He grew into an eight-pointer that appeared to score around 85 Boone and Crockett. ![]() When this buck turned two his antlers were a far cry from what they would be at age six. This behavior amounted to approaching the bedded estrous doe and dominant breeding buck, hoping to tease the buck into chasing him. He also took part in breeding parties with other immature bucks. When November’s rut rolled around he often challenged the does he encountered. Most of his rubbing behavior occurred on brush and saplings less than an inch in size. His rubbing behavior was sporadic throughout the autumn months. Once he peeled velvet he began working licking branches made by other bucks but seldom pawed the ground beneath the branch. Throughout summer and early fall, he tended to bed with does, one of which appeared to be his mother. He exhibited typical yearling buck behavior when he grew his first set of antlers, in that he shied away from older bucks when encounters took place in prime feeding areas. In the area the buck lived there was a number of 2 and 3-year-old bucks and a few 4-year-olds. Once the buck reached 4 years of age, he began casting his antlers on nearly the same day each year. His largest set of antlers was grown in his 6 th year and measured 169 7/8” Boone and Crockett. Interestingly, this buck was only a 3-inch spike as a yearling. Consequently, I was able to follow him and document his comings and goings throughout the twelve years he lived. Unlike many of the deer on this particular property, the buck had a gentle disposition and never exhibited any aggressiveness toward me, even during the full-blown rut. This particular buck was one such animal. I’ve been able to imprint many whitetails on the sound of corn rattling in a plastic can. His home range featured a substantial predator population and received significant snowfall during the harsh winter months. ![]() Aside from protection from hunters, he had a normal life, complete with challenges from Mother Nature. The buck lived on an incredible piece of property in the Northeast that was off limits to hunting. This series of photos documents the life of a particular whitetail buck I photographed over a 12 year period.
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