White-tailed Deer Rut

Photo by Stan Tekiela

by Stan Tekiela
© NatureSmart

November 9, 2014

It's autumn so that means the white-tail deer rut is on. All summer small groups of male White-tailed deer hang out together, feeding and moving about their home range, all while growing their antlers and getting ready for the rut. In fact, for these bucks, their entire life is leading up to this time of year. The drive to find a mate and reproduce often outweighs even the urge to eat and drink.

I've been following a number of male White-tails this fall, photographing them for an up and coming book. Towards the end of summer when their velvet is first pealing off they can be a bit cagy and elusive. They will work hard to stay hidden and away from other deer and especially people. But after the velvet comes off their antlers, their behavior changes dramatically. It is as if they suddenly don't care anymore and they come out of hiding.

During the summer, bucks of different size and status will hang together. When the groups break up, often bucks of similar size will hang together. They travel about in what is known as the chasing phase of the rut. The males are using their noses to find female deer. The male is ready for mating but the females are still several weeks away from her estrus time. So the bucks are chasing the does around but no mating is going on.

The big bucks wondering the most and furthest. Smaller bucks stay near the edges of the female herds. The big boys will start to fight and spar with each other. Interestingly, if a small buck approaches a large dominate buck looking to spar the larger buck will almost always oblige. They both know they are not equally matched. It's almost as if the older / larger buck has an obligation to the young / smaller to play along and show him the ropes. No real fights come between two vastly different sized bucks. I see this all the time. These are just sparing and fun and no real efforts are made to win.

Meanwhile, real fights break out only between equally sized bucks. Often the bucks who hung out together have already worked out who is dominant and there is no fighting. Fights are usually with a new buck in the neighborhood. When a new buck is spotted they approach and visually judging their opponents antler and body size. Only if they are of similar size will there be a serious challenge and fight.

Serious fights are not as common as you might think. When fights break out it only lasts a few minutes before an obvious winner emerges. Usually the loosing buck moves on to another area leaving the victor to all the does in that area.

Smaller bucks will also get involved in the pre-rut chase. They are hoping they will get an opportunity to mate but by the time the serious time for mating comes around they realize it won't happen. Nature is set up that only the strong survive and it's important that only the largest and strongest bucks pass on their genes to the new generation. This is how nature works. As people, I think we often interrupt this process sending nature down a different path. Perhaps a path it shouldn't go.

The rut is an annual "rites of passage" for nature and is an extremely important process. It must work this way in order for new generations of white-tailed deer to spawn. Often is the case, in nature the process may be difficult or unpleasant, but there is a reason for the process. If you get a chance to get out and see some of this natural process unfold in front of you it will be well worth it. Your level of understanding will greatly increase and if you are like me, you will marvel and the utter beauty of nature. Until next time...

Stan Tekiela is an author / naturalist and wildlife photographer who travels the US to study and photograph wildlife. He can be followed on www.facebook.com or www.twitter.com or you can contact him at www.naturesmart.com