Red Deer Rut in Vercors, France / Private Tour Report September 2019
Late September. The Red deer rut is in full swing in Vercors Regional Natural Park, France. It is with immense joy that I am preparing this 3 day private wildlife tour. For a trip like this, the itinerary and the conditions are adapted to the needs of the participant, so that he can live an unforgettable experience. I meet him the day before for a first briefing.
On the first day, we arrive at night and set up our hide near a small clearing. The south wind forces us to adapt our position, but after a couple of hours, an old Red deer crosses the meadow.
After taking a good pique-nique with breathtaking view of the valleys of the Vercors and observing the mythical Wallcreeper, we gain a little altitude hoping to photograph animals in more open environments!
We must leave early to arrive well before the animals. On our way, we have the chance to meet a young Red deer.
Once nicely installed, a Red deer takes us by surprise and arrives behind us. He comes to roar only a few meters from us! An incredible atmosphere!
While awaiting the possible arrival of other Red deers, 2 Common Buzzards offer us a nice show, hunting right in front of us using the stationary flights technique.
Then, in the late afternoon, a young Red deer with a doe and his fawn make us the privilege of posing in front of our lenses, passing on a beautiful mountain ridge, exactly where we were hoping for. The scene is splendid.
A storm approaches and forces us to leave the lookout and go to our accommodation, a beautiful and comfortable bed and breakfast located in the heart of the Vercors Natural Regional Park. We think back to the scenes of the day around a good hot dinner.
On day 2, I decided to set up our hide in a clearing where I spent countless hours on the lookout. But when arriving on the scene, a Red deer stag is already there roaring! We wait at the foot of a tree overlooking a clearing. It is still dark but we can perceive forms and silhouettes. That's when another deer crosses the clearing. What's going to happen ? The first Red deer then goes straight on him and the fight breaks out in the forest! It is impossible for us to see it but it is a real sound show!
A bit later, the fog, the wind and the rain make us leave the lookout earlier than expected.
In the afternoon we return to the same area hoping to photograph more Red deers. Well settled in the lookout, we can discern the clearing in which we hid earlier. A little later, a powerful roar a few meters from the lookout surprises us. He is there, 3/4 meters from the clearing. We hope for him to show up but unfortunately, a doe located a bit further makes him go in another direction.
This is the game of wildlife photography. Since we do not stage nature and we minimize our impact on the natural behavior of animals, we know that nothing is ever guaranteed. Hours later, when the light begins to be scarce, we decide to return to the accommodation for dinner. Our participant was able to make beautiful images of doe and fawn as well as Eurasian Bullfinches.
For the third and last day of this private Red Deer Rut photo tour in Vercors, we started the day while the wind and fog have not yet risen. I decided to go hide on a fairly open area.
Once on the spot, the wind and the fog literally freezes us. What to do, what to do? It is still early, so I decide to go set up our hide in a forest, hoping to find shelter while having fantastic opportunities to see and photograph more Red deers. We arrived on this strategic area of Vercors that I know very well, and there are already two different stags roaring. Dream conditions to sit and wait for the deers to show up. We hide at the foot of a tree and after only 5 minutes of waiting, a first stag comes roar really close to us! Magnificent!
Some time later, a big stag with a doe in heat come right next to us! And that's when a third stag arrives and tries his luck !!!
We can not believe our eyes! The dominant deer does not want to know anything, it is then that a fight takes shape! We can not move to see it because the second deer and doe are still in front of us! Once the fight over, the dominant stag returns quickly to see her beautiful! The moment is truly unbelievable! In the middle of the woods, under this light mist, we deeply feel the power of the Red deer rut.
An exceptional moment. Everything our participant could hope for, and much more. Then, without seeing us, the doe and the deer leave quietly. What a privilege it was to live such poignant encounters with animals as extraordinary as the Red Deer. It is already time to eat a last bit and before saying goodbye to our participant.
This trip in Vercors has kept all its promises. Our participant was able to realize a dream, and make sublime images of Red Deers during the rut.
Luca
Guide Salva Fauna
