Young Stags Sparring

by Sharon McConnell

Title

Young Stags Sparring

Artist

Sharon McConnell

Medium

Photograph - Digital Art, Photography, Photo Painting, Digital Textures

Description

Two young white-tailed deer stags are practicing competitive sparring during the rutting season. They were in an open area close to my home, and I watched them go through several rounds of playful sparring. They are still young, and one is a bit larger than the other; possible siblings from the same doe, of different years. A dominant 10 point buck, possibly their father, was not far away, at the edge of the woods. I look forward to November each year, as that is the only time I see the Bucks out and about. The rest of the year I only see does, fawns, and yearlings. Photo image captured in central Ohio, USA.

There are several behaviors associated with the rut. Rutting behavior typically begins around the time that velvet is shed from the antlers (coinciding with decreasing day length and increasing testosterone levels) and ends when antlers are shed (coinciding with declining testosterone levels). The first sign of rutting behavior is often sparring among bucks. Sparring may take place between bucks of equal stature or between a dominant and subordinate buck. Initially, these are usually short-lived, low intensity, pushing and shoving matches. These sparring matches may help establish the dominance hierarchy among males. As the peak of the breeding season approaches, sparring matches may give way to full-blown antler fights. These generally take place between bucks of similar hierarchal status.

The white-tailed deer is a species belonging to the Cervidae family, the Capreolinae subfamily, and the genus Odocoileus.

Copyright 2019 - Photo Art by Sharon McConnell; all rights reserved.
Note: Watermark in corner will NOT appear on any purchased items.

Awards:
"Photo Of The Day" for Partners Theme,
- 02/15/2022 / USA Photographers

Honored to be Featured in these Fine Art groups:

Animals - 11/10/2019
All Art And Photography - 11/10/2019
Your Story Of Art - 11/10/2019
Photographic Camera Art - 11/11/2019
Art Submissions To PKA - 11/12/2019
Photo Manipulation - 11/12/2019
Topaz Photo Renderings - 11/12/2019
Arts Fantastic World - 11/13/2019
Global Artists Gallery - 11/13/2019
Images That Excite You - 11/13/2019
The World We See - 11/13/2019
Just Perfect - 11/14/2019
Wisconsin Flowers And Scenery - 11/4/2019
Digital Art And Photography For A Simple Imagination - 11/19/2019
Midwest America Photography - 11/20/2019
New FAA Uploads - 12/3/2019
Artist News - 12/5/2019
Lady Photographers & Artists - 12/5/2019
Our 4-Legged Friends - 12/05/2019
Camera Art - 12/16/2019
Wildlife One A Day - 12/18/2019
The Niche - 12/20/2019
AAA Images - 01/02/2020
Go Take A Hike - 04/2021
USA Photographers - 02/15/2022

Uploaded

November 9th, 2019

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