Two old frustrated bucks go at it. Video shot by Chuck Bella of Bella & Sons Orchards on Valencia School Road in Aptos.
While this might be genuine pre-rut fight for dominance, it might be a couple of siblings sparring. In an article "The Science of Hunting," John Phillips quotes Terry Rohm, of Wellington Outdoors:
"From what I've observed in the field watching bucks before the rut, sparring is a way bucks feel each other out. Aggressive fighting doesn't really take place but rather is a push/shove match. The bucks know they've got antlers on their heads, and they're building up their necks for the rut. Or, they may be brothers or have lived with each other for most of their lives. Sometimes a push/shove match resembles a couple of kids playing."
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