White-tailed bucks photographed in Boiling Springs State Park, Oklahoma from November 10 through December 6, 2011.

November 10th, the rut or breeding season is just beginning. Notice this buck doesn’t yet have the swollen neck which bucks have during the rut.

Early morning light adds a beautiful warmth to the color in this image. The frost on the grass in the shaded foreground has not yet melted.

This one has a nice symmetrical 10-point rack.

The center of interest

During the rut, bucks are active night and day and get very little rest.

Ouch! This one has gotten too close to a porcupine. Note the five quills stuck to the left side of his face. Believe it or not, porcupines are not unusual in northwestern Oklahoma.

A light snow has blanketed the park on the morning of December 6, 2011 and the rut is almost over for another year.