During the rut, whitetail bucks will often fight over a doe-in-heat. But there are instances when a rutting buck is so aggressive that he’ll fight another buck simply to sort out dominance, even though a doe-in-heat isn’t nearby.
I think that’s what happens in the 17-second Facebook video below. It appears to be a suburban neighborhood, based on the proximity of the house next door and the sidewalk. There must be woodlots and/or swamps nearby that are home to whitetails.
As you’ll see, someone has their 3-D archery target (GlenDel Buck model) set up against a wooden fence. Safety note: I have no idea if someone shot at the target with it placed in this position. Even with the fence, it seems unsafe to me with the house so close on the other side of the fence.
Check out the body size of this rutting buck! In terms of antlers, the buck has a big frame, but he’s only a 4x2. I suspect he broke off his brow tine (G1 in Pope and Young scoring terms) on his right antler, as well as his G3. In other words, I think he was a symmetrical and wide 4x4 before he lost those two points in a battle with another buck.
It’s clear this massive-bodied buck hasn’t lost his desire to fight. Had his rival been a live whitetail, it’s easy to see how bucks can die in these battles. Nasty!
Click here to watch the intense 17-second video. (Unmute the video if you want to hear the music.)
