Roe Rut - not a fan

[wildfowler.250]

Folks, I don’t get the hype. Nothing seems to be consistent. The bucks never seem to stay in the same place? I can’t work out if the bucks move for the does. Or the does move to find the bucks,(as I believe). Or a bit of both? I wouldn’t have thought territories went out the window but you can’t guarantee buck A will be in spot A unlike earlier in the year.

Calling seems to be completely variable.

Some does are in heat. Some aren’t. You can be watching a doe which is completely on its own then suddenly 3 fields away, a different doe is being chased by 2 bucks.

Then half the time the cover is way up depending on the harvest situ.

Give me April/May any day. Animals are always in the same place to the point where you can almost guarantee what paths they will take.

Can’t just be me?

 

[Shootgun]

That's the beauty of it, and that's why i love it !

 

[bullet chucker]

It's called nature?

BC.

 

[tjm160]

I'm glad it's not just me wildfowler, not that I have anything against, I've just had a successful outing tonight that I'm still processing, precisely because of very similar confusing examples to yours.

 

[Heym SR20]

Roe Deer seem totally incapable of reading the books or following the rules. Yesterday evening was hot, thundery with plenty of does hanging about with a cigarette and pert behind just looking for a good time.

Perfect

Yet not a buck to be seen any where.

I actually think the rut is not the best time to shoot bucks and especially not red stags. They tend to be somewhat high in taste.

But lots of fun can be had calling them in. And when it works and you are almost knocked over by a doe or a buck rushing to your call its exhilarating, and when its a big stag thinking that you having your wicked way with harem - well that certainly gets the heart going and a steady nerve to take an incoming stag 15 yards from the end of your barrels.

Sadly the younger generation with all their focus on digital and long range will never understand what I am talking about nor ever experience up close and personal.

Its like shooting. If you have a fat wallet, you can waddle out to your peg and applaud yourself with your wonderful field craft as loads of fat corn reared chickens (well they might as well be) are driven over your head, and then you toddle off for a good lunch. Or you can build your knowledge, watch the weather and the tides and get yourself into that hole in the trink on the way to the main gutter, and you listen and see the redshanks and curlews starting to move, then a teal whistles through and is gone before you know it. The widgeon start to move and then on the wind you hear the “pink pink” of the geese. Do I take a duck or hang on for a goose. You switch cartridges and get lower and pink pink becomes an all enveloping wall of noise as a few thousand geese come in on top of you ………,

Well you get the picture - every now and then you get it right.

 

[wildfowler.250]

It's called nature?

BC.

I get that. It just seems strange to me that folk seem to think it’s prime time - I’d tend to disagree. Certainly reds / sika / fallow do become a fair bit easier and I can get the appeal of the deer being more vocal. Roe seem to go a bit all over the show and I do think a lot happens over night.

Early spring is far more consistent. Albeit the antlers are sometimes a bit pale if that’s an issue

 

[Covert]

I get that. It just seems strange to me that folk seem to think it’s prime time - I’d tend to disagree. Certainly reds / sika / fallow do become a fair bit easier and I can get the appeal of the deer being more vocal. Roe seem to go a bit all over the show and I do think a lot happens over night.

Early spring is far more consistent. Albeit the antlers are sometimes a bit pale if that’s an issue

Personally, it is the pinnacle of the Roe calendar.
Not necessarily the prime/ easy time to shoot them but a special time which offers opportunities to see them interact.
May be I am coming from a different viewpoint but to be out in the woods and fields during the rut,not necessarily to pull the trigger is something to be treasured .

 

[Malxwal]

No interest in using calls to trick animals to appear in front of me to be shot.

 

[pablo.222]

Nothing more exciting than having something youve never seen around before appear infront of you out of nowhere. Then sometimes disappear just as quick.

 

[HonestJohn]

Nothing more exciting than having something youve never seen around before appear infront of you out of nowhere. Then sometimes disappear just as quick.

Are we talking about hot women?

