Boys will be Boys

Although it is summer and the rut is still some months away bucks will occasionally show mild signs of aggression toward one another.  In this instance the smaller 10pt to the left seemed to take exception to the approach of the 8pt.

The 10pt drops his head in a threatening move while the 8pt seems to disregard his antics.

With a toss of his head the larger 8pt makes it clear that he isn't interested in a friendly sparring match.  Buck seldom sparr while their antlers are covered in velvet however as the velvet begins to dry by months end sparring will become more common.    

As the minor dispute ended both bucks relaxed looking in opposite directions.

Our National Parks have much to offer and are treasures to be passed on for generations to come.  One of the treasures of the National Park system is the availability of wildlife that is allowed to live out their lives relatively unmolested.  Only in places like this can the general public observe wildlife interaction on a regular basis instead of observing wildlife reacting to human intrusion.