While walking one of the trails at Chaffee Crossing, movement in the thick brush caught my attention. A large whitetail buck stood there watching me. Slowly, I raised my camera and took a photo through the tangle of branches. Instead of bolting, the buck calmly turned and eased deeper into the cover. At first, I didn’t think I would like the image, but after viewing it on my computer, it began to grow on me. This photo dates back to February 2009 and, as far as I can remember, was only ever shared on Flickr.
Whitetail bucks are surprisingly adept at navigating thick brush with their impressive antlers, and they use a variety of strategies to get through dense cover unscathed:
Body Positioning:
- Turning the rack sideways: They can tilt their head and turn their antlers sideways, allowing them to pass through narrow openings without snagging. This minimizes the overall width they need to clear.
- Ducking low: Lowering their head and neck brings the antlers closer to their body, reducing their profile and creating more clearance.
- Using their body size: Mature bucks are larger and stronger than does and younger bucks, giving them more leverage to push through the thicker brush.
Movement Techniques:
- Picking paths: Experienced bucks tend to favor established deer trails within the brush, which offer some level of clearance. They may also utilize natural openings like animal burrows or fallen logs.
- Cautious movement: They move slowly and deliberately, carefully assessing their surroundings to avoid getting their antlers stuck.
- Pushing and breaking: When necessary, they might use their strength to push aside smaller branches or break weaker ones to create a passage.
Additional Factors:
- Pressure: When pressured by hunters, bucks tend to avoid open areas and seek refuge in thick cover, sometimes utilizing brush even if it means navigating with more caution.
- Habitat type: The type of brush also plays a role. Dense, thorny thickets with many branches can be more challenging than sparse brush with larger gaps.
It’s important to remember that while whitetail bucks are skilled at navigating thick brush, it can still be an obstacle course. They might lose some energy pushing through dense cover, and their large antlers do make them more vulnerable to getting snagged and injured in certain situations.
Image Information:
- Date: 02/08/09
- Time: 9:14 AM
- Camera: Canon EOS 40D
- Lens: Canon 500 f4
- ISO: 500
- Aperture: 5.6
- Shutter: 1/500
- Exp. Comp.: 0
- Lens (mm): 500
- Program Mode: Aperture Priority