Ungulate Love Triangle

[logola512c]

So I was glassing a small clear cut (maybe 150 X 350 yards) the other day on the wet side, and I saw three stellar blacktail bucks in a peaceful bachelor group just feeding along side each other.   Two 3x3 and a 4x5. No does with them.  My question for all the smart deer people out there is come rut time, when they decide that they really just want to kill each other and get the ladies all for themselves, how far away will the two loser bucks go?  Or will all 3 stay in the area?  Thanks

[92xj]

Hoes before bros when the time comes.

They will battle and be split up.  How far, who knows. 

[7mmfan]

Resident lowland blacktail bucks have a pretty small home range. They will probably be in the general vicinity, but a pecking order will have been or will be in the progress of being established. The rut does weird things to bucks too. A buck that never leaves his little 10 acre home range will up and walk a few miles looking for hot does, so there is no real way to know exactly who will be where other than the dominant buck will likely be in the area he is most comfortable with that has the most does. The old saying rings true, find the does and find the bucks.

[HUNTIN4SIX]

I thought this thread was about the wdfw Colville biologists 

[dvolmer]

Another quick thought. It’s not always the 4 point that will be the dominant buck. I’ve seen smaller bucks with more piss and vinegar be the top dog.

[logola512c]

Another quick thought. It’s not always the 4 point that will be the dominant buck. I’ve seen smaller bucks with more piss and vinegar be the top dog.

Yeah...one of the 3x3 was noticeably bigger than the others.  I wouldn't be surprise if he wins out.  He looked like a small elk with deer antlers.

[logola512c]

Resident lowland blacktail bucks have a pretty small home range. They will probably be in the general vicinity, but a pecking order will have been or will be in the progress of being established. The rut does weird things to bucks too. A buck that never leaves his little 10 acre home range will up and walk a few miles looking for hot does, so there is no real way to know exactly who will be where other than the dominant buck will likely be in the area he is most comfortable with that has the most does. The old saying rings true, find the does and find the bucks.

Thanks for the reply.  Kind of confirmed what I was thinking.  I think I've seen 20+ different bucks this year (a whole bunch of spikes) while out bear hunting and maybe only a third that number of does.  Gonna be some brawling for the ladies...