Quantock Hills. An Area of Outstanding Beauty

Lynn

13 Oct 09

We were up on the hill just along from Halsway Post yesterday evening and saw several stag including one which may have been a royal stag - well spotted Lauren!  The sights and sounds were amazing, and on such a beautiful evening - it doesn’t get better!

George

21 Oct 09

Andy, thanks for the awesome tour. It took   while to find the second stag and hear them rut, but it was worth waiting! I uploaded photos from the tour and would like to share it with all.
http://picasaweb.google.co.jp/lh/sredir?uname=george72.3672&target=ALBUM&id=5391675682923538401&authkey=Gv1sRgCLCos6fi4r_cQw&invite=COvj5ekI&feat=email

Sharki

10 Nov 09

I spent many days up on the Hills, attempting to witness and photograph the rutt this year.

Starting early on i witnessed at closed range(too close) the final days of the stag herd, just prior to them breaking up and going their separate ways in search of hinds, on this occasion the biggest stag thrashed his antlers in the drying bracken, whilst younger stags practiced fighting, the clash of antlers clearly heard as they were a mere 40ft away. one young stag walked directly at me, only noticing me when within 10ft of me, he turned and leapt away, grunting to alert the others, motionless i stayed and they resumed their grazing, after 20 or so minutes the big fella walked across in front of me 12ft away, the only camera i had was a poor quality mobile phone, which made a terrible shutter release sound on depressing the button. He didn’t hang around and after a few grunts he ushered his boys away from me..
To get close to the action i chose an area where i know there to be a wallow. Approaching it in Autumn is tricky as the dry fallen leaves crunched under foot, i could here numerous bellows from all directions around me so i knew i was in the right or potentially the wrong place.

As i got near the wallow i could here antlers clashing and stones and water being trampled, so i quietly headed towards the sound, being ever alert as i knew there would be other stags and very wary hinds nearby. Unfortunately all i saw were legs and splashing as low branches and my bad position made for a poor view, at one point during the fight, a young stag ran right at me, his attention was focused more on the battle below than where he was heading. He spotted me from a several feet away and scarpered, moments later a hind did just the same…. And then all was quiet and all was gone…Again no pics…

My next chances came below the slades on the new plantation above cockercombe rangers hut, a stag of reasonable size had gathered around ten hinds and the few younger, smaller stags stayed close by, but never got too close, intimidated by the bigger male, i’m sure they stayed persistent through the season though, only a couple silhouette pics that evening.

The next try i went back to where i’d seen a large stag a few days prior, on the flanks of lady’s edge, in failing light and drizzle, it was not a night for photo’s, just memories of a large stag having to fend off two stags of good size, from different approaches, up the hill, then down, he bellowed and chased in a desperate attempt to keep his two ladies, even grabbing a moment to mate with one of them…

Off Lowsey thorn was popular this year, a good sized collection of hinds was well defended one evening by a stag here.

It seems there is little physical threat from other stags of the same size, there’s many hinds to go around and lots of young stag not nearly big enough to need more than a good bellow and short chase to keep them away.

This (monday)evening in the fog a few bellows were heard, though i feel this is the call from a few late hopeful ones.

All in all a i’m more than happy with the few pics i did take and feel very privileged with what i’ve experienced during this years rut,  many of which i haven’t the time here to share, well not this morning at least.