The Schlitzohr (the sly-one)

I discovered hunting through my degree in nature conservation and landscape ecology, but also through exciting stories and an in-depth (scientific) exploration of the subject of hunting and everything that goes with it. Since then, my studies, leisure time and career choice have gone hand in hand, and hunting is now a central part of my life.

This summer marks the third time I’ve experienced the rutting season of our roe deer – a magnificent natural spectacle and a fascinating highlight in the hunting calendar. As roe bucks are particularly easy to hunt at this time of year, I’ve once again packed my kit and headed to the Eifel to hunt the ‘red knight’. Alongside my rifle, my calling horn and my stalking stick, I naturally also had the right ammunition in my luggage: GECO STAR in 8x57 IS calibre.

You can read about my experiences during this rutting season in the following lines…

When the maize fields have already grown as tall as a man, the wheat is ready for harvest and the days are slowly but noticeably getting shorter, the prime time for the ‘red knights’ has arrived.

The roe deer rutting season begins at the end of July. The roe deer are now more active again. It is not just the rubbing and scraping spots that betray the presence of numerous bucks. There’s movement all over the hunting ground and numerous bucks can be confirmed.

The bucks are now easy to lure. It doesn’t really matter whether you imitate the characteristic ‘pia’ call – the rutting call of the doe – with your mouth, a beech leaf or a special leaf instrument.

I prefer a short stalking through the woodland to locate a suitable spot for leaf-whistling and to try my luck at a buck from there.

In the woodland, the buck can suddenly appear right in front of the hunter at very close range. Open country presents different challenges. When the buck emerges from the woodland and heads towards you, you can see him coming from a distance, but the shooting range is usually considerably greater here.