Red Deer: wild, managed and magnificent
For all the wildlife we discuss while travelling through the North Highlands, our larger land animals can be surprisingly difficult to find. Birds give us plenty to watch, while the rivers, lochs and coastal waters support a wealth of life that generally keeps itself out of sight, but red deer can make their presence rather more obvious. A mature stag stepping into view still has the power to interrupt whatever I am telling guests, particularly if it stays long enough for us to appreciate the size of Britain’s largest land mammal. I have seen a great many over the years, but familiarity has done little to diminish the pleasure.
They look particularly magnificent as summer turns to autumn, with the stags well fed from the warmer months and carrying the antlers they have grown afresh that year. As the rut begins, their voices become as impressive as their appearance, and hearing those roars carry across the country on a moonless night is something quite extraordinary. Beneath the Milky Way, perhaps with the Northern Lights adding to the occasion, it can feel wonderfully ethereal, although the animals themselves are engaged in the practical business of assessing their rivals. Roaring, pacing and walking alongside one another give them opportunities to establish who should withdraw before either has to risk a fight.
That arrangement only works if somebody agrees to back down, as I discovered while watching a magnificent stag circling his group of hinds. An equally impressive rival appeared, and after a considerable exchange of roars and displays, neither seemed prepared to concede. Eventually their antlers met, leaving the two absorbed in a contest of strength while younger stags moved among the hinds and took advantage of the distraction. All that physical power was being directed towards defeating the animal immediately in front of them, while the youngsters were finding rather less strenuous ways to pursue their interests. It was an entertaining demonstration of how possessing the finest antlers does not necessarily mean keeping control of the situation.
By March or April, it can be difficult to recognise that same splendid animal in a stag emerging from winter. The effort of the rut, followed by months of limited grazing, can leave open-hill deer looking thin, with ragged coats and, as spring progresses, none of the antlers that gave them such an imposing presence. Some estates provide supplementary feed, reminding us that these legally wild animals inhabit a landscape in which people exert considerable influence over their lives. Deer management and stalking deserve a separate discussion, but for now I am content to enjoy the encounter. Even after watching their seasonal fortunes change, I still find a red deer appearing close by startling and magnificent, without ever feeling the desire to shoot one.
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