Rigors of the rut: The brutal world of the whitetail during breeding season

In the world of the whitetail, autumn is breeding season, otherwise known as the "rut." It's the time of year when bucks meet does with hopes of propagating their species.

It's also when bucks meet bucks, head on. Nasty fights do occur. These images capture some of the wounds suffered by whitetails during the rut.

I've witnessed roughly a dozen dominant buck fights in my life. These are neither sparring competitions nor playful tests of strength, which you often find with immature deer. These are knockdown drag-out confrontations, fights to the death if either animal should be afforded the opportunity.

The bloodiest buck brouhaha I ever saw was on a dreary November afternoon a few years ago. During the course of a 10-minute fight, four antler tines were broken between the two combatants. One buck was left with watery blood dripping from the corner of its mouth. The other had a gash below his right eye. The outcome appeared to be a draw — an unusual occurrence — ending only when both bucks walked away, mouths agape and gasping for breath.

During the November breeding season, mature whitetail bucks loose as much as 30 percent of their pre-rut body weight while pursing does and fighting competing bucks. Wounded or not, they're left to face winter in poor condition, an especially dangerous situation should deep snow and prolonged cold prevail.

Bill Marchel, an outdoors writer and photographer, lives near Brainerd.