Red stags are at their most magnificent during the annual rutting season, when males compete for females. Their antlers grow larger, their necks widen so that they can roar louder and their posture becomes regal and commanding. But the females can be hard to find.
Red deer rut
The annual red deer rut takes place every autumn. At this time, red stags compete for females, or hinds, in loud and often dramatic stand-offs. The name of the game is to collect as many hinds as possible and prevent younger males from stealing them. The name 'harem' has been borrowed from Arabic to describe a males' herd of hinds.
Wild Scotland
I travelled to Ardnamurchan in the Highlands of Scotland to watch the red deer rut. I could hear the roaring of the stags ringing across the valleys. from the moment I arrived. During the rut, a red stag's roar becomes louder and deeper. This is because their necks actually grow wider, a biological change that is thought to be triggered by autumn’s shortening days and makes space for their larynxes to fully open.
Red stags
Stags grow new antlers every year, especially for the event. Hunters classify stags according to the number of points to their antlers. During my trip I watched an Imperial Stag, with 14 points, each gleaming with sharp white tips, and a Royal, with 12 points. Their entire focus becomes about gathering hinds and guarding them. There are always competitors waiting in the wings to steal away, but they have to find them first.
