Das Jagdmagazin mit Weitblick

When the red deer rut begins in October, the mountains become the stage for one of Europe’s most spectacular wildlife events. But new research shows that hunting pressure, outdoor recreation, climate, migration patterns, and refuge areas influence red deer far more than once believed. Here’s what modern science is revealing about the rut—and about red deer life in the mountains.

Ticks are moving higher into Austria’s mountains — and hunters are following them. Once considered a lowland problem, the castor bean tick is now being found above 1,500 meters. Milder temperatures and wildlife hosts are pushing its range uphill, bringing Lyme disease and TBE into places where mountain hunters once felt safe.

Wild boar are pushing deeper into Austria’s alpine country. While hogs have long been a familiar part of the hunting landscape in Germany and Hungary, their growing presence in the Alps is creating a different kind of conflict. Entire sounders are rooting up high-elevation pastures in search of roots, tubers, insect larvae, and other food hidden beneath the sod—sometimes leaving large sections of grazing land looking as if they had been worked over with a plow.

How quickly do chamois really age — and what role does the mountain itself play? A new study of more than 31,000 harvested chamois suggests that limestone, gneiss, schist, and other rock types can influence vegetation, tooth wear, and ultimately the age at which chamois begin to decline physically. For hunters, the findings offer fascinating new insights into age, body mass, and harvest management.