Bachelor group sparring in late January

[Buckstopshere]

Bucks back in their bachelor group, testing for dominance at the zip-tied overhanging branch. 

[Cabin Fever]

Cool pic! 4 degrees too! Brrrrr! 

[nyslowhand]

Interesting! Never would have thought the bucks would be exhibiting that behavior in late Jan!??!

[dbHunterNY]

as long as a doe is in heat or going to be bucks will keep their testosterone levels up and not shed.  probably enough late cycling doe or fawns up to weight.  it's been pretty mild winter in general so far.

[Buckstopshere]

as long as a doe is in heat or going to be bucks will keep their testosterone levels up and not shed.  probably enough late cycling doe or fawns up to weight.  it's been pretty mild winter in general so far.

 

Maybe so, but I have seen no evidence of rutting in this area (bucks trailing does, flehmening, lockdown, etc.) Buck sparring is simply bachelor group pecking order establishment and challenge. Interesting that often there is a spike buck, or a yearling toady, that is close too, sometimes even locking horns with its bigger brothers at the same time. A couple more photos of the skirmish.

[Lawdwaz]

Buckstopshere................

 

I read your article in the current NYOutdoor News about the zip tied branch and how the little bullies push the big boys around. 

 

I think I'll try it regardless, some spots need some action BADLY.

Edited January 24, 2016 by Lawdwaz

[rj23nyr]

I saw a group of three on Jan 17 and two of them were sparring. The third was missing one of his antlers. Saw them trailing some does later on

[Buckstopshere]

I didn't get these guys sparring, but on another hunting property, another bachelor group showed up at the zip-tied overhanging branch.

[Buckstopshere]

I have history with the one-sided buck in the above photos. Here he is in late September at another zip-tied overhanging branch on the same property. I hope his "one-sidedness" was caused by an accident while he was in velvet or shortly after and not due to an accident on one side. He will be a nice buck next year.

[Doc]

BSH-

 

That may be a spot (or somewhere nearby) to check out for sheds. All that pushing and shoving might just loosen up some antlers, or knock them off right there.

 

Wouldn't it be great if you got a picture showing one of the antlers flying off ....Lol. One in a million odds, but it sure would be a great picture.

[LET EM GROW]

awesome!! even better being daytime photos! i love late season when the bucks are grouped back up. some pretty cool pictures can be captured, i get sparring pics quite often as well.. 

 

The year stamp is wrong, Here is (3) good bucks sparring, they did so for about 1 minute, until the smallest backed down and the bigger 2 went at it for about 10 more minutes..

[genesee_mohican]

Here's another zero F day in January that has the bucks pushing each other around.

 

 

[Buckstopshere]

BSH-

 

That may be a spot (or somewhere nearby) to check out for sheds. All that pushing and shoving might just loosen up some antlers, or knock them off right there.

 

Wouldn't it be great if you got a picture showing one of the antlers flying off ....Lol. One in a million odds, but it sure would be a great picture.

Good idea. I will concentrate there, but I worry too much of my scent there will spook them away too.

A few years ago at the end of muzzleloader season, just at dusk I watched a nice buck run out into a corn field while I was dragging out a doe. So I used the hill and corn for cover and got within shooting range of the buck. All of a sudden it shook its head and threw off an antler! I watched it spin through the air. That next morning it was below zero, bright sunshine. I looked and looked and finally found it. This is the photo I took. I got the other photo with the does framed in the bucks antlers the other day...thought it was pretty cool too.

[Buckstopshere]

Still at it in February. Another buck group.

[Buckstopshere]

Here are a couple shed bucks that are still at it, under the bouquet of licking branches. Funny how one buck "boxes" the branches. Here are a few photos in the sequence, there are over 100.