Buck wink

After sparring with the king, the three-pointer eats an apple in front of the camera, then -- just to let us know he's okay -- turns to us and winks. Click quickly through the images to get the full effect. I have to think this little guy's going far in life.

Bucks sparring

Can you believe the audacity of this little three-pointer? It's hard to believe that the eight-pointer sees him as a credible threat. You've got to admire the little man for being there at all.

Buck scrape

The buck approaches the overhanging branch and hooks it with his antler. He licks the branch and allows it to sweep across the frontal gland on his head. After leaving his scent on the branch, he scrapes the earth, arches his back, and urinates down over the tarsal glands on his back legs and into the scrape, leaving a scent profile of his dominance and sexual readiness. I usually find a dozen or more scrapes in and around the orchard during October and November. As soon as mating season begins, the bucks seem to stop coming to the scrapes.