A white-tailed buck requires about six years to reach its maximum body size. During the interim, he becomes somewhat stronger each autumn while growing larger in body and antlers. He’s a little wiser, too. He advances accordingly in the male society, gaining social status each year as he matures and rises in rank over his peers.
In other words, with each fall’s resurgence of rutting behavior, the buck develops physically, physiologically and psychologically in a step-wise fashion. Such a pattern
