Scenes from the Rut

This buck was approaching a challenger.  His posture and attitude were enough to shoo the other buck away.

 

Since last Friday I have been out morning and evening nearly every day photographing the whitetail rut in southern Pennsylvania and Maryland.  Sometimes it has been slow while other times have been action packed and the intensity of the mating season seems to be increasing with each passing day.

When making a scrape a buck will lick and nibble at overhanging branches and also rub them over his facial scent glands.  This buck stood erect to lick and rub prior to scraping and urinating. 

 

This doe was being pursued by a buck when she stopped to urinate.  This is the does' way of informing her suitor as to her state of readiness. 

 

And the pursuing buck stops and sniffs the spot.

Here a mature buck lip-curls, testing fresh doe urine.

And it's not just the big fellows that do the lip-curl!

Sometimes the doe chasing becomes a high-speed race.

 

If you are a whitetail fan now is the time to be out enjoying the most magical time in the Whitetail's year!