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Whitetail bucks playing make-believe with their antlers

Whitetail bucks playfully test their antlers at the end of September. The games will get more serious when the rut begins in November. (Jaime Johnson)
Whitetail bucks playfully test their antlers at the end of September. The games will get more serious when the rut begins in November. (Jaime Johnson)

WILDLIFE -- The mating season for white-tailed deer is a month or more away, but bucks already are tuning up.

Montana wildlife photographer Jaime Johnson has been noticing bucks testing their new growth.
 
For the past week, we’ve noticed the whitetail rattling antlers. Nothing serious, more for fun.
Tonight we observed these bucks jousting. One would watch while the other two rattled antlers.
Then they would switch and the observer would join in while another watched.
Rich Landers
Rich Landers joined The Spokesman-Review in 1977. He is the Outdoors editor for the Sports Department writing and photographing stories about hiking, hunting, fishing, boating, conservation, nature and wildlife and related topics.

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