard to tell from these photos but he is really going to town!

 

I should note that about five mintues beforehand, this young (but older) buck had come through and marked a lot, too. You can see him demonstrating a flehmen response (lip curling) in this photo.

 

This is a buck we named gimpy because he was born with a bum leg, but he obviously recovered. Interestingly enough he is the only antlered buck that tolerates our presence in the yard, I think because his mom used to bring him by so often when he was young!

[PWGUNNY]

Great photos Jennifer.  

[Hock3y24]

The buck I got this year was jumping in the air rubbing little trees, pretty much looked out of control. This was on October first and he was by himself.

[Bayou]

What are you using to take these pictures? Really nice quality.

[dbHunterNY]

I think that it maybe more of a determination of him being an aggressive dominant buck if he made it to a certain age of say 3.5 to 4.5 years old.  the older and bigger racked buck isn't always the one running all other bucks off.
 

on another note the only snort wheeze I've heard in the wild is from a spike horn that had 3" spikes on either side.  I got him so worked up when he was chasing a doe he was doing to same as you said.  I snort wheezed at him to try and run him off but he just did it back at me.  I think he mustered up the guts to do it because it was me in a stand and not some real life older, bigger, buck coming to straighten his butt out by putting a whoopin on him.

 

[Jennifer]

What are you using to take these pictures? Really nice quality.

 

Thanks. I've got a Canon 60D. I've been really happy with it. I took these from my deck, maybe 30 yards from the apple tree.