The deer-rooing season has begun in Hungarian forests

(Photo: Pixabay)

This year, state forestry companies are also offering a number of guided deer-rooing tours. The popularity of the tours remains unbroken, and the program series has become a serious tradition in forest farms with significant red deer populations. In many places, the excursions, which attract an increasing number of nature-loving visitors, are combined with a short train ride. The tours are usually preceded by interactive lectures, where trained, experienced foresters and hunters present the importance of game management and the defining phenomenon of the life of red deer, the deer-rooing.

In addition to the presentation of the life and behavior of the deer, various bass horns are also on display, with which the performers faithfully imitate the individual sounds

Our country is proud that the famous red deer of Gemenc lives in the largest floodplain forests in Europe, whose roar fills the entire area in September. In Gemenc, for example, the small railway enchants the traveler, where the experience of listening to the roar is preceded by a performance and antler display, and the evening can even be combined with gastronomic specialties. Északerdő Zrt. launches an adventure train in Pálháza, EGERERDŐ Zrt. organizes a deer roaring tour in Felsőtárkány, a night tour in Annafürdő introduces the secrets of the forest, while in the forests of Vértes and Gerecse we can enjoy the cavalcade of special sounds during charity tours. The red deer wedding, the deer roaring season, also begins in the forest areas managed by Bakonyerdő Zrt., in the forests of Bakony and Balaton-felvidék. In the Zalaegerszeg area, you can listen to the bullfight up close from the open carriages of the Csömödéri State Forest Railway, the Kaszó light railway rattles through the roaring forests, and around the capital, the Pilisi Parkdő organizes programs in Szentendre and Budapest. National parks, such as the Duna–Dráva Béda-Karapancsa or the Kiskunsági Őrjeg, also prepare evening programs.

The sound of the bulls is both a declaration of love and a show of strength, with their deep, hollow bellowing they call the cows to them, while also warning their rivals

Nature shows its most ancient face during this period, the bulls first clash with each other with sound. If the other one promises to be as strong as the team bull, the challenger seeks out his rival to defeat. During the encounter, they assess the balance of power during a parallel walk, where they try to decide which one is more capable by walking side by side, bellowing, and showing their antlers, but if necessary, they decide the fight by clashing their antlers.

Hikers may also encounter restrictions during the autumn hunting season

The recreational role of forests has recently become more valued, and more and more people are choosing active recreation. The purpose of regulating forest visits in the autumn period is therefore to ensure that hunters and hikers pay mutual attention to each other and the game population. The Forest Act has clarified the rules related to hunting and, relaxing the previous practice, allows the use of designated hiking trails during the hunting season as well. State forestry companies ask forest visitors and hikers to find out about seasonal restrictions in advance. On the guided tours, foresters and hunting experts ensure that visitors are safe, while they have a realistic chance of hearing the deer bellow. It is worth checking the program website for details. It is recommended to register as soon as possible using the contact details provided, as these tours are very popular and fill up quickly.

AM