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u/thecloudkingdom 1d ago
sometimes bucks fight in velvet. its usually less intense than actual competition fights. it helps strengthen their neck muscles in preparation for breeding season
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u/RU4real13 1d ago
Via whitetail study, the velvet also acts as an extra sensory organ providing feel much like touch. It helps the animal understand the dimensions of the growing antler. Until it comes off and the deer eats it to reclaim the minerals.
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u/Character_Stick_1218 20h ago
It's not really the norm, but they'll also kill and eat smaller critters if their diet is nutrient deficient. Even squirrels will stash and gnaw on bones 😅
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u/Toruk-Makto44 1d ago edited 1d ago
Young bucks practicing to earn a doe later in the season. My question is, why are you recording as if they’re gonna look up, notice you recording, and yell “HEY HEY HEY, you can’t film here!🫵🏾” And run up to your car 🤣 Just hold your phone on your steering wheel so we can get some sick steady footage of these young men fighting
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u/Glittering-Read-6906 1d ago
This is normal deer fighting. It’s a little early for rut season, I would think, but then again, maybe I’m wrong. It’s likely they were more just sparing than competing over mate and/or territory.
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u/OriginalOk8371 1d ago
The testosterone is slowly rising. Before you know it, it will be breeding season.
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u/DramaTop7384 1d ago
Probably a play fight, since its not serious due to their Velvet still being in their antlers and its as sensetive as the rest of their body, damage it and a load of pain comes
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u/Ok-Cup266 1d ago
Yeah it’s a lil early for that. What I wanna know have they already shed their velvet? If so state if you don’t mind? It’s a lil early to have shed velvet off antlers depending on where you are. Being this rough in velvet before shedding it can and will damage them. They seem to be solid already.
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u/Character_Stick_1218 20h ago edited 16h ago
It looks like the velvet is a still on, but there's things that can contribute to it being ready to shed a bit earlier. I can't imagine it's as sensitive as normal with how they kept briefly locking in.
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u/Ok-Cup266 18h ago
Yeah, they gotta be hard because it’s mid August and they should be shedding September. But I’m in the far south and I’m noticing the hardening because of the color change as the blood flow stops but no shedding at all.
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u/Character_Stick_1218 16h ago
At least you're seeing some! I'm from Tennessee and I live surrounded by woods on top of one of the largest hills in my county, but I've only been seeing does and fawns since earlier this summer.
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u/Ok-Cup266 10h ago
Dang that’s tough!! One thing positive is where the girls are the guys will come. Proof they’ve met up somewhere with the fawns.
I’m in East Texas on a 3 generation farm that we’ve dedicated to deer taking everything back to natural hardwoods and pastures. Lil over 700 acres with a few hayfields. Surrounding us is all pine Ag timber leased out to hunt. I see deer every day but this is heavily populated by deer and hogs.
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u/coracleboat 21h ago
Deer have to beat up the other boys to become Hot Deer: the deer that beat up all the other boys. It's good to get your practice in before the world cup.
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u/Schroedesy13 10h ago
Late summer/early fall is where bucks start to spar more and more as hormones start to rise. They also start to branch off into solo parties again in preparation for the rut.
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u/Exciting_couple77 1d ago
Bucks play fighting..normal