Late Season Roe Buck Behaviour

Tankos

Member
Hi All,

Forgive me if this is a silly question but having done some accompanied stalking, recently passed my DSC1, joined a syndicate and been 'cut loose' on my own for the first time I have been finding the stalking challenging to say the least and any tips would be greatly appreciated!

I stalk a 1500 acre predominantly mature forested area in south west Scotland which I am assured holds red and roe deer and this is verified by the amount of tracks I see in muddy areas of the paths. However despite a number of long sits in high seats and my best efforts at walk and stalking I have seen very little. I understand from speaking to a few people including the local farmer that the woodland reds in the area are not particularly timid and it is more an element of luck of being around at the right time when they are 'in town' so to speak.

My question is regarding Roe Bucks; during my 2 x 3 day recent stalking visits thus far I have seen a handful of Doe's but no Bucks yet. I have been told by a few people that they go to ground for a few weeks after the rut to rest up. Based on people's experience do they start showing themselves again before October 20th and if so how soon?

Thanks in advance
 
hi bud having joined did you meet any of the other syndicate lads at all? these guys would be worth asking, its hard on new ground all you can do is get out as often as you can see were the deer are moving to, is this just forestry? any good feeding grounds near by?. any sheltered areas on the ground? is the ground in question stalkable ?. my suggestion is get cameras up whilst you are there find the routes they use and stick at it reds have incredible hearing and eye sight stalk really slowly then go slower glass all the time into the trees. i often find reds a couple of breaks in from rides laying up but on look out.
deer like certain areas at different times of year find were they like and at what times but that means getting out there.
roe do go off for a while into cover after rut but i found on my ground they have been fairly elusive most of the year but i have had to stalk abit different and sitting in cover for them.
atb wayne
 
Wayne,

Thanks for the tips mate, some good food for thought and much appreciated.

I have spoken with a couple of other lads on the syndicate but they have only been on the patch 12 months; they said it is tougher than their previous patch and they haven't figured it out themselves yet although they have winkled out a few. They tell me it is much more fruitful in winter when the cover has died back and food is more scarce though I would dearly love my first solo buck or stag before winter comes around!

It is just forestry though there are some clearings and areas that border scrubby sheep/cattle fields complete with high seats; these have been my main focus so far on the premise that If I'm sitting still I can't be making mistakes! I am definitely guilty of moving too fast and need to concentrate on taking my time a lot more. The majority of the patch is dense evergreen forest with the usual breaks/rides although there are overgrown vehicle tracks running around the forest that can be quietly stalked. Moving stealthily through the thick stuff seems impossible unless I was to do a lot of crawling so I have stayed out of this not wanting to get **** wet through and covered in ticks etc. without a good chance of a shot at the end of it!

Good idea on the cameras; they are on my wish list but having recently invested in training, rifle, equipment and syndicate fee they will have to wait a while!
 
Woodland reds are notoriously difficult to stalk .. we have reds on our ground all
year round, I see their slots and crap every time I stalk, and that's sometimes
up to three times a week... There will be certain areas that they will favor, the
rest of the ground largely ignored .. keep your eyes open for wallows at this time
of the year as well as that will give you somewhere to concentrate your efforts.
Of all the hours I spend on the ground, I seldom ever see them... Ghosts in the night!!!
 
they are hard work but worth the effort,these next few weeks will be ideal to get an idea of were they are as you will hear them roaring and you should get on them,
just move slowly as i say there hearing and sight is unreal and you wont even know they have legged it ,i can't believe how big these are but how silent they can move if quite you can get on them even under crunchy bracken.
like cadex says the wallows will be evident now i have cameras out on some in hopes for weekend. I also like to get out on bits people dont stalk and it is always worthwhile even with a hard drag, to me this is what stalking is about spending time finding them and getting on them without them knowing i also stalk hard ground and love it,atb and good luck
 
Thanks for the tips chaps, I will implement this weekend and let you know if I am successful!

it does amaze me how such a big animal with antlers can move through undergrowth so silently!
 
Roe bucks are about and still have to feed so I don't believe these stories that they have 'disappeared'.
A beginner error I made myself a lot is to stalk too fast and not use the binoculars as often as I should have. You loose focus and suddenly 4 or 5 deer get bumped out of a hedge right in front of you and all you see is their rump patches.
If you bump deer you'll find that Roe will often run for 50-70 yards, than stop and look around at you. Quite often this is a good opportunity to take the shot...if you are ready for it.
Simply shouting loud at a disappearing deer can also make it stop and look at you. Bang.

