256 CALIFORNIA FISH AND GAME 



bucks settled down to a steady fencing match. In case of an ordinary 

 fight between bucks, the terminal forks of the antlers catch (see Fig. 95) 

 and keep the combatants a certain distance apart. The initial part 

 of the battle consisted in each buck making a vigorous attempt to pusli 

 his adversary backward so as to force him to bend his neck. This at 

 once gave the advantage to the aggressor, because the sharp terminal 

 points of his antlers would then project far enough beyond the enemy's 

 guard so that they would gouge into his adversary's eye, ear, or neck. 

 As long as both bucks remained in a straight line facing each other 

 neither could gain much advantage, but as soon as either one gave 

 ground or was forced back so that his body was at right angles to his 

 opponent he was caught at a disadvantage, for then the points of the 

 other buck's antlers would begin to reach past his own antlers and 

 would gouge him in the eye, ear, or neck. By watching with binocu- 

 lars bucks that were fighting, I have repeatedly seen the points of the 

 antlers driven into the bases of the bucks' ears. 



Fig. 95. In an ordinary fight between bucks, the terminal forks of the antlers 

 catch and each buck attempts to force his adversary to bend his neck, thus permit- 

 ting the tip of the enemy's antler to reach through and gouge his opponent's eye, 

 ear, or neck. Yosemite, November 2, 1929. Wild Life Division No. 150. 



When fighting hardest, one of the bucks would frequently bend his 

 forelegs and drop to his knees. This move was the equivalent of a 

 "clinch" and merely slowed up the fight until the buck could regain 

 his breath and strength, when he would again rise on all four feet and 

 the struggle would be continued. Neither buck appeared to have any 

 advantage in size or strength, and the battle was waged back and forth 

 over an area 50 feet square in the meadow. Once, when one of the 

 bucks was forced backward into a ditch and was "pinned" down, he 

 gave a hoarse grunting sound which was almost a moan. Then by a 

 supreme effort he forced his adversary back and, having regained his 

 feet, the battle raged again. 



At this point there was a brief two-minute rest between rounds, 

 during which the two bucks backed off, with stiff necks and heads held 

 high. Then, holding their tails erect, they lowered their heads, locked 



