How do the different UK Deer Species behave during the month of September?
(Above: Red Stag; courtesy of Charly Green)
For those that follow our monthly Almanac you will notice that we have now come full circle and I find myself once again reviewing the month of September.
When considering the South East, last year I found myself writing the lines: “of all the months of the year this is the one in which I would take a holiday”. However this year with our growing readership, I have taken a moment to consider other areas and deer species in the UK, and this makes a considerable difference.
True, for those that stalk Fallow and Roe deer, my advice remains the same. The reason being that after the Roe rut, Roe Buck enter into a period of inactivity which lasts into late September as Bucks aim to recuperate some of their lost body condition and gain some weight in readiness for the winter months.
Fallow are also somewhat un enticing as they remain in single sex herds during September prior to their coming together for the Fallow rut in October, during which month Fallow stalking really starts ‘hotting up’.
September therefore is the preserve of Red Stag Stalking. Reds like Fallow deer exist for most of the year in single sex herds, however toward the end of September hostilities increase between the stags before they ‘break out’ of their herds and head, sometimes large distances, in search of Hinds.
Clearly as with all Deer, The Rut is weather dependent, with the North and Scotland typically trailing the South by a week or two, however it is usually during late September that the peace of both the Highlands and Lowlands come alive with the ‘Roar’ of these impressive and iconic Deer.
If you havn’t booked your Red Deer Stalking well in advance there will be little hope of getting out to actually hunt these deer, however that is not to say that there are not some first class parks and Country Estates where you can witness this stunning ritual and gauge some impression of what it is like to be amongst Britain’s largest wild, land mammals as they display their dominance by fighting and chasing all challengers, or by thrashing wildly at vegetation.
If you have not stood amidst Red Stags as they bellow and Roar, then at the end of September take the opportunity to do so. I suspect that you will stand in awe.
IN Season in England & Wales: Roe Buck, Fallow Buck, Red & Sika Stags, Muntjac Bucks & Muntjac Does.
OFF Season in England & Wales: Roe Does, Fallow Does, Sika Hinds, Red Hinds, CWD Bucks & CWD Does.
IN Season in Scotland: Roe Buck, Red Stags, Sika Stags, Fallow Buck.
OFF Season in Scotland: Roe Does, Fallow Does, Sika Hinds, Red Hinds.
