 Photographing Whitetails  The whitetail deer is a creature of habit, and for those who learn and understand these habits, the photographic opportunities abound. Deer will often use the same trail between bedding and feeding areas day after day. Setting up  More Photography Tips Below: Getting Started / Blinds / Getting Published / Finding Wildlife / Bird Tips / Birds in Flight Duck Tips / Insect Tips / Mammal Tips / Deer Tips / My Equipment / Used Equipment Notice! Contents of this web site may not be copied or downloaded for any purpose. |
downwind
of these trails can be very productive. The breeding season of the whitetail,
known as the "rut", offers the photographer his or her best chance at getting
some shots of a large buck. Bucks begin their instinctual rutting rituals in
late September, with the peak of the rut being around November 15th. Some whitetail
does will come into their first estrus cycle in mid-October and, if they are
not successfully bred at this time, will again come into estrus 28 days later
in November. A third estrus cycle will occur in December for the remaining un-bred
does. Scouting the woods at this time of year, one will find rubs and scrapes
left by bucks. Rubs are where a buck has rubbed his antlers against a tree,
resulting in the removal of bark. I don't rely too much on rubs, other than
to tell me that a buck is in the area. Scrapes are where a buck has brushed
away leaves, exposing bare ground. Most scrapes will have 
an
overhanging branch that the buck will grab with his mouth and pull across scent
glands in his eyes. The buck will urinate in his scrape hoping to attract a
doe in estrus. I check these scrapes often because some will be freshened by
the buck repeatedly. Sitting downwind of an active scrape after a heavy rain
can be productive, since bucks seem to be anxious to freshen the scrape. Scrape
sitting has been most productive for me in the week preceding the peak of the
rut which occurs around November 15th. Most fawns will be born in late May or
early June and are quite easily approached for the first month of their life,
since instinct will tell them to lay still until the last possible moment. Never
assume that a fawn has been abandoned. At this time of year the doe will frequently
leave its fawn to bed alone. Fawns give off very little scent and their spots
act as camouflage from predators, so they are actually safer away from their
mother.