Rutting Mule Deer

Two mule deer bucks, standing beside the road, busily engaged in rutting behavior. One, a typical deer in a state which hunts the rut, the other, a normal buck in a state with no rut hunt. Are you able to guess which buck comes from which state? That's right, the big deer on the left was photographed last weekend alongside a county road in Wyoming, while the mediocre buck on the right was photographed earlier in the week in Powder River County. These deer are both pretty normal to see in their respective states, yet the deer on the left would be considered a true trophy these days in Montana. Rut hunts compromise trophy quality, but offer more hunting opportunity.