Late mating

[Strath sniper]

While out at the hinds last week I noticed a hind away from the group on her own, a young stag appeared from behind a knoll and was fallowing her. As soon as she stopped her mounted and mated with her. I've heard of mating inbetween Christmas and the new year but never into January. If all goes well then it would be a September calf...!
Any one else seen matings so late.?

 

[bogtrotter]

Yes several times hinds will keep coming back into season if not mated, such matings are invariably with young stags older stags having long ago gathered together in bachelor herds

As to late calves I am sure it happens but any calves born in September would have a poor survival rate,I have shot small calves at the start of the hind season, but whether they were late births or just poor do-ers its hard to say.

 

[JTO]

Perhaps she was barren, but kept coming in season/being receptive. You might find she was full of fat. We shot a Roe doe in February once, that was not pregnant, and had a fair amount of fat about her.

 

[wheely]

I managed a herd of sika in the midlands. We regularly had calves in September and occasionally in October too. As the deer were in a park and well fed these calves usually coped well.

 

[bogtrotter]

I managed a herd of sika in the midlands. We regularly had calves in September and occasionally in October too. As the deer were in a park and well fed these calves usually coped well.

That I can believe but park deer are a lot different from those on the open hill, I do thing calves born in September would struggle to survive a Highland winter.

 

[bogtrotter]

Perhaps she was barren, but kept coming in season/being receptive. You might find she was full of fat. We shot a Roe doe in February once, that was not pregnant, and had a fair amount of fat about her.

Where as Roe tend to come into season only once a year( there are recorded cases of Does coming in a second time but it is quite rare. Red deer on the other hand will keep coming back into season if they have not been mated or the mating was unsuccessful.

 

[User00025]

When managing Sika in the wild a few years ago, we had calves born from April to September. It all fits with Sika as the rut can start in August and finish any time up until the middle of November.

 

[moose]

I was shooting hinds on GlenArtney at Comrie in Perthshire, on Thursday, and saw the same, but it was a cracking Royal Stag and he was covering a yearling hind, he also roared quite a few times and covered her three times, my mate was out the day before and heard a stag roaring as well.
Primarily the stag and hinds were in separate groups, but all the hind groups had some stags dotted through them.
Perhaps the cold weather had maybe brought them on again as it was a glorious day on the hill, -6 and not a cloud in the sky nor a breath of wind
The old Head stalker said he had seen it once before between Christmas and New Year.

Moose

 

[caorach]

I've seen a very new sika calf in October and I've also seen small sika stags start to take an interest in the hinds (though never actually seen them mating) in February.

We also had a rut that went on quite late this year and even the big stags were with the hinds (sika again) quite late on. I wondered, with no supporting evidence, if because the weather was so good and the calves did well if some of the better calves were coming into season into November and this was prolonging the rut?

 

[User00001]

With late born park calves and fawn I was always quite keen to cull both dam and young if they could still be identified once the season opened. It's true that they may well survive but I always wanted animals to thrive rather than just survive.

I managed a herd of sika in the midlands. We regularly had calves in September and occasionally in October too. As the deer were in a park and well fed these calves usually coped well.