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Roe deer rut 2026

Photos from this year's roe deer rut - a summer of heat waves, dry meadows and bucks at the edge of their strength.

Also read the story: Roe Deer Rut in a Year of Extreme Heat: A Summer Without Rain and Roe Deer on the Brink of Exhaustion 

A roe buck runs straight towards me across the meadow, all four legs off the ground.
Roe buck running towards me
A roe buck and doe on a flowering meadow in evening light during the rut.
Roe deer pair on the evening meadow
A roe buck stands among yellow wildflowers, looking straight into the lens.
Roe buck among yellow flowers
A roe buck in full leap over a field, the dark forest and evening sky behind him.
Roe buck leaping over the field
A roe buck chases a doe across a stubble field during the rut.
Roe deer rut on the stubble field
A roe buck backlit by the setting sun among flowering thistles.
Roe buck in backlight
A roe buck follows a doe across a flowering meadow, a classic scene of the roe deer rut.
Roe buck walking behind a doe
A portrait of a roe buck among thistles, head up and ears pricked.
Roe buck among thistles