Mountain Buck

Mountain Bucks are Creatures in.

Characteristics
A Mountain Buck is a large male deer covered in shaggy brown fur speckled with light spots along the back. It is a quadruped that stands on thin, muscular legs, each one ending in a cloven hoof. The Buck’s face has drab fur running down its snout and thick brows of the same color above its small, beady eyes. Its rear and tail are covered in fluffy white fur that appear prominent when the Buck is running.

Mountain Bucks are male counterparts to Mountain Does. They can easily be distinguished from them by the large antlers that adorn their heads, which they will swing in self-defense if provoked. Bucks can be found throughout deciduous areas in Hyrule, usually in the accompaniment of three or four Doe, suggesting they maintain harems. The Hyrule Compendium notes Hyrule Field and the Lanayru Great Spring as areas where Mountain Bucks are common, but in actuality they are native to most regions, including Faron and Akkala. Despite their size, Mountain Bucks are skittish animals with very sensitive ears: the slightest detection of sound causes them to freeze in place before abruptly running away. When idle, Bucks can be seen grazing and may even lie down to rest. The Bucks give off a loud, trumpet-like sound called glunking on occasion, but are otherwise silent.

If Link is stealthy enough, he may be able to mount and ride a Mountain Buck as if it were a wild horse. Though fast, their utility is limited and they cannot be registered at the stables. A successful hunt on a Mountain Buck supplies Link with Raw Prime Meat, but their skittishness makes this difficult. The challenge is made most apparent in the Deer Hunting minigame maintained by BotW:, found south of Hateno Village. When Link completes this minigame, BotW: will award him with Rupees.

The Mountain Buck plays an instrumental role in the "The Crowned Beast" Shrine Quest in the Rabia Plain. There, Kass sings a song relating to the area that may cause an Ancient Shrine to appear. The song goes as follows:


 * "A beast that wears a crown of bone,
 * Prancing through the lush green.
 * Mount the beast upon its throne,
 * For only then the shrine is seen."

The Mountain Buck is the beast mentioned in the song's lyrics. Link must mount and ride the Mountain Buck to the platform Kass sings the song from to complete the quest.

Trivia

 * The Mountain Buck is one of nine rideable animals in, with the other eight being the Horse, the BotW:, the BotW:, the Lord of the Mountain, the Mountain Doe, the BotW:, the Honeyvore Bear, and the Grizzlemaw Bear.
 * Of these mounts, the Mountain Buck is one of six that cannot be registered at the stables.
 * The Mountain Buck and the Mountain Doe are the only creatures to have gender-specific entries in the Hyrule Compendium.
 * The Mountain Buck is painted on the main body of the Emblazoned Shield.
 * The Mountain Buck strikingly resembles and is likely based on the male, a large forest-dwelling deer with massive antlers.