– Walking, watching and savoring the silence of the Pre-Pyrenees –
Red Deer Rut in Montañano
The red deer rut in Montañano is not something you can simply schedule. It’s not “drive to a viewpoint and see what happens.”
No — it’s a search that starts in the dark and ends when the sun finally warms the valleys again.
We headed into the mountains in the early mornings and late evenings. The wind direction dictated every step: one breath in the wrong direction, and it’s over.
The “path” is made of shrubs, thorns, and rocks — sometimes straight uphill, sometimes weaving through dry riverbeds that offered just enough cover.
Cold mornings, warm afternoons
In the morning, you really feel the crisp air of the pre-Pyrenees against your face — the kind of cold that keeps you awake, alert, focused.
But by midday, the sun returns. You warm up again — if you weren’t already warm from the climb and the anticipation of the moment.
A sighting is never guaranteed
Sometimes, we spotted stags from far away.
Sometimes, we crossed paths with fallow deer or wild boar without warning.
Sometimes, we only heard the roar echoing through the valley with no visual at all.
And sometimes… everything aligned: wind right, silence right, timing perfect.
Those are the moments that stay with you.
Images that speak for themselves
The photos tell the story better than any description could:
the landscape, the tension of the moment, the strength of the animal, and the stillness that follows.
We’re still reliving it — and we will be for a long time.
And next year, we’ll be back.
Early, patient, and always with respect for the wild.
