A Question About DEER.

[MarkV]

The wife said she looked close and could not see any signs of antlers. She has seen what are called "button bucks" around here. Do young enough bucks get aggressive before they show the first signs of antlers?

MarkV

 

[Robert_in_NY]

I would not be surprised to find it was hand raised by someone and they released it when it got too big. Deer will usually kick with their front feet if they are fighting. If she used her head it was most likely how she was raised playing with the people and animals around her.

I wouldn't rule out a fawn near by but from my own experiences on how deer react I would lean to it being hand raised by someone. If you ever have a run in with this deer and she is aggressive to you just grab her head and push it down. She will immediately try to back away (bucks do the same thing if their antlers are tender or not there anymore). Just watch her front hooves as they can hurt and kill a person if they get hit right. Another option if she rears up is to just push her back over. I have watched a buck that had his antlers removed fight off three antlered bucks and the one buck reared up for some reason and got pushed over backwards when the one rammed his stomach.

 

[MarkV]

Thanks Robert, I know you know your deer. Interesting possibility that it was raised in a domestic setting. There was one last year that seemed to be playing with our dogs. Kind of like playing chase but didn't seem scared. It could be the same one. That idea never crossed my mind.

I'll let the wife know about pushing the head down. This one was within 10 ft of the wife when tussling with the dog. I think for the next few weeks we will just leave that area be.

MarkV

 

[gauthier]

get a new string put on your crossbow,buy new arrows,and broadheads...and get even in oct.,,thats what I do..

 

[archerm3]

We live on 32 acres of mostly wooded land in NW Georgia. Seeing deer, not the tractor type, is common around our place and something we enjoy. Normally they will take off when the wife is walking the trails with the dogs but not today. There was a small doe, from what the wife says, that our "big dumb hound dog" came up on and it stood its ground. This is not an aggressive dog, I am sure it saw what she thought was a potential new friend. The wife was within 10 feet of the deer as it head butt the dog a couple of times. The dog yelped and the deer casually wander off into the woods.

Thought some of you that knew deer behavior might have a reason this deer acted so much differently than what we normally see. There were no indications that a fawn was near and the wife didn't think the deer look of the age to have one. Anyone have any thoughts?

MarkV

I'll bet there was a fawn nearby you just couldn't see it.

 

[JDGreenGrass]

Any chance this deer could be affected by CWD.?? (chronic waisting disease)

 

[MarkV]

Any chance this deer could be affected by CWD.?? (chronic waisting disease)

I was kind of wondering about disease when I posted. As far as I know CWD has not made it down this far South.

MarkV

 

[mustangsallysdad]

I was kind of wondering about disease when I posted. As far as I know CWD has not made it down this far South.

MarkV

No published (official) reports of CWD in Georgia...only one in Virginia in 9 years of monitoring. Does with fawn will head butt...they do it to force the fawn down out of sight and will also do it when they need to nurse lying down. Funniest thing is watching them when they start to wean...they will kick the crap out of the little ones. I would imagine that is when the fawns are starting to get teeth! Had to rescue this one out of the high tensile fence...he got a little tangled up. If you look closely you can see the "pedicels" where his antlers will be.