Roe deer barking

• Fauna Observation

Smaller than a stag, the roe deer is a discrete cervid that needs protection from the forests and thick shrubland to be able to hide. The exodus from a number of agricultural plots is enabling their recovery and expansion throughout almost all of this territory.

Most of the time, watching will involve brief views of the white patches around their tails as they run off in fear of our footsteps. If you’re a bit luckier, you might just enjoy a more prolonged look if you come up on one grazing and ruminating in the forest clearings during the very early and very late hours of the day.

The best time to watch and listen to them is the mating season from June to August. During these months, the males lay out and defend their territory with deep barks and territorial marks they make with their small yet sharp horns on bushes and low branches.

If you’d like to watch them, we recommend walking along the forest slowly and in as much silence as possible. As evening falls, search for a clearing in the forest and sit down on the edge sheltered by the vegetation. With a little patience, you might see a few of these habitually solitary animals come out to eat. If you can stay still and quiet, you can enjoy a long watch. Don’t forget that vision is not the most acute of the senses in this thicket dweller.

To make it easier to watch these and many other mammals, contact Aula del Alagón for a guided route suggestion as we’re happy to help you discover our region’s mammals.

Aula del Alagón

info@auladelalagon.com
Plaza de España, 4, 37760, Linares de Riofrío (Salamanca)