I have often said that the secretive roe deer will always surprise you. No matter how well a hunter knows their ground, there are surprises around every tree. We had such a surprise recently.
We were on the ground before dawn and even though it was pouring with rain, we were full of anticipation for what lay ahead. Signs of the rut had started a week earlier, albeit with the usual slow build-up of action. The first doe that comes into oestrus seems to set a chain reaction among the doe population on the estate, and before long they are all coming into season, wanting to mate.
The boys have to be fit and ready for this marathon. I have seen some older bucks exhausted towards the end of it. When they have