Hunting Tactics Roe Deer

*Introduction*

The Roe Deer is for Europe what the Whitetail Deer is for the North American continent. It can be found pretty much everywhere and therefor appears on all European based game maps. Some hunters like them more, some like them less. The antlers are the smallest in the game and might not be as impressive as those of all other deer species, however a nice Roe Deer buck is still a welcomed trophy for everyone. Also the barking when nervous or spooked can be annoying to some. After their initial release it was overdone but got later corrected to a very acceptable level. In fact that barking can help locating the Roe Deer acoustically and add to the thrill of hunting this small deer species.

*Spawning*

All Roe deer bucks and does travel alone in the Hirschfelden reserve or team up with others of both genders in the Hemmeldal and Val-des-Bois reserves. Sometimes in dense areas you can find old tracks (older than 60 minutes) of five or six Roe Deer right after starting your hunting session, which means they spawned in a large group and started moving into different directions.

*Clothing*

There is camouflage clothing available that provides various advantages specifically against all deer species.

**Sense Reduction Values** (1 = some; 6 = excellent)

  Outback Outfit | 1 / 6 | 1 / 6 | 1 / 6

You will quickly see a big difference when using any of these outfits with the deer species when you have approached them with a regular outfit before. When in prone, the animals will almost step on you before they notice the danger and run. These clothes have the same effect on any map, environment and vegetation, as opposed to certain camouflage clothes which only unfold their advantages when in certain areas such as forests, but provide zero camouflage otherwise.

*Scent Eliminator and Wind Indicator*

This species has a sense of smell and will detect players around them. Especially when upwind, you will see close-by animals stick their nose into the wind, then run away. The  Scent Eliminator works against all animals with a sense of smell. Apply it when you want to get close to the animal of your choice. Also, make sure to pay attention to the wind direction by observing objects tossed around or by using  Wind Indicator. Use it and follow the smoke with your eyes to see in which direction it is blown. As a general rule of thumb, the wind will blow towards the North-East on all maps. If you are not sure about the wind conditions, apply the  Scent Eliminator just in case. It doesn't hurt to use it once too often if you want to be on the safe side and not regularly spook animals by your smell.

*Searching*

It is worth following tracks of heavy bucks, because their weight/score relation is a bit higher than for some other deer species. The largest scoring bucks are most above 30kg, but you can also find them as low as 27kg. You can nicely walk along a Roe Deer trail with at least one male in it and listen for their calls. Even if you have a solid circle on the Huntermate indicating that you have come really close, you should not have scared them yet.

*Luring*

Use the  Roe Deer Caller or  Roe Deer Scent to attract both males and females. Be aware that a call can attract multiple animals even if you are only aware of one animal being in the vicinity. You can move a bit closer to a single or group before you call, just make sure to crouch. Find an elevated spot and place a call or scent trap at least 20m away from you. Make sure to have a clear line of sight. The brown Roe Deer is small and blends with all seasonal environment, i.e. with summer (Val-des-Bois), fall (Hirschfelden) and winter (Hemmeldal) maps. After you applied a lure, nearby bucks will trot into your call, so be ready and listen for their appearance. Females stroll towards you and take a lot longer. After a male has arrived, an experienced hunter will take the time and wait for a possible other buck to come to the calling or scented location. There have been cases where four bucks ended up competing for the calling spot.

*Field Judging*

Look for long and strong antler beams. The backward main tine will grow with the size of the main beam. A small beam with a large tine or vice versa does not exist, so you cannot mistake a small from a large final score. Basically look at the overall size. The small antlers are a bit hard to judge from further away. A good Spotting Skill is helpful to have for this species. Build up your skill by spotting all Roe Deer (wait for info to appear in the upper right corner) before shooting them, even if your trained eye can already distinguish a small from a large buck when they stand close to you.

A final score of +200 is very good and can place you in the top three of a score competition, even if the winner is going to be around 250 points. There is normal distribution in scores up to about 205. Then a wide gap opens with very few shot Roe Deer from 205 to about 240.

*Shooting the animal*

Search a good place where you can stay undetected. Using a  stand supports your plans, especially because many times multiple animals can approach you after you have applied a lure. Stay alert for other Roe Deer that might be in the area. Many  permitted weapons, especially  rifles are oversize and even a bad shot will lead to a fast death. Try shooting more than one deer in the same place using  Buckshot.

*If the animal flees*

If you spook the animal of your desire, follow the tracks crouching. Use your optics and try to spot it, and also look for tracks or vocal signs. Do not go too fast. The animal can stop fleeing abruptly and return to roaming, and the roaming can be in any direction including coming right back at you. If you end up bumping into the animal it will flee again. Take your time. If the animal is worth it, a few more minutes will pay off.

After a Roe Deer has spooked it will make a quacking sound. Even after the animal has stopped running it will continue this quacking for some time. This can be helpful for you to find it. This is similar behavior to the chirping of the Alpine Ibex. Be careful and keep glassing when approaching the nervous deer. Follow the fleeing tracks and at the same time listen for the quacking sound. You can come close to a nervous Roe Deer, at least closer than for example to a Red Deer or Whitetail Deer. If you cannot locate the spooked animal, wait some time and then start using the lures again, and the animal might be coming back. Some areas are densely populated by Roe Deer and a spooked critter might have scared some others that have run in the same direction. As a result often times you will encounter that after following one and using a lure again, you will have more animals come to you that you were aware of being around.

### Quick Start Locations

Start at the following lodge(s) for quickly finding this species.

 Drängstorp
 Chalet du Mont-Bleu