On my recent adventure at the J. T. Nickel Family Nature and Wildlife Preserve in Oklahoma (Saturday, March 7, 2020), I spotted a Whitetail Buck, but it had shed both of his antlers!
Now, if you’re not familiar, Whitetail Bucks shed their antlers once a year, typically between January and April, right here in our neck of the woods, spanning Arkansas and Oklahoma. But here’s the fascinating part: while this shedding process usually aligns with these months, nature always has a few surprises up its sleeve. I’ve personally witnessed Bucks dropping their antlers as early as December and as late as May, adding an extra layer of wonder to these magnificent creatures’ annual cycle.
Isn’t it incredible how wildlife continually surprises us with its rhythms and behaviors? Witnessing this buck sans antlers was a powerful reminder of the ever-changing tapestry of nature. It’s moments like these that fuel my passion for wildlife photography, capturing not just images but stories of the natural world’s endless wonders.
Stay tuned for more tales from the wild, and until next time, keep exploring and appreciating the beauty all around us!
This buck was near an area that had just been burned (prescribed burn). I was standing behind a tree near the road. I was hand holding a Fujifilm X-T3 camera with a Canon EF 100-400 mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II lens attached with a Fringer EF-FX Pro adapter.
Camera Settings
- AV Mode
- Aperture: f5.6
- ISO: 1000
- Shutter speed: 1/250 sec.
- Focal Length: 400 mm