A Whitetailed BuckA whitetailed buck in this posture is very aggressive and potentially dangerous. (Photo David A. Murray)

Whitetailed deer, both bucks and does, are the most active and interesting during the fall rutting, or breeding, season. They are both simple yet complex critters that possess unique behaviors and com-munication skills. The varied ways in which deer identify, find and communicate with each other include many senses and scents.

There is no doubt that all of the deer’s senses are important to its survival, but certainly, the most important sense has to be its sense of smell. The nose of the deer is large, and this greatly increases its ability to detect odors. The large, hairless nose is always moist, both on the inside and outside. This moisture is what traps the odors, or scent particles, and conveys the odor to the deer’s brain. When a deer licks its nostrils and muzzle, it’s applying more moisture to enhance the ability to smell. Under ideal conditions, a whitetailed deer can detect odors from half a mile away.

Bucks rely on their nose to identify possible threats, such as a hunter or a predator; or to "hunt" for a receptive doe during the rut, and, to identify one particular deer from another. In fact, all deer, both bucks and does, use the same behavior and gland for identification purposes. However, during the rut, the activity surrounding this identifying gland is greatly increased. Identity Gland

This "identity" gland is called the tarsal gland. The tarsal gland is a scent gland, and undoubtedly is the most important scent gland on the whitetailed deer. In fact, this gland is so important that behavioral studies still have not determined or fully understand the complex role that this gland plays in the communication among deer.

The tarsal gland is located on the deer’s hind legs. This area on the hind legs appears as a reverse knee; however, it is actually the deer’s ankle or hock. On the exterior of the inside of the hock is a large, tufted, discolored patch of hair - the tarsal gland. This patch of discolored hair is about three to four inches in width. The tarsal gland is actually not a gland in the true sense because there is no gland opening on the skin. The way that the tarsal gland works is through sebaceous glands that are beneath the skin and connected to the hair follicles on the deer’s hocks. These hair follicles act as gland openings or ducts, and transfer the secretions through the surface of the skin.

Tiny muscles beneath the skin control the long hairs of the tarsal gland tufts. These muscles, when the deer is surprised or frightened, stand straight up and flare out. This is one means of communicating danger from one deer to another.

The discoloration of the tarsal gland hairs, a deep, dark brown color, is due to the secretions from below the skin as well as from urine. Whitetailed deer, both bucks and does, periodically twist their hind legs inward and urinate on the tarsal gland. Often while urinating, they will rub their tarsal glands against each other. The secretion from the tarsal gland combined with the deer’s urine give each deer a unique odor that becomes their individual identity. Similar to dogs identifying each another by smelling one another upon meeting, the whitetailed deer smell the tarsal gland of another deer to identify it.

During the rut, bucks are particularly concerned with their tarsal glands and frequently urinate on them. The strong odor is important to dominant bucks, both for the attraction of does, as well as to ward off competing bucks. A buck during the rut will develop very large and darkly stained tarsal glands.

The buck pictured above is in peak rutting behavior. Notice the dark, oozing, tarsal gland on the inside of his hind leg, as he approaches another buck in full fighting posture - with hair on end, and his head and ears down. A buck in this posture is very aggressive and potentially dangerous. Field Time

For many people wildlife behavior can be interesting, informative, and often fascinating. If you’ve read this "FOCUS ON WILDLIFE"! column to this point, you're probably one of those people. However, reading about behavior such as this and photographing it are two very different things.

Photographing wildlife behavior requires an extensive amount of research and time in the field. Different types of behaviors occur at different times of the year, or with a particular sex or species, or with a certain set of circumstances, and the variables go on. Therefore, to successfully photograph wildlife behavior, do your research to narrow down the variables and guide you as to where to photograph and when to be there. In addition, because wildlife can be both difficult to locate and very unpredictable, there are no short cuts to the enormous amount of time in the field that is necessary to capture wildlife behavior on film.

Good shooting!

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