DISCOVER NATURE
and eagles might once have been a danger to
deer, they do not have any natural predators
in Britain today.
Giving birth is a very secretive activity
among deer and it is rare to witness this
event, but the time when they make
themselves most obvious is during the
rutting period of September to October.
This is when males and females come
together at traditional grounds to mate.
Stags that roar the loudest and most
frequently will attract more hinds. Since
the males are closer together at this time of
year there is obvious competition between
them. Stags are very capable of fighting,
with their incredibly strong necks and
fearsome antlers – but before risking a fight
“Stags that roar the loudest and most
they will usually size each other up by
parading themselves. As they parade they
frequently will attract more hinds”
try to make the best of their masculine
features: large antlers, dark coat, thick neck
and a tall, upright stance.
ABOVE: Red deer’s Outside of deer parks, red deer are most which is one reason why we see large deer If a stag thinks he can steal some hinds
preferred habitat is
common in Scotland. Good numbers are fences where they are common. from the harem of another, the two stags
woodland
ABOVE RIGHT: A
found in Dumfries and Galloway as well as Red deer families are made up of stags will first engage in ‘parallel walking’.
young red deer in
in the north of Scotland, including most of (males), hinds (females) and calves Sometimes a stag will rip up bracken and
late summer the Western Isles. There are only a few red (young). Their life cycle consists roughly of mud with his antlers, presumably in an
BELOW RIGHT:
deer in Wales, but they can be found in mating in the autumn (September and effort to make himself look bigger or more
A rutting red
small numbers in England on the Brecks of October) and giving birth in the spring (May threatening. If it is clear which stag is the
deer stag
East Anglia; in the New Forest; in Cumbria; or June). The young are born with a white- heavier or stronger then the smaller one will
along the Pennines and in the South West. spotted brown coat on which they rely for withdraw, but if not, then a locking of
In fact, Exmoor is probably the best place to camouflage and safety, as their mothers antlers will ensue.
see them in England. leave them alone for hours at a time while Twisting and turning their interlocked
Red deer are primarily browsers feeding they feed. antlers, each stag tries to push the other like
on tree foliage rather than grass, so their When they are about a week old, calves a prop-forward in a rugby scrum. As well
preferred habitat is woodland. However, join their mothers and feed in a herd as trying to overpower their opponents with
they also live on moorland, where they eat consisting only of hinds and calves, since for brute force, they will also try to over-balance
D
i
grass and heather as well as surrounding most of the year red deer stay in single-sex them skilfully, in sumo-wrestler fashion.
f
s
P
r
c
e
o
9
e
v trees. Their habit of gnawing bark from herds. By feeding in herds deer are safer, The stag’s antlers are very much grown
d
e
o
r
m
t
h
e trees and eating young tree saplings has because there is always one animal on the for the rut, but they will keep them through
made them unpopular with foresters, lookout for danger. In fact, though wolves the winter before shedding them in spring.
Gradually over the summer a new pair will
grow, covered by a furry skin known as
INFORMATION WATCHING
‘velvet’. The velvet is rubbed off against
trees or in the undergrowth before the
rut. Each year a stag’s antlers grow larger
You will need to head for a deer park to guarantee seeing red
than the year before and often have one
deer in England. The best include Richmond Park in London;
more fork or ‘tine’; however, this is not
Bradgate Park near Leicester and Studley Royal deer park in
always the case and the number of tines
Yorkshire. Many deer parks are marked on road maps, but check
before visiting as many keep only fallow deer.
on a stag’s antler does not correspond
It is easy to be lulled into a false sense of security when
exactly to his age.
watching rutting deer in deer parks, but don’t forget that these
A rut is impressive in every way. Stags
are dangerous animals so keep a safe distance. Avoid taking
command the respect not only of the hinds
dogs, even if they are permitted, and never come between a stag but also of any human onlooker privileged
and his harem of females, or a competing stag.
enough to see them. The sounds, sight and
smell all demand attention. a73
36 DISCOVER TOURING
Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68