Situation Update
It has not been a good week for posting, or visiting blogs. I had two video projects to complete and one of my best friends was in the final stages of an extended battle with cancer. He passed away late Wednesday night and services are scheduled for tomorrow. I spent most of Wednesday afternoon with him and it was a difficult time.Also this may be the last post for some time as it is almost time to go to the elk range for a two-week trip to videotape and photograph the rut. Benezette store is currently out of stock on the elk video, but they should have a new supply by Monday.
The Whitetail Bucks-Shedding Velvet
In most cases the shedding of the velvet is completed in a day or so, but this buck is an unusual case. He is the deer that had the vines tangled in his antlers in the previous post. On that day he was aggressive and rubbed his antlers against anything he could find to dislodge the velvet, but then he stopped doing that and surprisingly much of the velvet is still on the antlers as of this morning.
On the other hand the first buck pictured in the last post which has small drops of blood showing, completed the process in one day. When I next saw him, his antlers were completely bare and he was showing signs of aggression toward the other bucks.
He is too small to be a serious contender in fights, but he should do quite a bit of sparring with other bucks of his size class in the weeks to come, unless he is killed by a poacher or by a junior hunter in the upcoming archery season.
17 comments:
So sorry to hear about your friend - a good friend is so hard to lose...Will miss your posts, but hope all goes well. THese are, as always, wonderful photos. I loved all except the last sentence.
Willard, I am very sorry to here of your loss.
I can't waitfor the DVD to come out on mail order, I have been looking forward to it for some time.
Enjoy the rut, I will be shooting it along the Madison River and Tetons at the same time. I did schedule a few post while I was gone to keep people comming back.
As always the photos are fantastic and the text informative. I hope no one gets the young buck this year. May the poachers all run out of gas and the juniors arrows not fly straight, LOL.
Good luck up north.
My condolences for the loss of your friend.
Wonderful portraits of the young bucks!
And may the poachers be caught and the archers run out of luck!
Cheers, Klaus
Willard: The loss of a friend is very hard, especially to Cancer. Stay strong for the family and best wishes on your Elk trip.
Willard : My sincere condolences for the loss of your friend. May his soul rest in peace.
Good luck and best wishes for your Elk range trip.
Willard, I am very sorry for the loss of your friend!
I am sorry to hear about your friends death. Glad you got to spend time with him before he was gone.
She made it to the woods, let’s hope she will survive and not be dinner for the coyotes Oh Willard I am so sorry about your friend
Cancer is such a dreaded disease, many survive, and many go ON to the other life…
Good luck on the Elk Range what an exciting time I feel sure
Hope the Young Buck gets through the season to learn more about VELVET etc.
Sad news here, the other day I was mowing up around the barn, a Doe was struck on her left right rear leg, it was totally shattered. She came around the corner to seek solace in the woods and saw me…she semi freaked.
I saw your blog and found a piece of history your camera recorded. It is a blink, stopped dead-still, exposing a moment in time the beauty you saw in the young deer. I don't even want to think about the death sentence if you are born a deer.
Abraham Lincoln
Brookville Daily Photo
My heart goes out to for the loss of a dear friend... I will keep you all in my thoughts and prayers..
Sorry to hear about your friend. It's never easy to lose someone you're close to.
I was just in Benezette last night for the elk viewing center groundbreaking. It's going to be amazing.
Of course, I had to go check out the elk afterwards. They are truly magnificent animals. Thanks for all the work you do to let people know about them.
I'm glad I just found your blog. You're a man after my own heart :-)
Great photos. I shall be back !
Sorry about your loss. Nice close, sharp shots of the young bucks. Look forward to see your efforts from the rut. Blue Skies.
My sympathies to you in the loss of your friend.
I like the closeup photos.
Sorry you lost your friend Willard.
I'm sure its not but it always looks painful when deer start shedding their velvet. At the least it must drive them crazy with it flopping around. These are great shots.
Great photos, I am sorry to hear about your friend.
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