I have been photographing the annual Red Deer Rut at Bradgate Park now for many years and it is an event that I try not to miss. I think Red Deer are one of the most spectacular species to be found in the UK and the Autumnal Rut is without doubt one of the best times to see and photograph them. I have always enjoyed covering the rut, but it was extra special this year after what seemed an age being in lockdown and was nice to finally get out with the camera again.
The Rut at Bradgate was tough going this year for various reasons. Everyone has their own theories so here is mine. The rut started much earlier this year (about 10 days) because of the cold snap we experienced at the end of September. This cold snap brought a few females into season early and we then had warm weather throughout October and so the rest of the females came into season over a much longer period and even towards the end of October some females were coming in to season late. So basically, we never experienced that intense few days at the height of the rut which makes it very frenetic during the middle part. It was a long rut for the poor Stags.
Speaking with the rangers they were telling me it was really busy in the park during the summer months after a few months of lockdown and this is quite a critical time of the year for the females as they have just given birth to their young and because of the number of people never ventured far and stayed in the sanctuary most of the time. Usually during the months of September and October you can find the small family groups of females and their accompanying Stags dotted around the Park feeding on the last off the new growth grasses. But the vast majority stayed in the sanctuary during the day and only came out to feed at night. Deer are creatures of habit and so why change. But all this coincided with a very good crop of acorns which the deer love to eat and so there was plenty of food in the sanctuary which meant most of the activity was in there.
It made it hard work for me in getting people close to the Deer, but I changed tack a little and started using basic fieldcraft techniques to get closer to the deer to get some shots. These images were a case in point. The Stags scent mark during the rut and this large fallen branch was a focal point for this activity (you can see how worn down it was) so we kind of sat close by and waited to see what would unfold. On the day I took these images four different Stags passed by to rub their own scent and have a good scratch. I have seen this behaviour many times but never gave it a second thought but to watch it at close hand and over a period of a few days was fascinating. You never stop learning.
I think when the rut is good you can get stuck in your ways and just look at covering the bellowing Stags or any fighting going on between rival males. I guess you take the easy option but when you have to work harder it comes down to what you know about the Deer and also what you know about the Park itself. This year it was great just trying to capture other aspects of their behaviour like fighting between females, visiting mud wallows or just staking out river crossings in the late afternoon where the females would gather before plucking up the courage to cross.
I always like the chance of photographing in the rain, the Deer look fantastic when wet and you can really pick out the detail in their fur and antlers. The Deer do not like getting wet and every now and then they try to shake the water of them. They give you a little bit of a warning when they are going to do this as they drop their head slightly just before they shake, but it is still quick, so you must be ready. One of the best ways of getting this shot is find the Deer that are sitting down whilst they chew the cud. If it is raining heavily, they will keep sitting and then when it stops, they slowly one by one get up and have a good shake. I have been after a shot of big Stag shaking for years but I kind of want it straight head on. I nearly got it this year, but he turned slightly at the last minute, oh well try again next year.
Bradgate is also good for photographing Fallow Deer and the Fallow Rut was good this year with a good four or five dominant bucks. The stands were in good areas as well, so it was good to have these guys as a fall back and I spent a lot of time with them. One male in particular was excellent for about a six-day period and gave me some great encounters as he was busy impressing the females on his stand.
So, another year and another Rut covered. I know I am getting older as it is hard work walking around Bradgate for three weeks and I have to admit I was knackered at the end of my stint this year. I will finish off with a couple of silhouettes taken of a couple of Stags that were following the females as they crossed the river at dusk. It was a nice spot and gave some great opportunities. Also, a couple of images of a young stag that tried his best but couldn’t gey a foothold with a group of females, his time will come, and he is good prospect for next year. I have put on the dates for next year so if you fancy joining me for a special day with the deer please take a look. Thanks everyone that joined me this year and I really appreciated your support during this difficult year.