Deer bellowing in AubracWhat could be better than an evening on theAubrac during the stag bellowing season? This famous plateau is the ideal place for nature andanimal lovers, and those keen on discovery! I’ll take you with me on anunusual autumn evening: in search of the brame du cerf.
Deer bellowing in AubracA must in Autumn
Picking mushrooms in Aubrac, enjoying the forest, eating aligot… so many reasons to appreciateautumn. The end of summer is the prelude to long nights and short days spent roaming the woods. The forest seems to be preparing for the sweet slumber of winter, and in a final burst of activity, the woods come alive on all sides as the dried leaves fall from the branches to the ground and carpet the damp ground. Some are preparing for hibernation, others are building up their reserves to get through the coming winter. For the ” kings of the forest “, the deer, on the other hand, it’s mating season. From September to mid-October on the Aubrac plateau, you can listen to the stags bellow… sensations guaranteed! Be very careful when approaching the forests of Aubrac: deer are wild animals, and during the bellowing season, they can be very dangerous and unpredictable…
Chestnuts and mushrooms © B. Colomb Lozère Sauvage;aveyron Attractivité Tourisme
Deer in Aubrac - stag bellowingVarious organizations offer to accompany you … the hunting federation, ALEPE, guides, innkeepers … contact us to find out more!
Inautumn, between mid-September and mid-October.
Yes, there are stags in the Cévennes and a few on the Grands Causses.
The stag bellow
Listening to a stag bellow is an unforgettable experience, as anyone lucky enough to have experienced it will tell you. Deer are gregarious animals. They generally live in herds of one buck and several does, sometimes as many as 30! In autumn, the females are in heat and the males are in rut. They jealously guard their harems and defend their rights with guttural cries that pierce the forest. Brave young stags will try to dethrone the old ones and steal the hinds from their herds. It’s a very trying time: constant surveillance, fighting, excitement…
In Lozère
The woods ofAubrac are populated by numerous herds. It’s at dusk that you have the best chance of witnessing this great spectacle of nature. The safest thing to do is to set off with a guide, like myself, who knows the forest, where the deer are and what safety precautions to follow. In fact, this discreet animal can become less shy at this time of year. As night falls, we take to the woods along the forest paths, on the lookout for bellowing deer. To hear the cries of our country’s largest wild animal soaring through the air as darkness settles around us is an almost mysticalexperience. Occasionally, the stags respond to each other, even challenging each other. You can hear their antlers clashing violently, but rest assured that most of these fights are not fatal. With great care and discretion, it’s sometimes possible tocatch a glimpse of the majestic animals, but the sound of their impressive bellowing alone is worth the trip.
Deer bellowing in Aubrac18h30
Tonight I’m accompanying an all-familygroupwith children of all ages. We’ll be heading for theedge of the woods, and I’ll start by listing the safety instructions. Then I start by telling a story in a playful way, and explain why deer bellow. The children are all amazed and excited to finally discover what the cry of this majestic animal is, which together we’ll call “the king of the woods”. As night falls, the instructions are clear: make no more noise, and be very quiet, so as to hear the deer’s famous bellow and perhaps evencatch a glimpse of it!
Young and old alike are impressed by the magic of this spectacle offered by nature.
Afterwards, I advise everyone to enjoy an aligot with sausage or Aubrac meat in one of the nearby burons restaurants.
Benoit Colomb Pact Gdt Crtloccitanie 0037505 MdWhy do deer bellow?
Bellowing is the call made by deer to attract the attention of females during the mating season. But it can also be a cry of intimidation aimed at other males in the vicinity, to ward them off. So, when the rutting season arrives, this bellowing dominates the forest.
Hikers in the Aubrac forest in autumn.The following day 6:30 pm
This evening, I’m accompanying a group of friends, in an atmosphere that’s both friendly and relaxing. Arriving at the edge of the woods, I gather my group of bon vivants to remind them of the safety instructions. Then, before night falls and the show begins, I tell a story that includes the answer to the question “Why do deer bellow? With all this explained, we sit back and listen in total peace and quiet to the deer’s famous bellowing, and perhaps if we’re lucky, catch a glimpse of “the king of the woods” !
There are a number of things you’ll need to take with you on a stag bellowing outing:
You can listen to the stag’s bellow on the Aubrac at the Col de Bonnecombe in particular.
