While most of our wildlife is preparing for colder weather and longer nights, one group of animals are gearing up for their breeding season; during late autumn and early winter, Deer begin their annual rut. Deer are our largest native land mammals, with male Red Deer weighing an impressive 190 kg.
During the rutting period, the males, known as bucks, can be very vocal and quite conspicuous. Rutting is most intense just after dawn, when males engage in vigorous and aggressive battles, locking antlers in a fight for females and mating rights. Prior to actual combat, males will strut up and down beside each, assessing their opponent’s strength and size. They’ll even tangle vegetation in their antlers to make them look bigger!
Watching these interesting mating behaviours in the wild can be exciting and rewarding, and can be experienced at sites such as Bushy Park, Richmond Park and The New Forest. During this period though, the male Deer are pumped full of testosterone and highly aggressive, so always watch from a distance. The rutting behaviour or the smaller Chinese Water Deer is quite different. These Deer, along with Muntjac Deer, are relative newcomers to the United Kingdom, being introduced in the last 90 years or so.
Their numbers have increased dramatically and they can now be found all over the UK. The Chinese Water Deer is unusual because the bucks don’t have antlers – instead they have tusks. During the rutting season, the males fight by dancing around each other, using these tusks to try and slash faces and ears.
While our Deer are being very active at this time of year, many of our smaller mammals are preparing to hibernate. Dormice and Hedgehogs will be fattening up, laying down enough energy reserves to allow them to sleep through the colder months of the year. Hedgehogs in particular are attracted to large mounds of leaf litter, or piles of logs and branches. Therefore, before starting any bonfires come the 5th of November, check first there are no Hedgehogs asleep in the pile before setting alight to the bonfire.
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