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Spring deer

Gordon Buchanan films Rum's red deer stags and some does with fawns.

Rum's rugged landscape of mountains, moors and glens makes it one of Scotland's most spectacular islands. Originally red deer were wiped out by locals in the late 1700s. Then the Victorian passion for deer stalking brought them back. Today the passion for red deer lives on but in a completely different way - Rum is now the biggest study area for red deer in the world. Gordon Buchanan spots a stag feeding at the side of the road. It's got a tag in it's ear so it's probably one of the study group which is why Gordon is able to get so close. Stags are not at their best at this time of year, they've just come through the winter and now spend their time just grazing, putting on weight and building up muscle through the summer for the rut towards the end of the year. So they're a bit scraggy looking. It's a different matter trying to get close to the hinds which are right in the middle of the calving. They are a little bit spooked when Gordon first gets the camera out but they crossed over the burn and settle down. A calf pops up from behind the grass. It has already been tagged by the research team.

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