Breeding Status: In the first years when the re-introduced deer were less wild it was easy to assess breeding success, for two years 100% calving. No ratio of male/females was noted so 50% of each was taken. One semi tame hind (No 7) had twins two years ago but has had single calves since. This was probably due to the extra cattle feed she gets. She is a small hind and it was a surprise to see her with twins. I suspect they held back her growth. A wild stag was known to reside on Rona, only two years later was I able to confirm that there was also a wild hind. She has since been spotted with a calf, which could have been from another hind? Since the first two breeding years it has been difficult to assess the breeding success, we suspect it is still high. Numbers are as per the table.

main with their mothers until rutting starts. Hinds are well spread out with no large groups emerging yet. During the rut (2006) a group of 14 animals were held together by the resident stag at Dry Harbour for a few days, this included hinds calves and young male deer. No groups of this size were seen this year although the weather at the height of the rut was foul, which kept us off the hill. The only area which seems to have little deer presence is the North East side between ‘Braige and the forest at Dry Harbour, the Base have reported visits by odd deer but because it is heavily grazed by sheep there is nothing to hold them in this area.. The most popular area is the forest around Dry Harbour. The woods to the West of Big Harbour offer great shelter and there are a few hinds there although it is dense and difficult to count them (they travel between Dry and Big Harbour regularly). All in there are no areas subject to serious deer browsing. 

Population of Deer on Rona from 2003 on.   

2007 Report: 

We arrived at these figures by spending more time this year than previous years looking for deer on the run up to the rut. From middle of August we started to see hinds and calves moving about more. Then late August stags appeared across from the Lodge on the other side of the Bay. Going out when practical we managed to account for 28 different deer. Due to the size of Rona and the ability of the deer to move about constantly we logged the deer and tried our best to look for characteristics that separated them. The weather this year improved as the rut progressed but quite a few days were impractical for watching/stalking deer, work commitments and odd foul wet/windy days. 

From previous years sightings we could see that the breeding success was 100% in the first two years and could see no reason why this would not be the same in year 3 and 4, due to increasing movement and numbers we can now only go by recognised breeding percentages. 

 In year 2005,  hind No 7 had twins.

The stags have taken up residence on the Island ‘Garbh Eilean’ in Kyle Rona. First spotted three years ago on the main island area in the summer, and then seen on the Island regularly. Last year a close watch was kept on the Island and during fishing trips and visits on foot, the two introduced stags were spotted, this year they were joined by younger stags, 5 animals were spotted and there was some debate that two may have been hinds.  

The resident stag first spotted in 2002 returns to the forest on the East Coast, North of Church Cave after the rut and is about this area until he breaks out again in September. This year he was seen many times but almost always without hinds, last year he was the dominant stag especially in the Dry Harbour area.  

We had a call from Raasay to report that a tagged stag was shot at Brochel Castle. I confirmed it was one of ours and had noted that this stag had been missing as no sightings were reported after July/August. 

He had a strong head and weighed 104 kilo (head, legs off). This was disappointing but not unexpected. I had expected that Raasay stags would come here (as did the original Rona stag?) but constant south winds from mid September would have only encouraged our deer over there. I understand no more shooting days are planned on Raasay so hopefully any Rona stags on Raasay may come home. Although a loss we would have had to cull this animal in 2008.  

A mature stag was spotted and filmed swimming from West to East across Big Harbour in the last week of the season. 

End.