Studley Royal

 Studley Royal deer park is home to three different type of deer Red, Fallow and Manchurian Sika. Unfortunately, there was not much rutting going on between the red deer stags while we were there last Tuesday. However, one red deer stag was doing a lot of bellowing and posturing and at one point he did chase a younger stag off but that was it. We did see some of the younger stags practising for when they get older by locking horns but it was nothing like the real thing. A couple of the images here are quite graphic but that is the nature of the rutting season.

This was the only Fallow deer we saw.

Sika deer stag.

A couple of Sika deer stags together.

A Sika deer fawn.

A couple of visitors were getting quite close to these Sika deer so they were running back to the larger herd.

Red deer bellowing a warning to other stags.

A couple of younger stags “play fighting.”

These two stags could hear the bellowing from quite a distance.

This stag does not look pleased to see me.

This was the stag that was doing most of the bellowing and posturing.

Sniffing the air to check if any of the females are ready for mating.

More play fighting between the younger stags.

A portrait of one of the younger stags.

My favourite image from the day.