IT’S NOT ALWAYS ABOUT AGE WITH WHITETAILS

Almost 10 days had passed since the November full moon hung full in the sky. The rut was hot to trot, and with the smell of does floating on the wind, the mature 10-pointer’s mission was finding a doe to breed.

A cold, steady breeze blew from the northwest. With a mixture of rain and snow falling, the buck emerged from a standing cornfield. Cautiously, he entered a woods that descended into a deep ravine and paused to assess the surroundings. Below in a tangle of treetops and second growth, he heard the faint sound of a deer snorting. Hurriedly, he walked toward the sound. When he reached the rim of the ravine, he heard deer running. He picked up the pace and dropped into the ravine for a closer look. Halfway down the steep incline, he solved the mystery. A breeding party was in progress.

At the bottom of the ravine, the 10-pointer encountered several deer scattered among a thick tangle of blowdowns along