Red Deer Rut, New Forest
14-11-2009
Fantastic!!
A chance meeting with an amateur photographer in October found me watching a beautiful Red Deer Stag with about 30 hind in the New Forest. Wow this was fantastic. 
It was a Saturday afternoon and I stayed watching them for quite a few hours. It was such a special day, no other stags appeared so there was no challenge. It was probably just as well because this stag was limping.
During the next couple of days I couldnt think about anything else and I just knew I had to go back. Very early the next morning before it was light I packed up my camera and set off accross the forest. I watched the sun come up as I
got closer and a beautiful mist hung in the valley, it was breathtaking. I parked the car and set off on foot, as I crossed a stream two red deer hind startled by my appearance ran off accross the heath. There was a slight frost on the ground and everywhere was shrouded in mist. In the distance I could see the distinctive shapes of the Red Deer. I crept closer and hid myself in a bush. waiting for them to come closer to me. To my surprise I realized this was a group of males, two large males and several adolescents. As the mist dispersed and the sun became warmer they moved past me. I had my shots.
Yesterday friends came to stay and we decided to see if the Red Deer would still be around. Pouring with rain & gale force winds blowing, undetered we set off to capture Red Deer. We found the Male group now joined by a third large male. We didn't witness any aggression but one of the stags was definatley more dominent that the others. I am pleased to say, it stopped raining long enough for us to get some really interesing shots, well worth getting soaked to the skin.
It was a Saturday afternoon and I stayed watching them for quite a few hours. It was such a special day, no other stags appeared so there was no challenge. It was probably just as well because this stag was limping.During the next couple of days I couldnt think about anything else and I just knew I had to go back. Very early the next morning before it was light I packed up my camera and set off accross the forest. I watched the sun come up as I
got closer and a beautiful mist hung in the valley, it was breathtaking. I parked the car and set off on foot, as I crossed a stream two red deer hind startled by my appearance ran off accross the heath. There was a slight frost on the ground and everywhere was shrouded in mist. In the distance I could see the distinctive shapes of the Red Deer. I crept closer and hid myself in a bush. waiting for them to come closer to me. To my surprise I realized this was a group of males, two large males and several adolescents. As the mist dispersed and the sun became warmer they moved past me. I had my shots.Yesterday friends came to stay and we decided to see if the Red Deer would still be around. Pouring with rain & gale force winds blowing, undetered we set off to capture Red Deer. We found the Male group now joined by a third large male. We didn't witness any aggression but one of the stags was definatley more dominent that the others. I am pleased to say, it stopped raining long enough for us to get some really interesing shots, well worth getting soaked to the skin.