Red Deer Stag bellowing, Woburn Abbey Deer Park, Bedfordshire

The red deer stag seldom feeds during the rut as they need to spend a lot of time keeping other stags away from females often bellowing, parallel walking and if that doesn't settle it they will lock antlers in battle.
We saw this stag win a fight it contested with another that didn't have any hinds (females), so will continue to gather strength by digging antlers into the ground, and against tree trunks, to then possibly compete with the stag holding the hinds to be in with a chance to mate with many females.
The first stage of a fight is roaring to warn away rivals but also a statement of strength and stature. Evenly matched males will parallel walk; should that be to no avail, stags will lock antlers pushing and shoving until one concedes by running away.
The stag winning the fight will possibly hold a group of hinds, as many as 50. However in this case neither stag had any hinds at all so the winner continues to gather up strength by digging the antlers into the ground and pushing up against tree trunks, to be better able to compete with the stronger stag holding the hinds.
Stags will test the scent to check if any hind is ready to mate. Fawns are born in the spring.
Red deer hinds feed on the most luscious and richest of grasses and their movement and distribution is dependent on this. Stags also scent mark the ground to keep others away from the females.
The rut begin late September to early November, stags shed their antlers around January, grow a new set over the spring and summer, feed heavily, build up strength ready for the rut the following autumn.