The Standoff

A mature buck freezes at the edge of a clearing, locked eyes with the last animal he expected to meet: a skunk with its tail raised and ready. Neither one is backing down. The buck's got a hundred pounds on the skunk, but they both know how this ends if he pushes it. Dried grass and leaf litter cover the forest floor while slender hardwoods frame the scene in late summer green. It's one of those quiet moments in the woods where size doesn't matter—just nerve. The smart money says the buck blinks first.