Rutting their Stuff at the Annual Red Deer Rut!

It's time to rut their stuff! RSPB Minsmere and Westleton Heath in Suffolk are some of the best places to witness the amazing red deer rut each year, where majestic stags bellow and clash horns in a fierce mating battle. Red deer usually form large “harems”, and during rutting season, male stags invest most of their energy in fighting and competing with other stags to mate with their chosen hinds (female deer). Aggressive stags pumped full of testosterone can often be heard roaring loudly as they clash and lock horns and engage in a fierce mating battle.

The rutting season usually occurs between late-September and late October and RSPB Minsmere often offer visitors the opportunity to meet with their guides at a designated viewpoint on Westleton Heath, to watch and learn more about this amazing spectacle. (Check RSPB Minsmere website for further details).  The RSPB also offer 4x4 deer safaris at their Minsmere reserve, an exhilarating experience where you’ll search for one of the largest red deer herds in Britain with the opportunity to take some fantastic photos.

For more information visit the Fact File below.

FACT FILE:

• 4x4 Safaris: Take this amazing opportunity to meet one of the largest red deer populations in England and to witness the annual rut.  Join the experienced guides to observe the deer and take some amazing photographs. Tours are booked per vehicle, with a maximum of four people per trip and cost £145 per vehicle, or £80 for RSPB members. Tours last 1.5 hours and take place 3 times per day between 13 September and 26 October 2014. Advance booking is essential by phoning RSPB Minsmere on: 01728 648281.
• Accommodation: Suffolk Secrets offers a range of VisitEngland inspected holiday cottages in Westleton, Dunwich and Minsmere.
• Suffolk Events: to find out more about what's on in Suffolk Events click here.