The air is getting cool, leaves are changing and camo is coming out of the closet, which means a stir is running through the males of one of America’s most popular wildlife species.
Whitetail bucks are getting ready to get it on.
Mating season, called the rut, runs from mid October to mid November in Northern states, which coincides with the start of most state’s deer season, the most popular hunting season in the US with over 11.4 million licensed hunters in the US, according to Hunter Experts.
Hell, I even got the first day of rifle season off from school, which I didn’t realize was weird until I met people from the city. Just goes to show how big of a deal this is.
But as those bucks are on the prowl for some single does, they tend to get into a few fights with other bucks doing the same. Whether it’s over territory or a specific doe, these can be some epic showdowns with severe consequences for the loser if he doesn’t back down quickly.
A trail cam in Michigan happened to capture one of these fights that happened just a few days ago, with two large bucks squaring up and putting it all on the line.
The fight goes on for a few non-stop minutes, with both getting their fair share of hits in. The ruckus also seems to have called in some other deer in the tree line behind them.
Good luck to all the hunters out there.
If you’re in Michigan, there’s at least two good ones waiting for you…
