Roe Rut 2023

Here in Northumberland went out the Monday and Wednesday before the gamefair and called both bucks with Does from a fair distance. Still seeing again last night lone does.
 
Here in Northumberland went out the Monday and Wednesday before the gamefair and called both bucks with Does from a fair distance. Still seeing again last night lone does.
Learning to use a caller. Can you call a buck if he’s already with a doe? Tried for ages last night. Could see him and got close but tall grass and wasn’t happy with shot. Got his attention but he just walked away and lay down. Spent time on YouTube today to keep learning how to use it but wondering if I’m on a hiding to nothing if he’s already with a doe?
 
Learning to use a caller. Can you call a buck if he’s already with a doe? Tried for ages last night. Could see him and got close but tall grass and wasn’t happy with shot. Got his attention but he just walked away and lay down. Spent time on YouTube today to keep learning how to use it but wondering if I’m on a hiding to nothing if he’s already with a doe?
should have said. Am in Hampshire and rut is definitely in progress
 
Learning to use a caller. Can you call a buck if he’s already with a doe? Tried for ages last night. Could see him and got close but tall grass and wasn’t happy with shot. Got his attention but he just walked away and lay down. Spent time on YouTube today to keep learning how to use it but wondering if I’m on a hiding to nothing if he’s already with a doe?
Quite often when a buck is with a doe you will get a good response to calling.

Most times the doe will lead the response to the call and the buck will follow the doe in towards you ideally enabling a shot to be taken if safe to do so and the buck fulfills your management goals.
 
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1st one to the call this season. In East Ayrshire.

I bumped a pair of twins that had been lying unseen. in the long grass. They just ran 80m and hung about thinking they couldn’t be seen. Decided to have a wee Squeak. 10 minutes later this boy charged out the trees, 100m, coming like train. He was almost 10m from me before I saw him as I was concentrating my scanning towards the twins. He clocked me, stopped and ran back in. Tried to bark to stop him but didn’t work. Couple of more Squeeks and he came charging back out and stopped at 30m 💥.
 
Went foxing last night and seen a gold and silver buck within probably 500 yards of each other, Uncle owns the land and only shoots 20-30 yearly and the 10 or so syndicate members are only allowed two (more of a stag property) so all these bucks just get left alone and recognise cars what are good and what are bad, gives them time to get into there prime without being harassed or hammered years prior.

Uncle can drive up to this one crop field and the red deer just sit there, if its another car especially pickups there off! there not dumb animals by any means.
 
Went foxing last night and seen a gold and silver buck within probably 500 yards of each other, Uncle owns the land and only shoots 20-30 yearly and the 10 or so syndicate members are only allowed two (more of a stag property) so all these bucks just get left alone and recognise cars what are good and what are bad, gives them time to get into there prime without being harassed or hammered years prior.

Uncle can drive up to this one crop field and the red deer just sit there, if its another car especially pickups there off! there not dumb animals by any means.
Sometimes think that stalking quietly makes them edgy (if they hear/see us). If we looked like dog walkers, they'd just stand and watch us
 
Quite often when a buck is with a doe you will get a good response to calling.

Most times the doe will lead the response to the call and the buck will follow the doe in towards you ideally enabling a shot to be taken if safe to do so and the buck fulfills your management goals.
This is my experience too. I often find is that its the doe who appears first to the call and the buck who follows her. I expect that whether or not you can draw him away from her if she is not interested in the call depends a bit on what stage the courtship is in and how much local competition he feels he has.

Last weekend I squeaked the call just for 2 squeaks and 4 Roe appeared before I got to the third squeak, the first being a doe. Having shot a roe buck I sat for 20 minutes or so and squeaked just twice again and a muntjac doe appeared with a buck in tow, so I shot them both (land owner wants muntjac shot on sight). Granted I have never had so many deer from so few squeaks before but it shows how responsive to calls does can be.
 
Out last night night for first time. Saw a big old buck should have been any easy stalk but fir some unknown reason he went back into the wood he had emerged from. Then bumped 3 in a small stubble field. V dark. Could see doe but buck was in very deep shadow under oaks and thick hedge. Wasn't a safe shot anyway. Stalked to 75 yds and watched through thermal he was following her every move but was inside hedge. My partner was out for a dog walk and saw roe in abundance!
 

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Was up in d&g last 2 days, weather was warm but very windy with heavy showers. Not much activity at all. Most bucks we saw were just lying down, few with does but very little chasing. Saw some really nice stags though, which will no doubt warrant another trip in October!!
He did say that he'd like to shoot a few more this year, if anyone's keen!
 
We went out tonight for an evenings deer spotting walk. Left 8.15pm and in 1 hr saw 16 roe. At least 10 bucks. Watched a buck chase another out of a field saw 3 different bucks in pursuit of does. Had a good view a big medal buck close to a big doe. Not ideal conditions but thermal made spotting roe in long grass some what easier. Past 9.30pm foxs came out saw one then five in a stubble field just across the road from a big housing estate. Place is alive with roe and foxs but all the land owners do not allow any deer or foxs to be shot. Lots of dog walkers so roe complete at ease with walkers. Sadly no pictures but saw the buck I posted last night again in same place. So in S Glos rut is certainly on.
D
 
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