Vertebrates Photos

A large whitetail deer buck stands alert among snow covered vegetation.

Mega-buck! This huge whitetail buck's antlers are among the largest I've ever seen. Look at the width, height and mass. This is one big buck! I made several photographs of this deer at various angles and counted at least 16 points (one inch or longer). I'm sure there are at least a couple uncounted.

Three 8-point bucks (whitetail deer) engage in early rut sparring.

A big whitetail buck pausing under hemlock branches after branch licking.

An alert big buck whitetail deer pauses to look as snow flurries begin.

A big whitetail buck and his doe stand alert after an early winter snowfall.

A heavy drop-tine buck stands alert in a forest setting.

A buck whitetail deer jumping over a fence.

Stopping his approach, a massive buck stands alert while looking at other deer (not pictured). Notice the heavy neck on this incredible rutting buck!

Two young white-tailed deer bucks meet each other in preparation for a sparring contest.

A buck whitetail deer stands on his hind legs while chewing a licking branch. Licking branches are typically located about five feet above a ground scrape, where the buck chews the branch tip then deposits pheromones by rubbing his forehead and preorbital glands on the wet nub. In this case, the branch was so high it required the buck to stand on his hind legs to reach it.

A buck whitetail deer running with tail up.

A whitetail deer buck lies bedded in the woods among freshly fallen autumn foliage.

A big buck whitetail deer jumps over a fallen oak tree while running through a forest. The opportunity to see a monster buck jumping over a tree is very rare, and catching the shot with a camera is even more rare.

An unusually adorned whitetail buck appears to kiss a doe white-tailed deer.

A big whitetail buck pauses to look before entering the woods.

A whitetail deer buck leaping over a barbed wire fence.

A big rutting buck whitetail deer holds his nose high in the air while testing the air for scent. Exhibiting this behavior, the buck may be attempting to locate a nearby doe.

An alert whitetail deer buck stands on a field hilltop as morning fog lifts.

A large whitetail deer buck pauses at the edge of a field.

Two white-tailed bucks preparing to spar.

An alert buck whitetail deer stands at the edge of a field with a fence in the background.

After rubbing his antlers in grass, which is a rutting-related behavior, a buck whitetail deer pauses to look, while grass still hangs from his antlers.

A big buck whitetail deer watches something in the distance.