While out around Brocton Coppice this morning, startled a stag with a full head of antlers. Was amazed to see him bunny hop away through the trees, all 4 feet curled under him on each jump. To top it off a buzzard took to the sky from the undergrowth 10 foot in front of me. Loving the Autumn
You need to startle some of the "wildlife" in the car parks after dark.... 😯
Loads of blood on the floor from a gory rut the other night by TA centre.
scruff - was it a rut or are the poachers still knocking the deer off on the Chase?
Saw a deer at Gisburn last year. Had just spotted some deer fence and thought to myself "wonder if they're on this side", rounded the next corner and there one was! Classic, I love MTBing when that sort of thing happens.
1961Bikie, poaching has had a clampdown but Im sure it hasnt gone away, not seen any evidence lately (found severed deer bits and rope before). This was from rutting, they've been at it for 3 weeks and this week sees to be a peak of fighting and the other effing. Musky deer really do stink.
Shock, Horror
Widlife seen in countryside .
😀
yup,heard a couple of Stags having a bellow last night.
All you needed was the beast with two backs and the werewolf, and you'd had the full set!
Big herd crossed the path in front of us by the scout huts. Lots of eyes peering at us from in the undergrowth.
Seen a stag leap onto a car bonnet once, in daylight where the FtD crosses towards the campsite. Car was a mess. Stag stood for a second, shook his head & bounded off. Might just be my pants, but I notice a very earthy smell whenever there is a stag close-by.
Very scary solo riding at night and smelling a Cannock deer.... hearing the breathing.... but not being able to see it...
That bouncing gait is called pronking, they do it a lot this time of year. The stags / bucks pong from wallowing in a subtle blend of mud and their own urine, makes them more attractive to females.
I nearly got taken out by one at the Forest of Dean last weekend. Luckily saw him heading on a collision course with me across the bracken and braked in time for him to come flying across the fire road right in front of my nose. 😯
Saw one last night (no antlers though) behind HMP Forest Bank down the valley from Phillips Park. Almost in Salford!
Coming back home from work in Rugeley last Autumn I got to the top of the climb from Rug towards Stile Cop, rounded a corner to find a mahoosive great stag standing in the middle of the trail right in front of me. I stopped dead, nearly had a heart attack before it slowly turned and ambled off into the darkness. Scared the crap out of me, but it obviously knew who was boss (the one with the sharp pointy antlers!)
'Very scary solo riding at night and smelling a Cannock deer.... hearing the breathing.... but not being able to see it.'
that's not the deer 🙂
saw a couple rutting on tues, proper antler clattering, very impressive.
There's a red stag on an estate near here that's lost half an antler one side in a fight, that must really throw his balance off.
If you hear a loud creaking, squealing noise like Igor opening the castle door that's a Sika stag - amazing sound.