The rutting season ends in Hornachuelos after attracting hundreds of visitors

Topics Hornachuelos

The City Council attributes the pull of visitors to the Sierra de Hornachuelos Natural Park and blames the high temperatures for a shorter season.

P. Gonz. L. · Published on October 23, 2026 at 19:04

Image for the story: The rutting season ends in Hornachuelos after attracting hundreds of visitors — Photo: Prensa Ayto. Hornachuelos

The rutting season in the Sierra de Hornachuelos Natural Park has come to an end. This is stated by the town's City Council, which places this natural phenomenon as one of the main tourist attractions of autumn in the municipality.

A draw for visitors from near and far

According to the Council, every year hundreds of people travel to Hornachuelos during the weekends to listen to the bellowing of the deer. They come from the region, from the province of Córdoba and from Andalusia, but also from other parts of Spain and even from abroad. The City Council explains that the rutting season is linked to the deer's reproductive period. During those weeks, the males compete for access to the females and defend their position against other specimens. The bellows serve to warn rivals and, at times, avoid confrontations; when two males of similar strength meet, the dispute can end in a fight in which they clash their antlers.

A shorter season due to the heat

The Council details that this year the high temperatures, prolonged more than usual, have delayed the development of the rutting season and shortened its duration. With the end of the season, the sierra gradually recovers its silence. The City Council also notes that activities linked to the rutting season are organised to bring this natural phenomenon closer and to raise awareness of the environmental values of the protected area. Those who have not been able to live the experience will have to wait around twelve months, until the natural cycle of the species announces a new season.

An autumn attraction

The Sierra de Hornachuelos Natural Park is the setting for this experience, which the City Council frames within nature tourism and the interest in the municipality's wildlife and landscape.

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Foto: Prensa Ayto. Hornachuelos