I've had such great luck lately photographing bucks and does at one of my favorite wildlife management areas I frequent.  They've been out in abundance and quite cooperative!

If you're wondering, I shoot most of my images of wildlife right from sitting in my car.  This one area I go to isn't frequented by many people so the wildlife are not 'used' to seeing people all the time, so if you see something (even just a hawk) and get out of your car, it will fly off.

The first buck with a nice full rack I captured happened the weekend before last.  It was just after sunrise (sun coming up behind me and to my left I think) when I spotted him out eating grass and just casually walking about.  I was so excited to have finally gotten a six-pointer with my camera, and the light was awesome.

This past Saturday I was up before dawn again and the first deer I spotted were these two does making their way through a barbed wire fence.  The light was not too good that day.

Then a little farther along I spotted these two bucks and three does.  They were really far off, I had my 100-400mm zoomed out all the way and did crop this image.  Kinda blurry, funky light, shooting through tall grass, but I was really thrilled to see all of these together in one spot.

Also spotted that day was this six pointer...and when I posted this image to flickr, I wrote, "if the antlers don't give it away that this is a male, something else should!" Just me being funny...not the greatest image in the world, the light was in and out but I was happy to get it.

Then the next day I went out again, this time well after sunrise so I wasn't expecting to see many deer.  I did meet a friend out there and we drove around looking for a buck...she really wanted a shot of a nice one so we were on the hunt.   We did see quite a few does and I was able to get this image even though we had a storm coming up...

And my buddy was able to get alot of deer shots also, but she still wanted her buck.  It was getting late and so we had turned around and were heading back out.  Just driving along, talking and then I saw HIM.  I got so excited I grabbed my friend's arm and all I could do was point.  I slowed the car down and we stopped and shot alot of 'just in case' shots from inside the car and then we slowly crept out.  We both have the 100-400mm lens so we were able to stay where we were and not try to approach him and let him do his 'thing'.

He preceded to eat acorns out of an oak tree at first...

Stretching to get them...

And then he started to rub his antlers all over, leaving his scent and sign that he was there and that everyone (does) should know it!

And then, the image I'd been looking for and the image my friend had been looking for came and we were both so thrilled to have gotten this shot (looking back over his shoulder) and to just bask in the awesomeness of him!  I know, sounds corny..but trust me, it was pretty exciting stuff for us!

As you can see he's an eight point buck.  From what I've read that usually means he's about 4 years old.  So he's made it through several hunting seasons so far.  I wonder if he'll be around next year, I hope so.

Leave a comment here and link me up to go visit your deer/buck photos...preferably wildlife/natural type photos, not trophy photos from hunting, thanks :)