Mating Season for White-tail Deer

A couple of our Camera Critter bloggers from Pennsylvania (Willard and Coy) often talk about the rutting season of the white-tailed deer. They spend time out in the fields looking for and photographing this yearly deer ritual. What are the odds I would be able to watch this occur in my own backyard. Not highly likely I'm sure; but it did occur this past week.

I've become particular of the quality of the photos I post but this is too good not to share.This shot was a long one for my camera so I've cropped it so you can better see the activity. I had looked out my window and saw three bucks passing by - the first this season. I grabbed the camera and quietly stepped out on the deck. These two bucks are between my neighbors house and mine. The third buck is to the right just out of sight in this shot. They didn't battle long and went about grazing on the grass.
The above shot was taken two days later on Tuesday. I took this guys picture through my living room window. He was beside my front porch eyeing the dogwood tree you can barely see on the right. If you look closely or enlarge this one you can see him licking his lips. I'm guessing those little branches were tasty. You'll also notice that three of his eight points have been chipped. I don't believe he was one of the two in the first picture; but perhaps he has been in some rutting activity of his own.
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