{"id":441,"date":"2015-10-13T17:26:06","date_gmt":"2015-10-13T16:26:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.guidekillarney.com\/?p=441"},"modified":"2015-10-13T17:26:06","modified_gmt":"2015-10-13T16:26:06","slug":"stag-buck-best-given-a-wide-berth","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.guidekillarney.com\/index.php\/2015\/10\/13\/stag-buck-best-given-a-wide-berth\/","title":{"rendered":"Stag & Buck Best Given a Wide Berth"},"content":{"rendered":"
\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 The bellowing of the red stag was a little too close for comfort. It was about 8 yesterday morning on Mangerton Road less than a mile from our Gallan Eile holiday home. I could not see the stag at first but I was uneasy with what I was hearing.<\/div>\n
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\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 As the road rose I was eventually able to pick him out about 300 meters away. Already his entire attention was focussed on my every movement. My three dogs were probably his worry – but they were all on leads.<\/div>\n
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\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 The stag was on a rise out on the boggy Mangerton commonage. I couldn’t see any females. Presumably they were out of sight in the dip behind him. Thank God for that. Any indication that I was trying to take his women would have him attacking.<\/div>\n
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\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Should I turn tails, I wondered. But then I decided to brazen it out. He didn’t move any closer but watched intently until I rounded a bend and went out of sight.<\/div>\n
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\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Up at the foot of Mangerton there were stags bellowing to east and west. But they were further away, there was some scrub bushes and trees and the ground here is much rougher.<\/div>\n
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\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 It was a perfect Autumn morning.<\/div>\n
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\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 On the way back the stag was silhouetted against an angry orange early morning sky. The size of his anlter’s made him look even more intimidating. I wanted to try to magnify the scene on my small digital\u00a0camera but decided not to risk being seen to express too keen an interest.<\/div>\n
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\"recent<\/a>photo: a recent foggy morning near Gallan Eile<\/pre>\n
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\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 This morning was even more idyllic. Only a few wispy clouds in an otherwise clear blue sky. Clear, dry, calm, though it was a little frosty. Overhead a few jets travelling from the west.<\/div>\n
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\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 As I got beyond the scenic lay-bye I dreamily wondered if the stag was still around. \u00a0A little further along two sika deer females idly watched from the top of the ditch. Now I paid a little more attention. Hopefully the sika buck is not at the other side of the road. The females ambled off.<\/div>\n
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\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 A few minutes later I happened to glance over the ditch. Less than 30 feet away a very angry looking sika buck glared at me very malevolently. Immediately behind him there was a group of females. I quickly moved away.<\/div>\n
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\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 That would have made a great photograph. I should have tried. On the way back I was ready with the camera in my hand. I expected the deer would have gone. But looking over the ditch he was still there. As I fumbled with the camera he bent down threateningly as if to charge. After two quick photos I made myself scarce.<\/div>\n
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\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 The photos are so poor I won’t even show them to you.<\/div>\n
– Frank Lewis<\/b><\/div>\n
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