WHEN IS RUTTING SEASON AND HOW LONG DOES IT LAST FOR?
Steven Kingsley
The rut is the name of the mating season for ruminant animals such as deer and elk and is triggered by the shortening length of daylight hours. The timing of the rut depends upon the gestation period for different species, usually occurring so the young can be born in the spring when the weather is milder and there’s plenty to eat. The largest land mammal in the UK is the red deer, and their rutting season runs from October to early November. The stags compete against one another for mating rights to a group of hinds called a harem.