Spring Roe Buck Hunting in Agricultural Areas – Part 2

Spring Roe Buck Hunting in Agricultural Areas (approx. 25 Min/Part)

Winter is slowly coming to its end. Most of the roe bucks dropped their headdresses already during November and December and after sheding their antlers, growing the new one started within days. To the end of February and the beginning of March most of them finish it but they still look after it watchfully under the sensitive velvet-cover.

The guides examine the antlers in the making with ever increasing curiosity and guess excitedly what antlers are hidden on which roebuck-head under the smooth velvet.

When the growth of the antlers stop the buck starts to clean them on suitable vegetation found in its habitat. To mid-May more and more animals can be seen which already got rid of the velvet and cleaned their antlers. However the freshly cleaned antlers are still bright and immature-colored, for the skilled-eye they already show those characteristics which will make the guide decide whether to shoot it or spare it.

At the beginnig of April the cleaning process of bucks shows very different states. Most of the older specimens already got rid of the velvet however the younger ones did not even start to clean their antlers.

The bucks which already cleaned their antlers constantly display their dominance over the velveted ones. Among the bucks already having their weaponry ready, territorial competition is starting.

The hunting season of roe bucks starts on the 15th of April in Hungary. By this time huge areas are covered by the waving tender crops where the hunter has good chances to find a shootable buck. No wonder that the guides try their luck with their first guests on greening crops. Until the vegetation is low, roe deer does not feel safe because the lack of cover. It is remarkably cautious, distrustful and scampers away easily. Choosing the shootable specimens is usually done from a great distance therefore spotting scopes with appropriate power are indispensable with which judging of the buck's antlers can be done way over shooting distance as well.

As the vegetation and cover grows from day to day roe deer feels increasingly safe.

The roe deer is a territorrial game species which protects its occupied territory from other bucks so it keeps its place well. If the chosen buck was already observed several times in the same place… there is a good chance that it is going to be somewhere in the surroundings on the day of the hunt as well.
The high quality and quantity roe deer population of Hungary attracts thousands of hunters to the hunting grounds each year, where they can bring down the bucks with favourable trophies selecting between them comfortably. The guides try to do everything in order for the guests to get the desired trophies and unforgettable hunting memories, whether it is a young or mid-age cull buck or a capital one receiving a medal.