Why are these deer doing this?

[mnop308]

I did not put up my camera until late in the season. Off just this one camera, I have over a thousand pic over a two week period (30 sec. interval, I love watching the shows).

On this date, 12-26-09, I had just poured #50 of corn in the lane in front of the camera about 5:30 PM. The big deer, a 12 point if you count the stickers coming out of the bases below the brow tines, came out about 8:00 PM and just stood in that same spot until the picture shown at 8:28 PM. After he did this he stayed around with does an other bucks for almost an hour. Very peaceful, everybody was just eating.

The second picture is of a little 4 point who came out about 11:15 PM and he had his head down and mouth open, looking like he was grunting. The next picture he looks relaxed, then this picture of him doing the same thing as the 12 point in about the same spot, looking the same way.

What does this behaviour show? Any ideas anybody?

 

[CZowner07]

the 2nd one is part cat.


Seriously I have never seen a deer do that and we have almost 1000 pictures just from this year.

 

[shoalsfugro]

Rut other male maybe in area

 

[gunut]

Is there a scrape or rub next to that tree. Looks to me like they are marking territory. What area is this?

 

[mnop308]

There are rubs and scrapes all over the place. There are a bunch of does who feed here, but the photos at the time show the boys and girls just lounging around eating. No pressure.

The peak time here is in mid November. I took a 7, 8, and 9 off this stand over a two week period, with the 9 being the day after Thanksgiving. After that the boys quit comming out in the daylight.

Where is it? It is in the woods, and I am not telling where.

I have been putting the wife on the stand, hoping one of the big boys screws up and comes out during the day.

Here are some pics of the boys getting along.

This is a pic of an 8, 5 and the 12 just hanging out eating.


This is the 8 and 12 sharing a snack.

 

[CrkdLtr]

First two pics looked like both bucks were taking dumps.

 

[mnop308]

That was my first thought, but I don't think so. Strangley enough, I don't find turds in the lane where I pour the food. Maybe the coons are eating it.

 

[charliepapa]

Do deer projectile-urinate to mark territory like cats do? That would explain the posturing as well as both of them posing in exactly the same spot.

 

[penguin]

I was thinking the same thing about them urinating. Was it the exact same spot?

 

[highstandard40]

That looks like the posture a deer takes when urinating in a scrape. That position allows the urine to pass over the tarsal gland on the inside of each hind leg leaving their scent.

 

[gunut]

Where is it? It is in the woods, and I am not telling where.

I asked what area it was in, so I could help determine the rut times. I don't care exactly where it is.

 

[Hitman]

Looks like they were both urinating on a scrape imo.

 

[CZowner07]

There are rubs and scrapes all over the place. There are a bunch of does who feed here, but the photos at the time show the boys and girls just lounging around eating. No pressure.

The peak time here is in mid November. I took a 7, 8, and 9 off this stand over a two week period, with the 9 being the day after Thanksgiving. After that the boys quit comming out in the daylight.
Where is it? It is in the woods, and I am not telling where.

I have been putting the wife on the stand, hoping one of the big boys screws up and comes out during the day.

Here are some pics of the boys getting along.

This is a pic of an 8, 5 and the 12 just hanging out eating.


This is the 8 and 12 sharing a snack.

When not in rut the deer will come out when the deer is between 11 and 1 (like if your looking at a clock with 12 being when the moon straight up over head). This is most likely the time you will see them because that is feeding time. When the rut is going on there is no telling when the bucks will come out. They aren't worried about eating, they are worried about getting some. When the bucks get the urge to rut, and they smell a doe, they will go looking and THAT is when they slip up and you get to shoot them. Last year when my dad and I killed our bucks, they came out exaclty at the feeding times, but it was about 4-5 weeks before the rut, so the does weren't even begining to fall into heat.

 

[CZowner07]

Looks like they were both urinating on a scrape imo.

Didn't think of that. That is a very good possibility. But man thats some nice deer good luck in getting one!

 

[mnop308]

Gunnut, not trying to be a smartass. Area 2, North of I-20. See my location. It runs pretty much along what LDWF says for rutting period.

CZ, almost every rack I have collected has come between the 2nd and 4th week of November. It is VERY rare to see antlers during December. No rub or scrape there. They are further off the lane along the travel routes.

 

[CZowner07]

Gunnut, not trying to be a smartass. Area 2, North of I-20. See my location. It runs pretty much along what LDWF says for rutting period.

CZ, almost every rack I have collected has come between the 2nd and 4th week of November. It is VERY rare to see antlers during December. No rub or scrape there. They are further off the lane along the travel routes.

You must be further north where the rut is earlier. I am in Area 6, south of I-10 where rut usually starts around the 1st full moon the last week of December-first week in January. I went hunt last wednesday and there were a doe, a 3 pt and a 4pt eating together and the little bucks weren't paying any attention to the doe, but when a different group of does came those little bucks went crazy. They were chasing the does and it was fun to watch. On our lease it is 8pt or better OR 3.5 yr old deer that are less than 8pts. The rut around here just started.

 

[rhettro]

This is how a buck masturbates.

 

[shoalsfugro]

You must be further north where the rut is earlier. I am in Area 6, south of I-10 where rut usually starts around the 1st full moon the last week of December-first week in January. I went hunt last wednesday and there were a doe, a 3 pt and a 4pt eating together and the little bucks weren't paying any attention to the doe, but when a different group of does came those little bucks went crazy. They were chasing the does and it was fun to watch. On our lease it is 8pt or better OR 3.5 yr old deer that are less than 8pts. The rut around here just started.

What club CZ?

 

[gunut]

With the colder weather this year all areas experienced an ealier than usual rut period. Even the second rut will be earlier.

I am also in area 6 our rut started in late Nov., it usually starts in early Dec.

 

[fastmover]

they are "flexing" on you, your pretty much their bitch now.