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Red deer pair in camera view

 

 

In evenings and nights and before dawn the bellows and roars of the red deer bucks, stags, can be heard. The rutting period of red deer has started.

 

They are quite large animals: adult deer bucks weigh on average a couple of hundred kilos, the females, hinds, about 75 kilos less – a rather large difference. While the shoulder height of the female is around 1 metre 20 centimetres the height of the male is about 15 centimetres more.

 

Red deer have been introduced in the Estonian islands; their number there is estimated at about 2 500 individuals. On the mainland, where they have also arrived from Latvia, the number of red deer is about 750.

 

Red deer inhabit forests with a dense plant undergrowth but also in conifer forests with clearings that provide a rich menu.

 

The summertime bull flocks have fallen apart. The mature individuals identify the strongest between themselves; this is accompanied by vocalisations and in case of equal voice strength, wrangles between the competitors may come about which sometimes end in injuries for both stags. As members of a polygamous species strong males gather a harem for themselves with more than three females, if possible ten or even more. For the adult big males with powerful antlers the rutting period is physically quite exhausting since they have no time to eat: the rivals covet the harem keeper’s position for themselves and the harem in turn needs protection against intruders.

 

Of course all this would be highly interesting to see on webcam.