The Sierra de Boumort Protected Natural Area coincides with the Boumort National Hunting Reserve, with an area of 13,097 ha. It has been a protected area since 1991 and is located in the western Catalan Pyrenees, between the valleys of the Noguera Pallaresa and the Segre, encompassing a series of mountain ranges running transversally from one valley to the other, including the Boumort mountain range, which gives its name to the Reserve, the Carreu mountain range, the Cuberes mountain range and the Batsacans mountain range.

The highest peaks in the reserve are Boumort (2,077 m), Pi Sec (1,917 m) and Cap de Carreu (1,848 m).

The landscape is typically pre-Pyrenean, with abrupt mountain ranges and quite rugged terrain, giving rise to strong contrasts, which favours great diversity.

Its main attraction is the large population of deer that inhabit it. The deer can be seen all year round, although the most spectacular time is during the rutting season, between mid-September and mid-October, when you can enjoy an amazing spectacle with a guide who knows the best places to observe these animals. The reserve stands out for being the only place in Europe where the four species of vultures on the continent breed: griffon vulture, black vulture (reintroduced in 2007), bearded vulture and Egyptian vulture.

Vegetation:

The vegetation of the RNC is a very representative sample of the vegetation typical of the central-western Catalan Pre-Pyrenees. In addition, it is enriched by the penetration of boreo-alpine species, which are located in the sub-alpine floor of the highest levels of the Boumort mountain range, and by the maintenance of xeromediterranean elements that further enhance the uniqueness of these mountains.

One of the most outstanding characteristics is the great diversity of the vegetation, both in terms of the number of existing communities and their structure. This is due to the wide range of environmental conditions that can be found in a relatively small area. Thus, the current vegetation represents practically all altitudinal levels except the alpine.

A special time: The rutting of the deer

The rutting season begins in mid-September and ends in mid-October. During this period the bucks fight over the females and create their own harems, bellowing constantly and marking their territory with glandular and urine secretions and scraping the trunks with their antlers.

During the bellowing season, the dominant individuals are intensely active in keeping the harem together. Therefore, during this period they are constantly chasing and fighting with the other competing males, which leads to considerable wear and tear at the end of the rutting season.
The youngest males and the most dominated individuals wait until the end of the rut (when the dominant individuals are very worn out) to cover a late female.

It should be noted that the females' oestrus is of very short duration, being receptive for only 24 hours.

Around mid-October, the intensity of the males' oestrus reduces and the females begin to leave the harems to rejoin other females until the following autumn.