The red deer rut places extreme physical demands on stags, with high injury rates, exhaustion, and welfare costs affecting rutting males.
The rut represents a period of intense welfare challenge for male red deer. Severe energy deficits leave stags vulnerable to winter mortality. Injuries from fighting cause pain and reduce foraging ability. High cortisol levels during competitive rut activity indicate significant physiological stress. Dominant stags monopolise resources at the cost of subordinate males. Population management through selective culling of old injured stags can reduce prolonged suffering.