Rutting Bucks?

While driving home last evening (1/15/07) I saw about 20 doe’s eating on the railroad tracks. Back in the woods a bit were two really nice bucks fighting. Is this normal activity for mid january?

Not sure about this late rutting but I have observed a few things. Between 1/1 & 1/3 there was quite a bit of rutting activity going on. I would assume it was the 3rd rut basically the last does and fawns that didn’t get bred the first two times.

On trail camera we get a lot of buck fighting yet. This time of year they seem to fight around food sources. Maybe it still has something to do with the rut but on trail camera we get more fighting bucks on food this time of year. It could also have something to do with many deer feeding in one area as they heard up.

I had a group of about 30 does and fawns in the woods across the creek this weekend. They looked like rats running around. I didn’t see any horns though.

big g

I have observed many late Season fights. I think it has to do with a few factors. One is competing for food source like Steil mentioned, secondly there are perhaps some early fawns that may come into cycle or perhaps a doe still unbred. But also remember, just because the does are not ready, it does not mena the bucks aren’t ready to go. They have their Testoserone levels until they lose their horns. It may not be as high as lets say November but there is still testoserone running their blood until the horns are ready drop. I have seen bucks fighting in February before.

Dream’n, Late season fighting and sparring is the number one cause of a buck to loose an antler late in the season. Last year while shed hunting I came across 20+ deer grazing in a field I sat back and watched 3 bucks go back and forth from one another fighting full bore. I was sure I was going to see an antler fall off. I watched till dark about an hour and they all had their headgear left. I could still hear their antlers chrashing as I snuck off. This was the second w-end of March!!!