According to the ADMG and Knight Frank’s 2013 stag season review, despite the late rut, condition of deer across Scotland is still good.
The first roars were reportedly not heard until late September on many estates, and the rut was brief and subdued. Tony Jackson, in his introduction to the report, claimed that bad weather conditions were to blame for the delay in the season: “It is impossible to generalise, but for many forests the weather was mild in the early part of the season, with prolonged periods of mist causing days to be lost.” And he added: “On the whole, the condition of deer was described as good to very good, though a few estates noted that weights were down compared to the previous season. The late, cool spring doubtless affected many deer, and although fat was put on during the summer, the deer had not gained the weight normally expected.”
Stag weights ranged from 11 stone to over 15 stone, with several much larger beasts taken on the Ardnamurchan and Glenborrodale estate and in Ardtomish.
To read the full report, click here.
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