Sparring this late?

[MackofallTrades]

So, I have this herd of bucks that have been cruising around the last few days.  Today, I saw a spike start butting heads with an eight pointer.  He chased the spike off in seconds.  Then, the spike started sparring with a spike who already dropped half his rack.  It was cool to watch, but had me thinking. 

Do bucks typically spar this late in the year?

Edited January 5, 2014 by MackofallTrades

[robnj]

I would say its normal . I get pics every year of sparring this late. Even get a few shed bucks bumping heads.

[Bucksnbows]

I never saw bucks in my woodlot in early December which should be the 2nd rut like I do almost every year.  But just today they began to show again.  The rut here seemed very stretched out, at least the primary rut, that is.  We should be seeing a tertiary rut right about now where does born last spring are mature enough to breed as the enter estrous for the first time.  And anytime a doe is in estrus, a buck will do what bucks will do which is fight and breed.  This is another indication our doe herd and herd in general in much of the state is out of balance.  

[nycredneck]

I had a group of four small bucks, the biggest was a small six, come by my stand right after shooting light. They were butting heads and chasing each other but I think it was just youth and energy from young deer playing more than actually sparring. Rehearsal for things to come perhaps.

[Matty]

 We should be seeing a tertiary rut right about now where does born last spring are mature enough to breed as the enter estrous for the first time...This is another indication our doe herd and herd in general in much of the state is out of balance.  

 

Wouldn't this actually be indicative of a very healthy herd, since the doe fawns are reaching breeding weight the first Fall? Meaning they were born on time and are being provided with adequate nutrition.

 

 

Unless you meant the drawn out rut or meant you aren't seeing the third "peak".

 

Which I kind of thought I saw too (the drawn out rut), but maybe not as bad as I first thought. I do think it was slightly earlier than usual. I saw a pretty defined peak around Oct. 25-28th, as opposed to usually seeing that around Nov. 6-9th or so. I also saw another pretty well defined peak around the end of November, beginning of December, which is also a tad early from what I usually see.

Edited January 5, 2014 by Matty

[Bucksnbows]

Wouldn't this actually be indicative of a very healthy herd, since the doe fawns are reaching breeding weight the first Fall? Meaning they were born on time and are being provided with adequate nutrition.

 

 

Unless you meant the drawn out rut or meant you aren't seeing the third "peak".

 

Which I kind of thought I saw too (the drawn out rut), but maybe not as bad as I first thought. I do think it was slightly earlier than usual. I saw a pretty defined peak around Oct. 25-28th, as opposed to usually seeing that around Nov. 6-9th or so. I also saw another pretty well defined peak around the end of November, beginning of December, which is also a tad early from what I usually see.

 

The deer herd around my home are plenty healthy and virtually never hunted!  They have more shrubs and grass than the law allows plus several local corn fields that are either not hunted at all or highly under-hunted.  Zone 8 as you know.  I've lived here for 15+ years now and you get to know what your local herd is doing on the same ground each year.  I didn't hunt much in zone 6 as you know because of my surgery, so I wasn't as connected to that herd which relies more on oaks than on my shrubs, lol.