Deer Dictionary

A mature buck is one that has aged to the point where he has become one of the largest and most dominant, if not the most dominant, buck in the immediate home rage of this particular animal. You could argue the fact that all it really refers to his age but most hunters agree that a mature buck is typically large in stature and a true trophy by most standards. Often you will hear the term of mature bucks when speaking with game management officials as they try to balance the herd hoping to have more mature animals in future hunting seasons.
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The term non typical refers to the buck’s antlers which are often out of balance with more tines and points on one side than the other. The non typical buck rarely shows a uniformity in it’s antlers and sometimes can grow to a tangled mess which have even been known to affect the deer’s eyesight or hearing. There are numerous instances that can take place where a deer grows an irregular, or non typical, set of antlers. These stem from the beginning of genetics to injuries, insects, and even human manipulation.
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Rattling a set of antlers together is a form of communication and challenge in a deer’s world. Initially a buck hearing what seems to be two more bucks fighting would theorize that this must be for good cause since deer seldom actually fight when speaking in terms of percentages. Therefore this odd-buck-out as we will call him figures he should investigate. That would be when you, the rattler, should set the antlers down and take care of business. You have several choices when it comes to rattling. You can use real antlers that obviously sound great or you could use synthetic antlers or a rattling bag.
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Sparring is the action between two bucks where they touch antlers in sort of a playful jousting match. Typically this action will not escalate into a full out brawl especially when it takes place earlier in the season. Sparring between bucks helps them work out who is stronger and more dominant. You will also hear the term sparring referred to as tickling when hunters talk about rattling antlers. You would have to imagine two deer just barely touching antlers in sort of a mock fight scenario.
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