Rutting Season

On a cold autumn morning at Richmond Park, the sun rises through the mist, these two Red Deer Stag's engage in a rut.

The breeding season, or the rut, occurs from the end of September to November. Serious injury and death can result from fighting but this only occurs between stags of similar size that cannot assess dominance by any of the other means. The dominant stag then ensures exclusive mating with the hinds.

In woodland red deer are largely solitary or occur as mother and calf groups. On open ground, larger single sex groups assemble, only mixing during the rut. Red deer are active throughout the 24 hour period but make more use of open spaces during the hours of darkness in populations experiencing frequent disturbance. Peak times of activity are at dawn and dusk. Stags roar and grunt during the rut. Hinds bark when alarmed and moo when searching for their young.