Deer Hunting in the UK - July Almanac

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Wednesday, 26 June 2019

As Aristotle once commented of nature; “horror vacui” meaning: ‘nature abhors a vacuum’, indeed this is true of Roe. Given the opportunity and sufficient browse, Roe deer will diffuse evenly around the countryside.

As hunters the crucial question remains, how fast is a vacuum filled, well the none too simple an answer, is that it depends on the sex and time of year. Shoot too many Roe doe at the start of the season in November and it might be May, when the mature females start ejecting last seasons kids, before the balance is restored.

However, things are a little different for the males. During the Roebuck season in spring and summer Roebuck are restless and eager to establish territories, ground is hard-fought and any vacancy quickly filled. For this reason, I have often commented that if I shoot a Roebuck on a particular patch in May, it will be replenished by the rut in July. Indeed, this is a rule of thumb that I have used when planning my stalks. Having shot a beast on a particular area, there is little point in taking another client to the same spot for at least a few weeks.

Indeed, we are soon to put this hypothesis to the test at the Capreolus Club. Having held the Capreolus Club ‘Roebuck Madness’ event in May, we are now due to return to the same ground for the Roebuck rut on the 2^nd of August, am I worried? Not in the least.

Regular readers will be aware that I have often heralded late July as the start of the eagerly anticipated Roebuck rut in Hampshire, however, experience tells me that the ‘peep-peep’ of the ‘buttalo call’ can also result in unexpected sightings of inquisitive Fallow, which during late July must be allowed to go on their way without interference, however, by early August the Fallow are in season, added to which the Roe rut is still in full swing. If my theory is correct, the strategic timing of our August 2^nd Club Stalk Day; ‘Best of the Roe Rut and Commencement of the Fallow Buck Season’, should therefore be well timed.

Roe aside, I should briefly mention that July also represents the start of the season for Red and Sika stags in Scotland. This is a point of interest not a recommendation, stags still in ‘tatters’ and clouds of biting midges are not the stuff of which fond memories are made.

Lastly our film, this month we’ve relaunched our Capreolus Club promotional film. It’s just over four years since the Capreolus Club was established and we continue to grow from strength to strength. If you haven’t already joined what is undoubtedly the finest club of its type in the UK, then I hope our new film inspires you to do so and we welcome new applications for membership from subscribers of the almanac. Click here to watch the film: youtube

IN Season in England & Wales:  Roebuck, Muntjac Buck & Muntjac Doe.

OFF Season in England & Wales: Roe Doe, Fallow Doe, Fallow Buck, Sika Hind, Sika Stag, Red Hind,

IN Season in Scotland: Roebuck, Red Stag, Sika Stag.

OFF Season in Scotland: Roe Doe, Fallow Doe, Fallow Buck, Sika Hind, Red Hind. 

(Peter Jones - Editor)