 

[SSN100]

Folks, I don’t get the hype. Nothing seems to be consistent. The bucks never seem to stay in the same place? I can’t work out if the bucks move for the does. Or the does move to find the bucks,(as I believe). Or a bit of both? I wouldn’t have thought territories went out the window but you can’t guarantee buck A will be in spot A unlike earlier in the year.

Calling seems to be completely variable.

Some does are in heat. Some aren’t. You can be watching a doe which is completely on its own then suddenly 3 fields away, a different doe is being chased by 2 bucks.

Then half the time the cover is way up depending on the harvest situ.

Give me April/May any day. Animals are always in the same place to the point where you can almost guarantee what paths they will take.

Can’t just be me?

Exciting isn’t it!

 

[Covert]

No interest in using calls to trick animals to appear in front of me to be shot.

Each to their own.
In my experience calling Roe is no guarantee of success. Doesn’t stop me trying though.
Out of curiosity, would you squeak a fox ?

 

[HonestJohn]

It’s a bit like dry fly fishing when there’s no real signs of a hatch. When that old 8lb brownie does rise and take your fly, oh boy.

 

[Malxwal]

Each to their own.
In my experience calling Roe is no guarantee of success. Doesn’t stop me trying though.
Out of curiosity, would you squeak a fox ?

I don't shoot foxes unless they're taking lambs.

 

[Heym SR20]

It’s a bit like dry fly fishing when there’s no real signs of a hatch. When that old 8lb brownie does rise and take your fly, oh boy.

Roe Rut, and the Stag Roaring time is the equivalent of the Mayfly hatch on a trout river.

The reason both are popular is because of spectacle and excitement, especially for those for whom stalking or fishing is a savoured event, rather than an everyday or every week occurrence.

It is also a marketing ploy - you can sell the last two weeks of the Stags for a premium because the rut is hopefully fully underway.

 

[Happy stalker]

Sadly the younger generation with all their focus on digital and long range will never understand what I am talking about nor ever experience up close and personal.

And sadly that is so true for many

 

[Blaser243]

It's not the most efficient time to stalk, its just the most "different" to the rest of the season and as a result, probably the most interesting and unpredictable. Getting a buck to come into a call is by no means guaranteed, but when they do, what sport!

I also think it is a time when the bucks are far more active and visible than during June/July and late August/September. I tend to shoot most of mine in April/May and then again a few in October.

It's just a lovely time to be out without a cull target in mind - enjoying mooching around with a nice rifle rather than a culling machine (and the thermal scope!) and if you shoot one, lovely - something for next weekend's BBQ. The massed herds and worries over whether the game dealer will take all that you've shot can wait until its cold and wet. I take pleasure in that alone.

 

[Merlyn]

Out on Sunday evening, conditions perfect, and the only doe that I saw was wandering around a rape stubble field like she didn't have a care, or a thought, in the world.
This morning, on the same field, just after first light - Nothing.
Two hours later, there was an explosion of activity as two roebucks crashed through the hedge about twenty yards to my left and belted off across the field, through the gateway and off across the next field without stopping or slowing down.
Twenty minutes later, one roebuck recrossed my field about 350 yards away, looking like he'd been on the razzle all night, but I rather think it was one of the ones who had passed me earlier.
No does observed at all.
Possible my two young tyros were gay?
That'll screw up my cull figures somewhat.

 

[The Singing Stalker]

It is not really of interest to me as I sell the meat and pretty sure my customers would put their noses up. So if I did shoot anything, it would go to the game dealer as I believe he exports most of it.
I will still be out after Munties and will use the caller, just to see if I can get a Roe Buck to come in, not necessarily to shoot though.

 

[JH83]

If you have a cull to achieve and a lot of your stalking is bracken ridden woodland the rut is an opportunity not to be missed. For me 8-12th August is key calling time, when it is winding down and bucks are less likely to be with a receptive doe and a little more desperate.

As other have said, the flash of orange as one is rushing the call is a real adrenaline rush to boot.