SPORTING ANSWERS
84 • SHOOTING TIMES & COUNTRY MAGAZINE
Aftertherut,roebuckretire
torestandrecuperate,often
hiding among tall bracken
Theexperts
THEULTIMATE
SHOOTINGQUIZTEAM
BILLHARRIMAN
BASC’sheadoffirearmsand
globalauthorityonguns
MATMANNING
Airgunnerandjournalist from
theWestCountry
BRUCEPOTTS
ShootingTimes rifl e reviewer
andstalker
DAVIDTOMLINSON
Highlyregardedwriter and
ornithologist
LIAMBELL
NGOchairman,Shropshire
gamekeeperandkeenwildfowler
GRAHAMDOWNING
Shootingconsultant and
sportingauthor
CHRISDECANI
Riverkeeper,withspecialist
knowledgeofchalkstreams
TONYBUCKWELL
Veterinarysurgeonwitha
specialinterestingundogs
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TONYJACKSON
A gameShot,keenstalkerand
formereditorofShooting Times
TO MPAY NE
Professionalshootinginstructor
andavidpigeonshooter
TIMMADDAMS
FormerheadchefatRiver
Cottageandrunsa shootinDevon
JEREMYHUNT
RunsFenwayLabradorsand
a professional gundog trainer
SIMONWHITEHEAD
Author,professionalferreter
andrabbitcontroller
IAINWATSON
KeenstalkerandseniorCIC
international trophy judge
STALKING
I haveonlybeenstalkingfor
threeyearsbuthavethegood
fortunetohaveaccesstomixed
woodland,whichseemstoholda
reasonablenumberofroeaswell
astheoddmuntjac.I havefound,
however,thatshortlyafterthe
roeruthascometoanend,the
roebuckseemtodisappearfor
severalweeks.Isthisnormal
behaviourand,if so,whatis the
reasonfor their disappearance?
Itallcomesdowntosex!During
therut,thebucksareina state
ofexcitementastheyseekdoes.Asa
result, they have little time to feed and
willexpenda considerableamount
ofenergy.Theythenretiretorestand
recuperate.Inaddition,tallbracken
at thistimeoftheyeartendstoactas
camouflage.Theanimalswillremain
outofsightuntilthebeginningof
September.Occasionally,a so-called
falseruttakesplaceafterthenormal
periodinJulyandAugust.
Considerationforthebucksshould
beexertedduringtherutbecausethe
deerarethenmorevulnerableand
likelytorelaxtheirnormalcaution.The
spectaclecanbeabsorbing,especially
if youhavethegoodfortunetowatch
a buckchasinga doeina tightcircle
arounda bushortree.It is alsoworth
notingthatbucksnearly always run
anti-clockwise.TJ
Disappearing roebuck