Wildlife Show

Late November and early December is time for Mule Deer sparing - A
ritualized contest in which two bucks approach each other, lower heads and
carefully join antlers. Each pushing and twisting their heads trying to
drive his opponent back or push him off balance. Sparring bucks will often
disengage their antlers, lift and turn their heads laterally, as if giving
their opponent a profile view of the head and antlers. It is thought this
"profiling" may allow a buck to assess his opponent’s weaponry and to learn
his own relative size, strength, and status and allowing future dominance
interactions to be resolved visually, without resorting to potentially more
damaging forms of aggression. This match finished after the smaller deer on
the left backed up, turned and moved away, as three does watched near by.

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