Deer before beer

October social: Walk followed by drinks ( See other listing for pub / drinks info)

This walk will take a 5 -to 7k route, and with a bit of luck, we'll be able to watch and hear the deer of the Longshaw & the Eastern Moors at the back end of the season. A chance to see stags & deer in the wild. At this time of year you can hear the vocal mates calling and the clattering to antlers as they battle for top position.

Trail shoes / walking boots, a warm layer are advised and a pair of binoculars would be useful. Cannot guarantees of sightings, but fingers crossed. Regardless, it'll be a nice walk.

Longshaw and the surrounding area, the Sheffield Moors, are host to a herd of about 170 red deer. The herd is completely wild, and as the largest land mammal in the UK they are a spectacular sight. Stags are up to 130cm tall at the shoulder and can weigh up to 240kg. Easily recognised by their magnificent antlers, in autumn males compete for females by roaring or bellowing, a sound that can be heard resonating across the moors.

Rutting (mating) season usually starts in mid-September and runs until mid-October. Males compete for females by roaring, or bellowing. If roaring isn’t enough to decide who’s the dominant male, stags will size each other up with ‘parallel walking’ and if they are equally matched a full blown fight can break out. Fighting involves chasing each other and battling with the antlers.

Meet at the Longshaw Wooden Pole car park ( Not the main car park).

We will be setting off at 14:30 on the dot.

Aim is to finish by 4:30 and back to Sheffield for a pint or two. ( See other listing for pub info)