Young Bucks and Fall Leaves

Sun Feb 05, 2012

During my five days and four nights of staying at Brent's Alabama hunting camp the cool air had started to turn the leaves spectacular fall colors marking the beginning of colder days and fine fall weather. Unlike many other animals that hear the "call of the wild" mating season in spring, this signals in the the rutt for young bucks as does become ready for reproduction and the mating rituals that get the male deer or "bucks" ready and reering to go.

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Bucks in Rutt

The trees in fall are full of splendor with yellows, oranges, greens and even purple in the canopies. It was often difficult to focus on photographing the deer when the nature around you was exploding with vibrant colors or turning leaves and dropping acorns. The woods were truly alive and changing on a daily basis as we went into the hardwood hamocks in search of buck deer or large does with families of yearlings.

I managed to photograph a buck in full run one evening as I sat in a shooting house that will be used later this year when gun season opens in the middle of November.

Bucks go crazy with love sickness when does go in heat during the rutt. During our few days in the woods, we witnessed the starting of the rutt and bucks were chasing the does for a chance to engage in some mating and dominance over the younger bucks at hand. It was unusual to see this and Brent had one buck run swiftly by him as he entered his stand one evening in pursuit of an attractive doe.

Every afternoon and night we spent time cooking or sleeping at the hunting camp. Spending hours in the woods made us hungry and ready for a rest. [continue...]