This wasn't here a week ago, seems they've found a patch of reasonably dry ground and worked it over into a big bare patch. Haven't seen before. What are they up to?
Attachment 201256
Attachment 201257
Printable View
This wasn't here a week ago, seems they've found a patch of reasonably dry ground and worked it over into a big bare patch. Haven't seen before. What are they up to?
Attachment 201256
Attachment 201257
No idea but...
Disco night?
Trying to knock off old anlters (probably still too early?)
Interested to see Fallow farmers replys.
I’ve had game camera photos of youngsters still playing on scrapes in June.
Oh well I've put a gong right beside it so they can come out and party all they want lol
Have you had a salt lick sitting there previously?
It the young fellas burning off energy as they Havnt had a cuddle
Nope but interesting that rootball in the middle is the remains of a Ragwort plant. Be good if we could train them to go round busting up RagwortQuote:
Originally Posted by StrikerNZ
I've found a few of these in the blue mtns too. Normally have a stump of some kind in it too, seem to be well used all year round. I assumed was a bit of a scratch, dust bath general tom foolery area.
It’s just the boys regrouping and sorting out the pecking order again. Quite common in mid winter.
Could be a couple of bucks scraping. Last week I had two 10 point red stags wake me and the dog up first light antlers clashing for at leat an hour. They made a hell of a mess on the ground 70m from camp. By the time I got me shit together they had slowed up and one bolted off see us come with the rising sun coming from behind us, the other stag just stood there looking at us and I could of shot him 10 times over before he ran off.
Yeah bucks fighting will do this until antlers drop
It's a rutting stand, commonly seen in the deer parks of Englandshire.
Is it common three months after the rut though?Quote:
Originally Posted by caberslash
Interesting. Found a handful of the same type of active scapes in a new hunting block I’m finding my around in at the moment. Does it indicate higher numbers and more competition? No shortage of sign that’s for sure.
Unless things are somehow different in the Southern Hemisphere (apart from being upside down), they will be visited annually, and 'the rut' won't have a specific start or end date, there can be false ruts as well (before and after main event).Quote:
Originally Posted by Cigar
Some pretty obvious tracks leading up to that spot Ryan, I'd be following them for sure... reckon they'll lead you right to the culprits.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ryan_Songhurst
possibly just a rut pad that's been muddied up by heavy rain?
Here's a fallow pad I spooked a buck next to early last month.
Attachment 201288
ah I didn't see the "wasn't there last week part"Quote:
Originally Posted by Louie
Gidday fellas.
First post (after intro)
I’ve seen the same type of scrapes on a DOC working farm I’m doing some Fallow control work on.
We had a virtually non existent rut this year. Domestic Reds on neighbouring farms went solid for over a month. Yet the Fallow in the local pines and the farm we’re culling were all but silent. Only heard one croak, and he’ll never croak again..
The scrapes seem to have been done by small animals. I saw 3 in different areas, pretty sure different bucks. Nowhere near as impressive as Ryans photo. Small and quite deep.
The last one I saw was only 3 weeks back, and it was fresh. Well after the typical late March early April you’d normally expect rutting behaviour.
Looks like Tahr is a fairly prevalent Fallow hunter, I’m sure he’ll know what it’s all about..
Hope my attempt at attaching a photo works.
Attachment 201352
The farmed reds down the road were still roaring yesterday afternoon.
The thong I find interesting about these scrapes on my place, is how "loyal" for want of a better word, the fallow are too these spots. I have a series of 3 on one of my hay paddocks. Ive filled them and fixed them, yet next year the deer will open up the ground in the exact same spot. It makes me think there is something in the soil make up on those places that they are drawn too?
@Ryan_Songhurst I see these all the time. I’ll take a few pics for you.
Dam hot over here at the moment back to UK tomorrow in Mallorca at present.
Attachment 201805
Will try to get out this weekend.
Lots of this, Attachment 201806the scrap is that shallow puddle in the background top left.
But they will scrap almost anywhere. They don’t really wallow like a red.
I’ve not seen them lick from these but that’s not to say they won’t.
