Roe rut....well something's on.

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Antonyweeks

Well-Known Member
Out on a local permission first thing this morning. Didn't spot anything until about 6.30 in the final field: two roe does grazing their way across to some woods. Older and younger doe. Perfectly normal. I looked around for a buck with the thermal and after 5 mins as they got closer to the woods a decent sized buck jumped over the fence and trotted meaningfully towards them. He ignored the older doe and then proceeded to chase the younger smaller doe around and around. In fact I thought perhaps I'd not identified the youngster properly and wondered if it was a button buck being chased off but it clearly wasn't. The doe stopped as did the buck and off they went again, going around in figures of 8. Eventually the young doe headed off to the small woodland jumped the fence closely followed by the buck. The older doe munched along for a bit and then headed into the woods too. Surely the rut couldn't have weirdly started early with all this warm weather?? I just wondered if anyone else had seen something like this?
 
Not unusual to be honest.
At this time of year older bucks carry out a lot of patrolling their territories. Plenty of cover up, does are feeding up ready to give birth. Bucks, especially older ones wander around rounding up potential does, especially younger ones that have yet to be mated, and checking everything out.

I find by mid June Bucks can go a bit quiet for a while. Feeding up and laying up ready for the rut at the end of July, start of August.
 
Our bucks have went in June /early July the last 3 years




Deer don’t have calendars or say we can’t rut it’s not the first week in August.

I wouldn’t be surprised if this heat has got them confused or thinking about something
 
I just wondered whether, whilst the 'rut' has its' historic times, in some years weather patterns etc can change it? Certainly around here the rut last year was super fast (apparently) and over before even some local seasoned stalkers realised.
 
Antonyweeks said:
I just wondered whether, whilst the 'rut' has its' historic times, in some years weather patterns etc can change it? Certainly around here the rut last year was super fast (apparently) and over before even some local seasoned stalkers realised.
Click to expand...
Weather can play a role in when they are mostly active, but the rutting period is determined by the females and is pretty much the same every year.
 
I think people confuse male-male aggression with the rut.

Males will be fighting to establish territories. They may even have a go at harassing females.

But they can’t rut simply because the females aren’t in oestrus. Many females will still be pregnant. The rest will have very young dependent kids. The females won’t be in oestrus for at least another 6 weeks, more likely 8.

All the available data show that the actual onset of the roe oestrus is not very flexible at all - in fact, has barely shifted at all. It’s strongly constrained by several things. First, the females have to have enough time to get back into condition after giving birth and carrying the major metabolic load of suckling. There is no way that can happen this early. Second, it seems that day length is one of the major triggers (if not the key determinant). There is no way oestrus will be triggered while the days are still getting longer.
 
Antonyweeks said:
I just wondered whether, whilst the 'rut' has its' historic times, in some years weather patterns etc can change it? Certainly around here the rut last year was super fast (apparently) and over before even some local seasoned stalkers realised.
Click to expand...
It caught out my friend who stalked professionally for 22 years , last year.

He knew he’d been caught out and admitted it to be fair
 
Out last night N Lancs and saw bucks and does separately. Nothing. At the weekend there was a lot of movement but the weather was ideal so no suprise, still I suspect early August to be the peak here-as usual.
 
Took myself out on a farm I have in West Sussex this morning.
3 fields total crop failure, unbelievably bad, never seen it this bad since I started on there, about 18 years ago.
First field 1 doe and fawn, second field 1 doe and a fawn, plus a buck and a doe.
The buck and doe were in the middle of the field, but started to make for the woodland edge.
I decided to make a go for him and was able to stalk on the opposite side of a long hedge, that eventually takes you to the bottom of the hill and along the adjoining wood.

Both the buck and doe were now on the headland about 180yds away. I watched the buck thrash the edge of the wood, and then paw the ground. He was stuck to the1000014726.jpg doe all the time.
But no chasing or running, so the doe was not that keen. So sticks up, and my BMH to heel. Took a long look at the buck, nice 6 point, quite tall too.
I decided to take him, but wanted to make the ground up between me and him. No chance, if I showed myself he would be off.
Cherry wood call got his attention, and slowly but surely he made his way towards me.
The doe was also following, but he was very cautious.
I waited a few minutes and gave him another toot on the call, and this time he came into about 100yds.
Dropped to the 270. The doe didn't move, and even whilst I gralloched the buck, she stood about 90yds watching me.
After this i decided to sit on another field in the highseat, about the only field with standing crops. But nothing showed. All the deer were moving really early.
so breakfast on the field, with Toby my BMH.
Who decided that the bacon sandwich was better than his dog biscuits
1000014724.jpg
 
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Cracking head. Interesting that the does had single kids , that's all I've seen this year no twins all singles ?
 
A nice one for yourself malc, everything here has gone quiet I seen one deer last night so decided to call it quits going out this morning, still need a few more days over here it seems like.
 
Lovely head. Do tell us what it measures.
I have seen some activity at night with the thermal.
Does coming to Cherrywood but bucks not very intrested as yet.
D
 
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