The first time you hear a red stag roar you’ll have shivers up your spine. The sound is deep, loud, and threatening, more in character with a large and hungry predator than a deer! Come to think of it, you’ll feel the same involuntary shiver every time you hear it! The guttural roar of a mating red stag is the Old World’s equivalent to the three-note lilting bugle of the wapiti…but although the two animals are closely related, their challenge calls are totally different.

As the bugling season is the ideal time to hunt our American elk, so is the “roar” the perfect time to hunt the red stag. Worldwide, this magical event takes place in early fall, when the weather is getting crisp and the leaves are starting to turn. In the Southern Hemisphere the seasons are the opposite of the Northern Hemisphere; autumn begins in March! Over time, the European red deer introduced into New Zealand adjusted their schedules to match the weather and daylight hours. So, in New Zealand, it’s in March that the red stags finish polishing their antlers, start to get amorous, and the hills echo with their roaring. When you hear that sound you know there’s a mature stag nearby; you can imagine him stretching his neck out and throwing his antlers back as he issues his challenge…and then you’ll start to move in so you can see those magnificent antlers.

Want to experience the thrill of the New Zealand Red Stag Roar for yourself? Book one of our red stag hunting packages now.