Going out stalking with more experienced friends showed me that I was too fast, too noise and too clumsy, and I totally missed deer out in the open but maybe two or three fields (500-700 Yards) ahead of me.
Another beginners error is to stalk the same route each time you go out - sometimes it pays to get onto your patch from another access point and stalk a different route (depending on wind direction as well of course). Also vary the times: AM and PM, and in Winter mid-day can be productive as well; and during the Roe rut all day.
Also don't be fooled by the many success stories and bragging on this site: I have spoken to profs. who's success rate is about 1:3 but who sometimes have a run of 10-12 outings with not shooting anything at all. You may be doing nothing wrong, and your perceived 'bad luck' at least teaches you the lay of the land, where the tracks run, and you can observe any damage to trees and shrubs, knowledge that you will use to your advantage once your luck turns. Your first year on new land is about learning and observing - your culling success will come, eventually.
Good hunting.
 
Roe bucks are about and still have to feed so I don't believe these stories that they have 'disappeared'.
A beginner error I made myself a lot is to stalk too fast and not use the binoculars as often as I should have. You loose focus and suddenly 4 or 5 deer get bumped out of a hedge right in front of you and all you see is their rump patches.
If you bump deer you'll find that Roe will often run for 50-70 yards, than stop and look around at you. Quite often this is a good opportunity to take the shot...if you are ready for it.
Simply shouting loud at a disappearing deer can also make it stop and look at you. Bang.

Going out stalking with more experienced friends showed me that I was too fast, too noise and too clumsy, and I totally missed deer out in the open but maybe two or three fields (500-700 Yards) ahead of me.
Another beginners error is to stalk the same route each time you go out - sometimes it pays to get onto your patch from another access point and stalk a different route (depending on wind direction as well of course). Also vary the times: AM and PM, and in Winter mid-day can be productive as well; and during the Roe rut all day.
Also don't be fooled by the many success stories and bragging on this site: I have spoken to profs. who's success rate is about 1:3 but who sometimes have a run of 10-12 outings with not shooting anything at all. You may be doing nothing wrong, and your perceived 'bad luck' at least teaches you the lay of the land, where the tracks run, and you can observe any damage to trees and shrubs, knowledge that you will use to your advantage once your luck turns. Your first year on new land is about learning and observing - your culling success will come, eventually.
Good hunting.

Brilliant advice. I am learning the hard, very hard way.. LOL!
 
Ask the syndicate members for some hotspots? That's what I usually do, just ask where they are and concentrate on that spot till I spot them or as very often happens find something on the way in or out.

Here's two films showing how I stalk and also how hard the deer can be to spot in seemingly open spaces. I focus a lot on staying dry, warm & comfortable so I can glass the area properly. Hope there is at least something of use in them. Good luck!



 
Thanks for the continued advice fellas, it's much appreciated and I will try build it all into my game moving forward.

Was out last weekend with a real focus on moving more slowly and glassing more often. No venison to bring home but had my best stalk yet getting into a position where I observed a couple of does grazing about 50 yards away before they casually melted into the thick stuff.

Encouraging stuff! Back in action in a couple of weeks for one last crack at the bucks & stags for the year.
 
Hi All,

Forgive me if this is a silly question but having done some accompanied stalking, recently passed my DSC1, joined a syndicate and been 'cut loose' on my own for the first time I have been finding the stalking challenging to say the least and any tips would be greatly appreciated!

I stalk a 1500 acre predominantly mature forested area in south west Scotland which I am assured holds red and roe deer and this is verified by the amount of tracks I see in muddy areas of the paths. However despite a number of long sits in high seats and my best efforts at walk and stalking I have seen very little. I understand from speaking to a few people including the local farmer that the woodland reds in the area are not particularly timid and it is more an element of luck of being around at the right time when they are 'in town' so to speak.

My question is regarding Roe Bucks; during my 2 x 3 day recent stalking visits thus far I have seen a handful of Doe's but no Bucks yet. I have been told by a few people that they go to ground for a few weeks after the rut to rest up. Based on people's experience do they start showing themselves again before October 20th and if so how soon?

Thanks in advance

Are you too eager ? I have roe residents & the odd red , watching them regular. Deer have been on the planet longer than most mammals for a reason, they are very sensitive & know you are there 500yds before you see them scamper, if care not taken .. Practise makes for perfect. Be patient & look at it like an apprenticeship .
 
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