The roe deer rut takes place from mid July to mid August so is now at its peak. The bucks are busy trying to intimidate each other and impress the does. The first video shows an older buck chasing off a younger one. There was an element of good fortune in this video because the bucks are travelling much too fast to trigger the camera in time. However, a few seconds earlier a kid had appeared at the side of the frame to start the recording but then disappeared, perhaps because it heard them coming. The slow motion replay is at 1/8th speed.
Although mating occurs now the pregnancies won't begin until January after delayed implantation, so the young will be born next May. This year's kids are now about two months old and must be wondering what all the excitement is about. Here a doe runs off to avoid the younger buck, leaving him and her kid looking rather puzzled.
The bucks follow the does around to show their interest and to be ready when the doe shows hers. Here the older buck was trying to look cool as he followed the doe through the woods but he misjudged a jump and fell in the water. Let's hope she wasn't watching.
In a couple of weeks' time it will all calm down again so we'll hope for a bit of excitement from something else on the trail cameras.
fascinating footage of behaviour, thanks for sharing JL
ReplyDeleteAt least the big buck recovers rather well, but it's pretty amusing nonetheless!
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed the Gosforth mirroring of the deer activity on Liddells!
ReplyDeleteGreat footage and commentary - thx Chris. Sadly, yesterday we saw a dead deer just south of the roundabout where Sandy Lane joins the A189 so quite near the reserve.
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