In most states that allow deer hunting, bucks are off limits until their racks have a certain number of points. To kill a young buck can result in very hefty fines and permanent loss of a hunting license.
It is pretty amazing. It never really occurred to me until this conversation just how unusual it is.
Since the dawn of creation, man has been fascinated by deer antlers. They are the fastest growing bone material known to man, and over a course of 120 days from late March through early August, a mature buck can grow in excess of 200 inches of bone on his head.
I am seeing spikes on young bucks earlier this year than in years past; it concerns me and I believe warmer springs and summers are effecting vegetation growth, consequently deer diet and physiology.
It is speculation on my part, but I do have a degree in biology and have been involved in environmental studies and correlations between temperature, fish populations and food organism biomass ... this regarding stream ecosystems, wild trout and primarily aquatic insect hatch intervals.
Although mammals and fish are obviously different morphological and physiologically, they are nevertheless inseparably connected to their habitats.
My two cents.
Will post pictures of young and mature bucks in the near future,
Fair exchange … flowers for photos.
Indeed a fair exchange...Nature at it's finest.
The perfect shot, Mac! Nothing makes me smile like a fawn.
I am still waiting for the perfect chipmunk!
I'll be in the woods this weekend … weather permitting, I'll look for that Chipmunk.
A second shot tells more about the fawn and my garden.
Third photo posted.
New pix … 2) and 3).
We have no access to such wildlife scenes do fawn over your photos. The first one, smelling a flower, is a smile-grabber.
We have no access to such wildlife scenes do fawn over your photos. The first one, smelling a flower, is a smile-grabber.
The fawn ATE the Coreopsis flower … but that's why I plant enough for the deer and me.
LOL - so THAT'S how you attract them. By the way, I've never seen you post a photo of a buck (although I could have missed it).
Tomorrow will post buck pix ... there are fewer opportunities since they don’t have antlers all year and are hard to distinguish from large does.
Why don't they have antlers? Are they too young? Are they targets and never get past a certain age because they are hunted?
Their antlers fall off annually and regrow during the summer.
The whitetail deer here have started growing their antlers back already, but I'm a fair bit south of Mac, so maybe the latitude makes a difference.
Wow! I didn't know that. Amazing, then, how fast they grow because what's called a "full rack" is huge.
In most states that allow deer hunting, bucks are off limits until their racks have a certain number of points. To kill a young buck can result in very hefty fines and permanent loss of a hunting license.
It is pretty amazing. It never really occurred to me until this conversation just how unusual it is.
I am seeing spikes on young bucks earlier this year than in years past; it concerns me and I believe warmer springs and summers are effecting vegetation growth, consequently deer diet and physiology.
It is speculation on my part, but I do have a degree in biology and have been involved in environmental studies and correlations between temperature, fish populations and food organism biomass ... this regarding stream ecosystems, wild trout and primarily aquatic insect hatch intervals.
Although mammals and fish are obviously different morphological and physiologically, they are nevertheless inseparably connected to their habitats.
My two cents.
Will post pictures of young and mature bucks in the near future,
I think you made a pretty fair investment, great pics for a few flowers.