Roe deer rut 2026

Waking up early at 3:30 AM and spending loads of time out there in the evenings—that's how this year's roe deer rutting season could be described in a nutshell.The weather was overall warm to hot, as it usually is during the summer. However, the fact remains that here under the Tatra Mountains, the climate used to be more favorable—at least for me, since temperatures around 25 degrees Celsius are just right, and anything above 25 is simply too much. I believe this year-over-year warming, though not exclusively, contributed to the slow start of the rut and its rather lackluster progress until the very end.Essentially, I spent the entire roe deer rut just outside my hometown, except for one trip to Košice combined with a short "photo adventure" and about three targeted trips to Spišské Podhradie. I also spiced up the roe deer rutting season with about four outings to the foothill meadows of the High Tatras, and I am incredibly glad I did.Back home, I had my eye on a roughly 3-year-old roebuck who ruled the local area throughout the rut. His behavior and habits during the season, however, were unusual to say the least, and any attempt to decode his morning or evening patterns collapsed like a house of cards. One day he was here, the next day somewhere else. One morning he showed up long after dawn; other times he appeared while it was still dark, caught me completely off guard, and was basically right in my face. The fact that he was the master of the territory was also proven by the reality that on several mornings and about two evenings, I only caught a glimpse of him for a fraction of a second—and even then, he was chasing another buck away from the rutting ground across the entire meadow and road, straight into the forest where he vanished for good.

The roe deer activity could be considered reasonable, and the calling—which I never attempt before August 1st—worked excellently. During two or maybe three outings, I even managed to take photos of a roe deer doe within 10 minutes of arriving at the spot. It was a quick success, and after the doe bounded away, the moment was "sweetened" by the arrival of her fawns, who showed off just a few meters away from me. Maybe it's the location, or maybe something else. However, around here, there is a clear shortage of roe deer, and if there were a total of three in the entire territory where I was shooting, I am not exaggerating at all. This fact likely shaped the reality and the overall course of the roe deer rut just outside our town. I was also pleasantly surprised by meeting a gentleman several times who, just like me, focuses on wildlife—mostly shooting videos. So we had a little chat and exchanged experiences. After a very long time, it was a genuinely positive encounter with a "random" person who shares a similar passion. (Greetings to you!)

In the higher elevations, on the foothill meadows, the activity was a bit better, but calling simply didn't work for me there. One morning, I sat down while it was still dark and tried calling during dawn. Nothing. The only thing I managed to interest was a doe grazing near the bushes, and even then, she only raised her head. I invested the rest of my time into evening outings, and I think I hit the jackpot. One evening, nothing showed up at my scouted spot, not even with calling. So, I packed up my bags and headed out. Out of habit, and probably experience, I usually arrive at a shooting location via one route and leave via another. That was the case this time as well, and as I was coming down from the meadow below the forest, I noticed a young buck about 100 to 150 meters away, heading in a different direction. After an unsuccessful evening of shooting, I figured I had nothing left to lose, so I tried calling. The first call—NOTHING. The second call—he at least looked in my direction. I finally "convinced" him with the third one, my oldest wooden call, which falls apart every single time I blow into it. The buck turned toward me, so I got ready to shoot. It was an absolute million-dollar experience. I got the buck just a few meters away—true, it was already in the remaining low light, but in a gorgeous setting of mountain grasses and with a stunning, blurred background. He came right in front of me, then circled around the tree I was crouching by, and then came right back again. The whole thing must have lasted about 8 minutes, so besides the wonderful photos, that evening left me with a beautiful memory and experience.

Another evening, I sat higher up at the edge of the forest, waiting for a buck who had already chosen his mate. I blew the call about three times, but everything "remained silent." After about half an hour, something bounded away from right behind me. Startled, I turned around and couldn't believe my eyes. It was the buck I had been waiting for. He came from a completely different direction than expected and was all by himself. Clearly, I wasn't the only one spooked, as he ran behind me barking and came to a stop on the meadow, leaving me with no angle to shoot. After he ran and barked from spot to spot for a bit, I tried calling to him again, and lady luck smiled on me once more. The buck came closer to investigate and allowed me to take a few snaps without him realizing where I was, or rather, who or what I was. Afterward, he trotted off happily without any more barking, leaving me with the good feeling that I hadn't scared him off too badly.Spišské Podhradie, along with a quick trip to Košice, was a pleasant surprise—not only because of the activity and a "true" roe deer rut but also due to the abundance of wildlife and opportunities to shoot basically "by the side of the road." In Košice, where I was essentially just dropping off my sister for an early morning flight to the US, I parked my car about 5 kilometers from the airport near a meadow separated by dense brush. While it was still dark, I noticed a doe with her young on the meadow, and a bit higher up, two bucks in the heat of a chase. It took me a while to move closer to a spot where I could somehow sit down and shoot. I was helped by a plot twist involving the aforementioned bucks—one was chased away, while the second one ran over to the doe and started driving her away from her fawn. The fawn was left alone, and the buck and doe quickly disappeared over the horizon while it was still relatively dark (too little light for action shots). To my surprise, after a short while, the buck that had been chased away ran up to the fawn, and I tried blowing my call. He reacted. Photographically speaking, it was high noon—the first rays of the sun hit the ground and his body. The buck posed beautifully for me, though only for a very brief moment, as the wind shifted, blowing from my direction, and he disappeared over the horizon after quickly "picking up" the fawn.

Heading to Podhradie was just a hunch, but I told myself I'd give it a shot. I've been driving past it for years and years, and knowing the area from my landscape photography, I knew the roe deer situation there was interesting.And I wasn't wrong. One morning, at one specific spot, I counted about 12 head of roe deer on the meadow, including three bucks. To my surprise, while it was still dark, some red deer were grazing alongside them. However, I didn't pay any attention to them and focused entirely on the roe deer. One of the bucks was truly one in a million, and by my judgment, he was an older male in the prime of his life with a magnificent set of antlers. He was without a doubt the strongest buck I saw this season, if not the strongest I have ever laid eyes on.Unfortunately, as is usually the case, this type of buck is incredibly street-smart, so he didn't give me a chance to document his power with a worthwhile photograph. My consolation prize was "only" the fact that several does and two weaker, younger bucks posed for me at Podhradie. Even for that little bit, I am grateful, and I will definitely be going back there.

Conclusion:
Despite a slow start (due to the weather and conditions) and the immense amount of time invested, the roe deer rutting season turned out quite well for me, and as a photographer, I view it positively. Once again, I've gained fresh insights, learned something new, and besides the photographs, I am left with a wealth of experiences and moments that I will look back on for a long time to come.

Thank you, Mother Nature.