Don’t go near the deer…

Red Deer - The Rut - Richmond Park

Updated: Feb 10 2020

The signs at the entrances to Richmond Park exclaim;

"Deer roam free in the park"... "Do not go within 50 metres of the deer"

For those of you not here in the UK, Richmond Park is a very large natural park on the outskirts of London. It is a National Nature Reserve and deer park with around 630 Red and Fallow deer, roaming freely since 1637.

I run in the park on most days and I guess I am oriented towards caution when confronted by adult red deer, especially the stags.

This weekend Jo and I went for a walk through the centre of the park, and happened upon various stags, protecting groups of hinds. As it is rutting season, we are extra cautious, as are most others, as we walk across the grasslands and through the woods.

As we were returning to the car park we happened upon a particularly agitated stag and his hinds. He gave us a little false charge as we passed by, as he did for all of the walkers. He became even more aggressive as a person with a dog walked by...
Then, a challenger came in to view, and without warning they attacked each other...
Some people ran, others, including us, stood and watched, while they went at each other.
I've never witnessed this in person, and the experience was visceral. The sound of the clashing antlers, the growling rage, coupled with the vibrations through the ground, as they charged was truly amazing!

These boys were not messing around.

So, the sign says 50m... I'd pay attention if I were you!

I hope you enjoy viewing the image - Colin

click this link to find books about red deer
copyright: Jo Anthony

Pixel Peepers' Notes & Newbie Hints & Tips:

Sony A6000 - E55-210mm f4.5-6.3OSS @210mm (in 35mm: 315mm) 1/400 f6.3 ISO640

This image was taken by Jo and not me... Why? Digital Photography Day One, Lesson One...

I mean, who forgets spare batteries right? You'd have to be a monkey for that to happen... Oops!

Anyway, Jo's always been a better photographer than me