by Chris Thompson, producer, writer, and cinematographer of this episode–pictured above with his sons
The Friends of Schmeeckle Reserve trail cameras have been seeing a lot of deer this fall. In the trail camera pictures, often when a picture of a doe is captured, it is soon followed by a gentleman caller – a buck. Below are a few of the doe that roam the Reserve’s approximately 280 acres, and the strapping males that these ladies have their choice between.
Beautiful doe # 1
Another beauty! # 2
Below are three of Schmeeckle Reserve’s resident male whitetail deer.
Bachelor number #1 – Above we see a 6-point buck. Determining the age of a deer by picture is not an exact science. A couple of factors that go into guessing a deer’s age visually are antler size/thickness, how robust and muscled the deer appears, and if there is a noticeable belly sag (for older deer). Keep in mind there are a lot of variables such as genetics and food sources that can impact a deer’s appearance as well. A more accurate way to age deer is by examining the teeth – but this cannot be done via trailcam!
Next, we have Bachelor #2 – Though a bit blurry, one can see the little fellow has a rather tiny set of antlers. Did you know that a deer with a single pointed antler on each side is known as a “spike” buck? This young fellow is most likely 1 to 1 ½ years old. In the world of deer, this guy is unlikely to be chosen by the fickle Schmeeckle doe as a mate.
Finally, we come to Bachelor #3 – Not only does our third suitor sport an impressive set of antlers (or rack), but pay special attention to his mouth. This buck is using a special organ in his mouth to “smell” the urine of does about to come into estrous. When following a doe, the buck will often run with neck extended, head low, mouth open, and tail straight out behind. This guy is really after one of Schmeeckle’s doe!