Tag Archives: deer

A Stag and his hinds

I visited the National Park in Killarney, Co Kerry, today to photograph the deer with other members of Blarney Photography Club, and a few friends.

A stag looks on at a horse and trap full of tourists in the background

There weren’t many stags or deer to be seen, apart from in a field up a hill beyond the Castlerosse Park Resort golf course. We found this stag near the Torc Waterfall side of Muckross House. No other stags nearby, they were all calm and relaxed. I think the stag was slightly worried about the silly humans pointing long lenses at him from some 300m away. He needn’t have worried.


Apertureƒ/8
CameraILCE-7RM5
Focal length600mm
ISO1000
Shutter speed1/1000s

The Deer of the Rut

A stag looks directly at the camera
A stag bellows as he walks past.
A stag looks towards me. One of his eyes is weeping and injured. He has grass in his antlers.
A stag bellows as he walks past.

A few photos of the deer in Killarney National Park a year ago when I visited there with Blarney Photography Club. These have been sitting in my “Unpublished” collection since then, so I might as well make them public.


Apertureƒ/6.3
CameraILCE-7M3
Focal length600mm
ISO3200
Shutter speed1/1000s

To be a stag in October

We went to Killarney National Park this morning to photograph the annual rutting. This is when stags come down from the mountain and look for romance and court any nearby female deer. And they’re quite vocal about it.

This particular guy was on one side of the tarmac path occupied by us human photographers, and it didn’t occur to us that he wanted to get to the other side, where a large group of younger stags and some does had gathered.

In frustration, he bellowed, pawed the ground, and ripped grass from the ground.

A stag walks across a tarmac path, previously occupied by this photographer. Other photographers are seen in the background.

When we finally realised what he wanted, we made a hasty exit to the side. We watched this huge, powerful creature walk over ground we recently vacated.

Unfortunately, the other deer, male and female, all ran from him. None stayed around to challenge him. If you look carefully, you’ll see his right eye is weeping and injured. He has lost the use of that eye, whether through infection or injury, but it hasn’t slowed him down.


Apertureƒ/6.3
CameraILCE-7M3
Focal length473.2mm
ISO1600
Shutter speed1/1000s

The Clougheenmillcon Deer

I was out with members of Blarney Photography Club last night at Clougheenmillcon near Blarney. Deer have been spotted in the area but I’d only glimpsed one while driving past some months ago.

A runner approached me with a big smile asking if I’d seen the deer. It was about 300m further on down the path towards Killeens. I was tired already but decided I needed to see it with my own eyes.

Sure enough, it was calmly eating grass by the side of the path. I had my long telephoto lens but there was really no need for it as the animal was so close!

After a few minutes of eating, looking around warily and walking to find the best grass he suddenly galloped off and disappeared into the brush.


Apertureƒ/5.6
CameraILCE-7M3
Focal length233.30000305176mm
ISO25600
Shutter speed1/1000s

The stag in the English Market

I remember seeing a shot Alkos took of this stag or deer on a wall near the English Market in Cork. I must dig up a link to it. Anyway, that shot was on my mind when I took this photo and I really like how it turned out!

Aperture ƒ/4
Camera Canon EOS 20D
Focal length 10mm
ISO 1600
Shutter speed 1/50s
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