Hey, I was wondering if you guys have ever seen button bucks sparring? I was hunting a few days ago on Wednesday evening and watched four deer file out into a green grassy field to eat. While two of them ate, the other two started sparring, knocking their heads together and pushing each other in circles. The deer were not particularly large compared to the other two, who were both antlerless as well. They were about 70 yards away so I could not see their heads well. Do you suppose this was just young buttons being playful? Just wondered if this was common and if any of ya'll have seen it.

Jon

yep two little boys feelin' big

Yes, I've seen just about every match up except two huge deer.

I would call it bumping, not fighting, LOL

I have seen two big boys lock up, it was so awesome I forgot to shoot one[&:]

I saw atiny spikeand aforkhorn go at it pretty hard core this season. Tearnig up leaves and pushing each other all over the place. I was shocked. I thought it was a buck and a doe until they went at it. The only reason I knew it was a spike is because he ran right underneath me after he lost.

On several occasions I've seen button bucks bumping heads this season. A couple of times they tried it on mom.... it didn't go over so good! She reared up and came down with her head but the feisty little bugger fled the scene in the nick of time.

Same here GregH, poor little button heads are always the outcast of the deer family. Does don't want them, bucks don't want them, sisters don't want them.

I've seen them bumping heads, never a knock down drag out like them's pops...lol

The funny thing is to watch them do the instinctive thing and attempt the rituals of breeding, scrapping, rubbing. It's really comical to watch a button rub a small sapling. Do you think he even knows what he's doing?

I've never seen button bucks go at it, but I did get some footage of two 1x2's and a 2x2 butting heads a couple years back. The stills aren't close to even being considered decent, but you can see whats going on anyhow.

Thanks for the comebacks guys, I suppose that is not too uncommon... It is interesting they attempt the same actions as the older boys... do you think they do any breeding of does during the second rut in some areas, similar to how yearling does sometimes come into estrous? I took a button buck today during shotgun season on a drive that I mistook for a doe, and his tarsals resembled those of a rutting, breeding buck.

Jon