The males of the various deer species fight each other during the rutting season in the fall. First with a roar, then with antlers. Even though these fights are ritualized battles in which the antlers are never thrust into the flank, serious injuries often occur. Whoever wins all the fights is the champion. As the top stag, he is allowed to stay in the female herd for a few weeks. During this time, he is allowed to mate. The top dog drives away any competitors that appear in the vicinity. If a female wants to separate from the herd, the top dog tries to drive her back. However, this is not always successful. Not all cubs come from the stag. The hunter’s term for this process is „to set him horns on the head“(„to cuckold a male“).

After the rutting season, the stag leaves the female herd and rejoins a male herd, where he lives as an ordinary stag until the next rutting season, when he returns to the fighting arena.

More in the chapter: It’s election day – Who can cross paths with me?