The bucks grow their antlers via a velvet coating that has a blood supply.
At a certain time, hormone changes cause the blood supply to stop and the velvet is shed.
Most of this occurs in September in normal years.
Rubbing of tree trunks picks up when this change is in process.
It continues even after the velvet is gone. It then becomes a territory marking sign of dominance.
And it can sure make a mess of some trees.
This is usually the start of sparring and the break up of bachelor groups as the rut starts to approach.
After several months with very few coyote sightings, they seem to show up on every camera now.
I wonder if this is a family group.
There have been some young looking ones.
The Toms are out and about.
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