Looking For Love

Gallery: WildlifePosted November 20, 2014109 views5 comments

Young buck at the Fort Worth Nature Center. In this image, he is performing the flehmen response searching for does as the rut approaches. The flehmen response, also called the flehmen position, flehmen reaction, flehming, or flehmening, is a behaviour whereby a buck curls back its upper lips exposing its front teeth, inhales with the nostrils usually closed and then often holds this position for several seconds.

Comments and critiques welcome.

Canon 7D Mark II
Canon 200-400 f4 L IS
f5.6
1/160s
ISO 640
Focal Length 280mm

Comments

5 comments

Comment posted by Peter Cross on November 20, 2014 at 10:36 PM

Right time of year for this behavior which many just call a lip curl. With our black-tails in California, the buck is waiting for a doe he's interested in to take a pee. As soon as she does, he in there as fast as he can get there. He takes a bit whiff of it, curls back his upper lip which exposes a special organ to the fumes from the urine. Apparently, the bucks can tell from that if she's at the proper part of here cycle and ready to breed. I've seen them lose interest after the curl so that must mean she's not ready. Other times it's back to the chase meaning she must be ready. Incidentally, deer do not have any upper front teeth. Just on the bottom. Apparently its all they need to tear off veg to eat. Nice catch of this buck by the way.

Registered on April 3, 2010, 271 Posts, 1342 Comments

Comment posted by Ken Watkins on November 21, 2014 at 12:51 AM

Jerry,
Great pose and detail on this one, I like the "muted" colours.
Will be giving my MkII a day out next week

Registered on December 15, 2010, 1537 Posts, 4877 Comments

Comment posted by John Tobias on November 21, 2014 at 8:27 AM

A good image of the lip curl behavior, which many animals use. I do like the bands of color in the BG which I feel sets off the buck very nicely. Good detail and color. Thanks for sharing.

Registered on September 12, 2009, 2120 Posts, 6455 Comments

Comment posted by Nate Chappell on November 21, 2014 at 5:26 PM

Great pose and I like the bg here Jerry, if it were mine I would crop a little more from the bottom.

Registered on February 1, 2006, 1158 Posts, 19528 Comments

Comment posted by Lon Sharp on November 22, 2014 at 9:23 PM

I like this buck and the colors, but I would process a little darker as a matter of personal preference. I, too, think the crop is too much on the junction of legs, and taking some from the bottom would be an improvement.

Registered on December 9, 2007, 258 Posts, 9892 Comments