Buck Deer and Bull Elk usually run in bachelor groups all year except during the rut. The younger bucks and bulls learn from the older ones, and the older ones use the younger ones for protection. Several times I've seen early season hunters flush a bachelor group of bucks only to have the younger ones make a lot of racket and bust out of wherever and the the older one sneaks quietly out the back door and no one knows he's there. It's not at all uncommon. <img src=icon_smile_cool.gif border=0 align=middle>

Dan in Arizona