Stunning photos of autumn deer rutting - in central London

Blackleaf

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Oct 9, 2004
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The following stunning photos of rutting deer were not, as you might exepect, taken in the countryside.

They were taken in the heart of London, the EU's largest city.

The deer live in Richmond Park, the largest of London's eight Royal Parks and Britain's largest urban walled park. It is also three times larger than New York's Central Park.

There are around 650 deer in Richmond Park, which were introduced to the park by King Charles I in 1625 when he brought his court to Richmond Palace to escape the plague.



A red stag stands in the early morning fog . This is not in the countryside, but in central London


Autumn signals the start of the rutting (mating) season for the deer in London's Richmond Park


A red stag roars in an attempt to attract females


Roaring is most common around dawn and dusk


The clashing of antlers can be heard as large males lock horns with rivals


Richmond Park is home to about 650 deer
Picture: GETTY


There are around 300 red deer and 350 fallow deer


During autumn, the stags and bucks compete for female (known as hinds or does)


Only the male red deer (stags) have antlers, which can grow at a rate of one inch a day
Picture: GETTY


The antlers are usually shed at the end of winter


Baby deer are born in early summer - with London's high-rise buildings nearby


Richmond Park is the largest open space in London, covering over 1,000 hectares

telegraph.co.uk





 

Colpy

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Nov 5, 2005
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Saint John, N.B.
That reminds me......gotta clean my rifles and get to the range for a sighting-in session.....deer season starts in two weeks!

:)
 

talloola

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Nov 14, 2006
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Vancouver Island
That reminds me......gotta clean my rifles and get to the range for a sighting-in session.....deer season starts in two weeks!

:)

allready started here on the island, my husband went up the mountain on Saturday, saw
lots of 'does', seems that the bucks stay under cover, and send the 'does' out to scout
around to see if any hunters are in the area.;-)

My husband was just sitting in his tracker, and a doe walked 'almost' right up to the vehicle, checked him out, and wandered away.
 

Colpy

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Nov 5, 2005
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Saint John, N.B.
good pictures, they look like,'somewhere between' our deer and elk.

I may be way off base here, but I think these type of deer are actually smaller than northern mule deer or white-tails.....the rack is misleading....

Looked it up..........

mature red deer stags are listed at from 90 to 190 kg

mature white-tail bucks listed at between 110 to 200 kg.

So about the same size.

Mulies are bigger.

Elk (wapiti) are A LOT bigger.

Moose.....what the Europeans call "elk" well.....HUGE!
 

talloola

Hall of Fame Member
Nov 14, 2006
19,576
113
63
Vancouver Island
I may be way off base here, but I think these type of deer are actually smaller than northern mule deer or white-tails.....the rack is misleading....

Looked it up..........

mature red deer stags are listed at from 90 to 190 kg

mature white-tail bucks listed at between 110 to 200 kg.

So about the same size.

Mulies are bigger.

Elk (wapiti) are A LOT bigger.

Moose.....what the Europeans call "elk" well.....HUGE!
Oh, that's interesting, the pictures make them look so big.