A rut watch takes place at Wicklow Mountains National Park on Sunday, October 12.
Wicklow is home to a large population of wild deer and they are particularly impressive in autumn during rutting season, as stags become more active as they fight for the attention of females.
Wicklow Mountains National Park have telescopes in place to enable visitors to get a better view of the spectacular rut and to find out more about our local deer population.
A rut watch takes place on Sunday, October 12, and the telescopes will be in place close to the Glenealo footbridge on the white walking trail from the Spinc. Anyone walking this trail between 11am and 4 pm is welcome to stop by, view the deer through the telescopes and discuss the deer and their ecology with Wicklow Mountains National Park staff.
Wicklow Mountains National Park education guide Gillian Stewart said: “We do the rut watch each year and there is a hike involved to the telescopes, so we advise people to dress accordingly and to wear hiking boots.
“It’s a well walked trail so the deer are relatively steady and aren’t too spooked by people, though of course they are still wild animals so you shouldn’t get too close.
“People are more accustomed to the big red deer clashing antlers, but the deer in Wicklow are the slightly smaller Sika deer. They tend to do what is called parallel walking, whereby the two deer are beside one another in a line sizing one another up. If one of the stags is smaller, then they will tend to make way for the bigger stag and give up, but if they are well matched, then you might indeed see them clashing antlers.”
The Spinc and Glenealo Valley trail takes 3 to 3.5 hours. This is a hill-walk with rough ground and steep climbs. All are welcome, although the hike may be too strenuous for young children. Participants will not be escorted on the hike.
Hiking boots and rain gear are recommended. Participants are also urged to bring binoculars if you have them.
All dogs must be kept on leads throughout the entire National Park, but we ask participants not to bring dogs to this event. Participants will all see more deer, and the deer will be closer, if there are no dogs in the vicinity.
The event is free of charge and booking isn’t necessary. However, you should be aware that there is a €4 charge for the Upper Lake car park in Glendalough. The rut watch will be cancelled in the event of bad weather, so it is advisable to contact the National Park Information Office on 0404 45425 to ensure the event is still taking place.