Red deer rut 2025
Red deer rut is one of the my most favourite natural cycles to photograph. Majestic and powerful stags leave their hideouts where they stay throughout the year and go on the path of reproduction. A dangerous path from which many of them do not come back. From beginning of September stags spend 3-4 weeks fighting for females by showing of their strenght through roaring and fending of all the competitors. Onlz the most powerful ones have the chance to take part in reproduction.
And thats the part where I jump in. As as spectator I try to capture moments from the rut to showcase what a stunning cycle rutting season is.
18.9.2025 - First rutting experience of 2025
It’s September 18th and I’m returning to my home region for the red deer rut. Last year I missed it, so this time I’m even more fired up than in previous years. I wake up at 4:10 without an alarm, already eager for the first roar. At dawn the stags roar beautifully, but in the morning I return without a photo. But that did not matter, because it was just the beginning.
In the evening I choose a spot I mapped out in spring. Right after I arrive, the stags roar, but all of them in the forest. I sit at the edge of the meadow, hoping one will step out. I’m impatient but then suddenly one roars right below me. In my head I think: “He’s on the meadow”. I peek over the hill – and he’s there.
Shaking, I focus on the stag when my backpack tips me over in an awkward position and I fall into the grass like a sack of potatoes (😆). Luckily, the stag doesn’t care and keeps walking toward me, roaring the whole time. It feels like a dream. That’s how my first day of the 2025 rut ends.
And there’s a lot more.
22.9.2025 - Unexpected success
This morning, I decided to head into my usual terrain. It’s a tough place for photography, since the stags roar high up in the hills, and climbing up to them through the rocky ground really tests one’s stamina.
I tried it a few times that morning without any success, so I gave up and started walking back to the car along a forest path. The stags roars were weak, when I suddenly noticed some hinds on the forest path. As I got closer, I saw that the stag was also with them. So I sat down nearby and waited to see what would happen – and it truly turned into a remarkable experience.
23.9.2025 - Best rut of my life
After a successful start to the rut, I decided to try my luck at a location where I knew deer stayed in the meadows after sunrise. The catch, however, was that where there’s a deer in the meadow, there’s also a hunter. Still, I took the risk.
In the morning I arrived at the spot, and right away my mind was blown. In the early dawn I saw one of the biggest stags I have ever seen. I waited for my moment, but stag had other plans and ran over the horizon.
After a few seconds, another stag’s roared from below the hill, and I knew what’s about to happen. I quickly moved higher and saw 2 powerful stags approaching each other. Soon they clashed, but the fight lasted only about 20 seconds before each went in a different direction. The stag on the right won and left meadow with hinds.
I met the same stag again later – once more he stole the hinds from another stag. This time, without a fight; just a show of his strengt was enough.
I met the same stag again later – once more he stole the hinds from another stag. This time, without a fight; just a show of his strengt was enough.
23.9.2025 - Meeting with handicaped stags
After succesful morning I decided to try my luck again at evening. This time I slighly changed location and I managed to get closer to another stag roaring on the field.
This stag apparently had a broken or dislocated leg in the past, which later healed. Remarkably, despite walking with difficulty, he managed to gather a few hinds and guarded them with all his strength. The rut is extremely exhausting for stags even in perfect condition, let alone with an injury. In nature, harsh rules often prevail, and the survival of the species is more important than the life of an individual – as shown by the many stags that do not live to see the end of the rut.
Later that week I met another handicaped stag, which also had some injury on his leg, coincidentally on same leg as the first stag.
29.9.2025 - Last day of the rut to be remembered
I remember that at the beginning of the rutting season, I imagined what it would be like to take a photo of a deer with steam coming from its mouth. It was just a product of my imagination, since to capture such a shot, I would need a location where the deer would appear in daylight and the weather would have to be cold enough for the steam to be visible — and both conditions coming together in a single moment. And it actually happened. I still can’t believe I have such a photo in my gallery. But as they say – luck favors the prepared (and the persistent 🙃)
Closing words
So. It has been some time since this year’s red deer rutting season has ended . I had saved my vacation days all year to enjoy rut to the fullest, and I can say that every single day was worth it. I spent 11 unbelievable days in the field, often both in the mornings and evenings, and it was the best rutting season of my life.
As a bonus, I managed to capture many moments on, and editing several of them will remain as a project for the long winter evenings. I am grateful to nature for allowing me to be part of this spectacle, and I also thank my stamina and perseverance.
And I can not wait for next year already!
