I've read and it's been my observation that the doe chooses the buck she wants to breed. I've also read that the doe will breed whatever buck is there when she's "ready". I don't buy that one. What say ya'll?

Reckon deer ever say, Who da baby daddy iz?

If no bucks are around will a doe go looking?

Good question,I believe they would, I know they'll bed very near scrapes.

Don't know.... maybe Maury Povich can perform some DNA test for ya!!

I have no idea, but I have watched a video that may or may not support that idea.

I believe it was on the buck forage property in Kansas. The hunter was watching a mature 4-5yr old buck tending a few does while they feed in the BFO food plot. A younger buck, maybe 3yr old came into the plot and the older buck ran him off. A little while latter the same 3yr old came back and was chased off again. While the 2 bucks were running through the woods a even younger 2yr old ran onto the field and bred the doe while the old buck wasn't around. Cracked me up.

Only time I've seen breeding.... Three years ago, Dec.27 or 28 I had a scrub buck chase a doe by me bout 3 times. There was a nice 8 pt came up the hill but was going to pass. The doe came down the hill but the small buck stopped to rub a tree. Well the 8pt hears and sees this and turns heading to the doe. He gets almost to her and the small buck trots down the hill not knowing the 8 was there. I'm thinking he's gonna get his butt kicked. The 8 gets in an agressive mode and walks between the doe and small buck. The 8 walks side ways pushing the small buck down the hill bout 40 yards. The 8 then comes back to the doe,sniffs her rear, and she lets him breed her. Then the doe goes back the way she came and the 8 turns and goes in the other direction. Looked like she chose the nice 8 for a quickie!

Does tend to increase their travel patterns as they are coming into estrus to advertise themselves to the bucks in the area. I don't know if it could be said that they are "looking" for bucks, but by increasing the amount of travel that they do, and the number of scrapes that they visit, they increase the number of bucks that come across their trail and thus have a better chance of being detected by a high quality buck.

As for whether or not does choose the bucks that they breed with...this is a highly debated topic among evolutionary ecologists that study reproductive behavior in species that have breeding systems similar to deer.

While we don't know for sure what happens, we do know that the following are true:

1) Females want to get the best possible genetics for their offspring. This does not necessarily mean that she wants to breed with the buck with the largest antlers. She wants to breed with a male that has the genetics for a healthy immune system, and/or with a male that has the genetics that will complement hers well (considering that 50% of the genetic profile of the offspring come from both the mother and father...in short she doesn't want to mate with a male that has the same genetics as her). She wants to produce offspring with high genetic diversity at the MHC (the genetic component of the immune system) so they are able to cope with the greatest number of pathogenic (parasites and disease) challenges.

2) She will do everything she can to advertise herself to as many males as possible. In this way, she increases her chances of finding a high quality male that will dominate any other males that are trying to breed with her. In short, she wants competition among males...because this ensures she is getting the "best". This type of thing is pretty standard among the animal kingdom.

We know that the above are true. What we don't know is this...If a female advertises herself around, and a high quality male doesn't tend her (maybe they are locked on other does at the time), and she is rapidly approaching the end of her period of receptivity, will she choose not to breed during the estrous cycle? If she chooses not to breed, she will just recycle back into estrus in 28 days. But, the cost of this is that her fawn(s) will be born 28 days later, and will be at a disadvantage relative to the other fawns that are born in that year. In short, they will have difficulty catching up to the rest of their cohort, or exhibiting their true potential.

So...a female potentially has a choice.

(A) Breed with an inferior male, but have early-born offspring.
(B) Potentially breed with a more superior male, but have late-born offspring.

Whether or not they exhibit this choice we don't know. We do know that it wouldn't be rational thought, but it is possible that there could be something that urges the female not to breed (we have documented much more strange things in the animal, and deer, world).

If you want to read more in depth material about breeding ecology of white-tailed deer, I would strongly encourage you to read the MS thesis of one of my recent students. The link to this thesis is below.

MS Thesis on Reproductive Behavior

many years ago a friend of mine had a buck in a pen. A wild doe would crawl under the fence to breed with that buck several years in a row. I'm pretty sure one would call that choosing the buck.

I don't think does walk around looking for "Harold the buck" to breed with...but will turn down some bucks to breed with other bucks.

On more than one occasion, I have had does that were obviously in heat bring bucks to me. I have no doubt that those does thought I was another buck and wanted to add one more buck to the competition for breeding.

One doe was on a ridge across a deep hollow from me and had two bucks behind her. I thought I had missed my chance as they dropped down a steep slope to a creek. Next thing I know, she comes back up the ridge I'm on directly toward me and stops about 20 yds. away. One of the bucks was right behind her and presented an easy shot.

On another occasion, I had just entered the woods when I heard a doe to my left about 50 yds. She spotted me in clear view and started to approach me. I caught a glimpse of movement to her left that turned out to be a young six point. Then I caught a glimpse of still another buck behind him that had the thickest main beams I've seen on our lease. I never got a good look at all of his rack, and he high-tailed it out of the country after standing with his head behind a large oak for what seemed like an eternity.

The doe and six point stood watching me for quite a while before leaving. I got the clear impression she was attempting to add me to the competition until she finally determined I was not another buck.

Does in heat are the best attractant you can find for luring big bucks to you. Put yourself near one at the right time and your chances get a lot better to kill a good buck you would likely never see in daylight otherwise. There will probably be more than one buck with her as well.

"Does in heat are the best attractant you can find for luring big bucks to you. Put yourself near one at the right time and your chances get a lot better to kill a good buck you would likely never see in daylight otherwise. There will probably be more than one buck with her as well"

That's why I shoot does after the rut................ I don't know how many times I've had a buck come in a greenfield to check out the does........................

stuck up sluts....

Thanks Dr.D, good info!

Don't know but in a bar that is the way women are.

Looking around, it is clear that this apparently does not apply to a LOT of American women.