Get close to the deer at the Red Deer rut

Minsmere, Suffolk

The majestic red deer is our largest land mammal: a beautiful creature, from hoof to antler, whose iconic silhouette has captivated us for centuries.

You can find England’s largest red deer herd at RSPB Minsmere, and though they are elusive and shy for most of the year, in the autumn months they really make themselves heard.

From the end of September to the middle of November the red deer are in rutting season. One of nature’s greatest spectacles, the red deer rut sees stags clashing antlers in the fight for a mate. These fierce battles, which gave rise to that well known idiom, “locking horns”, are accompanied by the stags’ loud roars and bellows – though these bellows aren’t war cries but seduction calls to the hinds (female deer).

In the world of the red deer, the most attractive stags are the ones that roar the loudest (and the most often)!

Content provided by The Suffolk Coast

Read more Close

For more local tourist information:

Refine your search:

A group of hinds gathers in the heath at Minsmere, with a stag just visible among the treesA group of hinds gathers in the heath at Minsmere © C Whitewick

VisitEngland would like to invite you to take part in a short survey about our website, it should take no more than a couple of minutes.

Go to the survey

To add items to favourites …

… you need to be logged in.

If you already have an account, log in.

Or register a

Access your account

Enter your e-mail address or username.
Enter the password that accompanies your e-mail.
Forgot your password? Recover your account
Don't have an account? Register an account