Hunters and photographers urged to prioritise safety during autumn rut

Hunters and nature photographers should take extra care in Estonia’s forests during the autumn mating season, ERR reported on the Terevisioon programme. The period brings hunters and photographers together in areas where moose and deer are especially active.

Marko Vinni, an adviser to the Estonian Hunters’ Society, said the end of summer and beginning of autumn was one of the most beautiful times in nature, as moose and deer entered their rutting season.

Nature photographer and wildlife tour leader Jarek Jõepera said the animals’ calls made it easier for both hunters and photographers to locate them. He noted that he did not wear a yellow vest while photographing, so that he would remain visible to hunters.

Vinni said hunters did not see photographers as opponents and used their photographs in their own projects. He urged people entering the forest to put safety first. Photographers heading to or leaving a hide should wear brightly coloured clothing and contact the user of the local hunting grounds before entering.

The situation is particularly concentrated on Estonia’s islands, where the red deer population is larger than on the mainland. Jõepera said that during just two weekends, when people had time to travel to the islands, photographers and others could gather in the same popular locations.

He recalled once photographing what he thought was a fox near a pile of stones. After enlarging the images, he realised that he had photographed a person sitting motionless on the pile. The experience made him consider what might have happened if he had been a hunter expecting to shoot a fox.

Vinni said people could call the head of the local hunting association before going into the forest. Contact details for hunting grounds are available through the hunters’ information system and map data.

Jõepera also recommended leaving a phone number and a note on the dashboard when parking in an isolated place where hunters may be operating. Mushroom pickers and other people walking in the forest should wear brightly coloured clothing.