Feeding Red Deer Stags at Alvie Estate near Aviemore

[Mike357]

Mrs 357 and I were staying up at Coylumbridge near Aviemore in December and decided one day to go and feed the stags on Alvie Estate. What a great afternoon.

We met the Keeper and headed up into the forest. I asked him if the stags never get used to cars and humans and his answer amazed me. They feed them all winter and as the time passes they get more tame and will come in really close to the people and vehicles. He even had a stag almost tame enough to eat the cattle nuts out his hand. But come the milder weather, the stags disappear out the forest and revert back to being acutely aware of humans and cars etc and just as alert and scared as they normally are, even the keeper who fed them all winter can't get near them. Then come the winter again the whole thing is repeated. Amazing.

Well worth an afternoon out if you are ever up that way.

[Christel]

Looks like it was a cold but lovely day out, Mike357 did you take the pictures?

[Mike357]

It was cold and a little misty but added to the atmosphere.

I did take the pictures but wasn't concentrating hard enough as the shutter speed got quite slow and when the stags got spooked and I took a picture they became a bit out of focus. Mrs 357 was using her boing to take pictures and it can shoot in HDR (High Dynamic Range) which is brilliant for capturing contrast in an image.

[ovenpaa]

Great pictures Mike, these last few years we have headed out into the plantations near Ulfborg DK to watch the Reds during the rutting season, it might not be winter but the sound of a nigh on prehistoric roar from a stag is enough to make your hair stand up first time you experience it. We can spot anywhere from half a dozen to 20+ beasts in an evening. The plantation is an amazing place to as it is all forestry tracks and we still need a GPS to this day to find our way out.

[dromia]

How many did you drop then?

[jjvc]

You're a bad man Droomie. :lol: :lol: :lol:

[jjvc]

These beasties were quite tame too Mike, on the Kinbrace to Strathnaver road back in March.

Joe

[Dougan]

What a cool place - Great pics

[dromia]

How many did you drop Joe?

I've taken many a beast around the Kinbrace area up Ben Armine and Klibreck.

Bonny Strath, Stathnaver. Famous for its Clearance history and military musters.

[ovenpaa]

I seem to remember reading about a Stag last year in the Highlands that used to come up and take biscuits from cars parked in a lay-by. From memory it did not end well for the beast.