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Four male deer were observed near the junction of Highway 20 and Midway Boulevard last week.

Last week, four male deer were seen near the intersection of Highway 20 and Midway Boulevard, with two of them interlocking their antlers despite the rutting season being recently concluded.

During the breeding season, which occurs from approximately November to December, male deer commonly engage in antler-locking battles to assert their dominance over rivals. Nonetheless, according to Ralph Downes, an officer with the Department of Fish and Wildlife, it is not unusual to witness such conflicts during the off-season as well.

“Hey man, if those antlers are still on your head, you have to make use of them,” Downes remarked.

According to him, male deer often engage in play, sparring, and “what male deer typically do.”

Even in the absence of other male deer, Downes mentioned that he sometimes observes them battling with a tree, becoming entangled with its branches.

In Whidbey, male deer are expected to lose their antlers soon, typically from now until around March. One of the four spotted on Wednesday had already dropped one.

Once male deer shed their antlers, they occasionally continue to butt heads as if they still possess them, Downes explained.

Whidbey Island boasts a robust population of Columbian black-tailed deer, a subspecies of mule deer.

A research study carried out by a graduate student with assistance from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife estimated the deer population on Whidbey to be 2,744, which equates to six deer per square kilometer. Central Whidbey recorded the highest concentration, with 10.5 deer per square kilometer, while the South End noted about four and the North End had five.