As the red deer rutting season approaches, the team on the Eastern Moors in the Peak District is busy planning an array of exciting and engaging activities to help visitors get a closer look.
Rutting season, between the middle of September and middle of November, is undoubtedly the best time to view deer on the Eastern Moors, with herds at their largest and most active. Throughout October, visitors to the area will be able to use the expertise of the Eastern Moors staff and volunteers to find the best spots to see red deer and learn more about these magnificent animals.
Bryony Thomson, Eastern Moors Partnership Community Involvement Ranger, said: "Thought to have once been escapees from Chatsworth's domestic herds, the red deer of the Eastern Moors now roam wild. As Britain's largest native mammal, this iconic species is a common but incredible sight when taking a walk on the moors.
"Males are bolving - or bellowing - and battling as they compete for hinds, and the population on Big Moor almost doubles as animals gather in from the surrounding woodlands."
On the fringes of Sheffield and Chesterfield, the Eastern Moors is an area of the Peak District National Park managed in partnership by the RSPB and National Trust. The estate, which is managed for both people and wildlife, includes iconic edges such as Curbar and White Edge as well as Big Moor, the best area in which to view the deer rut.
Care should be taken when viewing or photographing red deer, and a minimum 60 metres distance is recommended to allow the deer to carry on undisturbed with their normal rutting behavior. To enjoy the deer safely and learn more about these spectacular creatures and their role on site, the Eastern Moors Partnership is running events throughout the rutting season:
For the full program and more information about events on the Eastern Moors, please see www.visit-eastern-moors.org.uk. For more information please contact enquiries@easternmoors.org.uk or call 0114 2891543.