For as long as I can remember, I have been photographing deer. In fact, I learnt pretty much everything I know about wildlife photography from photographing them. So, every year when autumn comes around, I always get a little excited as I know that this is the time when deer are at their most active. Of course, I am talking about the deer rut.
For those that don’t know, the deer rut is when the bucks or stags (male deer) compete with each other for breeding rights with the does or hinds (female deer). This usually involves a lot of vocalisation, shows of dominance by way of head nodding or walking parallel to other males and occasionally comes together in a clash of antlers. This fighting, known as the “rut”, can result in serious injury or even death so is usually a last resort for males but with testosterone running high, sometimes it is worth it to prove to the harem (group of female deer) that they are worthy to produce the next season’s offspring.
Living in the south of England, the New Forest National Park is where I go to photograph two of the main species of deer we have in the UK. Fallow deer and red deer. Both of these deer’s rutting season falls between September and October, just as the colours of the leaves on the trees are beginning to change, it provides a fantastic opportunity to capture these beautiful animals. The red deer rut is first, usually starting in September and lasting through to the start of October and these are the main target. One of only two species of native deer (the other being roe deer) we have in the UK, it always feels very special to me to photograph these impressive animals so close to home. Moving into October, the red deer are beginning to calm down and mate but now it is the turn of the fallow deer. A deer that originally was introduced in the 11th century from the Mediterranean, they are our only species of deer with palmate antlers.
These antlers are more akin to those found on moose and are flatter and smoother than the fork-like antlers of the red deer. Fallow deer tend to rut in forest clearings rather than open fields or heathland and create stands where they will scrub up the soil and mark their territory, signalling to the females that they are ready to mate and to any other males that they are boss. Just like the red deer, they are constantly vocalising through this period and with a belching pig-like call, it’s not hard to hear them.
As I mentioned, this is one of my favourite times of the year, but if you want to get some of your own photos of the deer we have in the UK, then please be aware that these are wild animals who need to be respected. If you don’t know how to approach deer, I would recommend hiring someone who does and learning from them, or find a local deer park and view them from a safe distance. Around 50 metres is more than sufficient to take some great environmental portraits and allow the deer to behave naturally without disturbance.
To see more of Ben’s work, visit his website: www.bensutcliffephoto.com – and keep up to date with Ben over on Instagram: ben_sutcliffe_photo