Mule Deer Rutting: The Dominance Display

[00:00:00]Mule deer also smell each other's tarsal and metatarsal glands to learn about the social status of other deer.

[00:00:09]The following is a rarely filmed confrontation between two rutting bucks with a doe between them.

[00:00:15]A big swollen necked rutting buck cruises the haunts of the does looking for one that's in heat.

[00:00:24]He finds a smaller buck tending a receptive doe who is positioned between them.

[00:00:30]The bigger buck saunters towards the smaller buck staring him down and displaying his bigger body. The doe awaits the outcome.

[00:00:38]The dominant buck hunches his back and pulls both back legs underneath his belly and prepares to urinate on his tarsal glands which are located on the inside of both hocks. This act demonstrates his dominance. The doe moves her tail to the side and squats slightly.

[00:01:07]The lesser buck totally outclassed averts the bigger buck's eye contact by turning his head.

[00:01:15]He signals his total submission by starting to feed and avoids physical contact.

[00:01:23]The breeding buck then returns to the doe which has since urinated and checks her urine.

[00:01:28]This will tell him her state of receptiveness.