post-rut meh

[fishnfur]

Rut action is over.  The young three-point made one last showing on the 8th of December, a full month later than I normally have rutting bucks in the yard.  Weird year all the way around. 

I get my jollies now by watching the comings and goings of deer I've never captured before.  The apple trees seem to make an easy meal for young deer in December. Mature deer don't use it, for reasons I'll never understand.  Every year, a new spike or two make my yard their home for a month or so, which is the case this year too. 

Here's a couple of what I believe are fawns that became sexually mature in time to grow a set.  The one with the bent spike I started seeing maybe three weeks ago.  The spike/button (sputton?) buck showed up for the first time three days ago.  The two seem to travel together now.


Lastly, this tiny fawn showed up about three days ago as well.  Her mom has been coming and going for a month or so, but this is the first showing for the little one.  Mom's not a hell of a lot bigger than her.  Mom is either naturally small or is possibly just a 1.5 y/o doe that became sexually mature very late last year and was bred in January/February, depending on how old you believe that fawn is.  She's not much bigger than the fawn.

[elkboy]

Thanks for sharing! It is so awesome to watch deer throughout their year, not just in the fall.

[pd]

Sputton buck, eh?  I like that new term.  You must be suffering from cabin fever awfully early, my friend.   

"The apple trees seem to make an easy meal for young deer in December. Mature deer don't use it, for reasons I'll never understand."  Great insight, F&F!  Now that I think about it, I notice the same thing.  So what happens with the mature bucks?  Don't they want an easy meal, even late into the night??

[fishnfur]

Sputton buck, eh?  I like that new term.  You must be suffering from cabin fever awfully early, my friend.   

"The apple trees seem to make an easy meal for young deer in December. Mature deer don't use it, for reasons I'll never understand."  Great insight, F&F!  Now that I think about it, I notice the same thing.  So what happens with the mature bucks?  Don't they want an easy meal, even late into the night??

Exactly!  It makes no sense at all, and exactly why I will never really understand them.  A mature doe did come into the yard a couple days ago at 4 PM.  Otherwise, just babies.

Not cabin fever - bad back sucking the life out of me.