Young Gardeners

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Watch a Deer Grow

At Bushy Park there are two species of deer that make up a population of about 325 animals, consisting of 125 red deer and 200 smaller fallow deer. Of all the 6 different species of deer, the red deer is the largest land mammal in Britain and, like the roe deer, is native to Britain. Fallow deer are smaller and were reintroduced by either the Romans or the Normans.

Sketch of male red deer

The most obvious difference between mature red and fallow deer is their size; a typical red stag/male weighs between 90-190kg (200-420lbs), their height at the shoulder between 101-112cm (41-54in) While buck/male can weigh upward of 70 kg (160lbs) and at the shoulder stand up to 90-95 cm (36in). The red hinds/females and fallow does/females, are respectively smaller to their males.

Some other noticeable differences:

Red Stag

Coats:

In summer their coat is reddish-brown, with a lighter colour of cream on the underbelly.

In Winter their coats are darker in colour and become shaggy & thicker

Antlers:

The antlers start as spikes and mature into being multi-pointed

Fallow Buck

Coats:

In summer their coats are lighter and with beige spots

In winter the coat is thicker and lose the lighter markings disapear altogether .

Their coat colours can vary, there are even white fallow, known as White Harts which are not albinos since their eyes are not red.

Particular black and white markings to their backsides/rump.

Antlers:

Distinctive palmate/hand shaped.

Sketch of male and female fallow deer

Both red and fallow males have antlers that during their growth are covered in fuzzy skin known as 'velvet', that contains blood vessels, and that when swollen dry out and become itchy. The itchiness causes the deer to rub up against a tree trunk remove the velvet. Often when the public see scruffy velvet in the process of being removed they get concerned that the deer are injured; but this is a natural phenomenon.

Sketch of male deer rubbing antlers on tree

Stags usually live in large groups. During August they start to become intolerant of each other. In early September, stags 'breakout' from the stag groups. They possess an area of land, known as 'stands'. Within their stands they create wet wallow ditches made of their own urine and mud. Then they roll in this to attract the females and take possession of groups of hinds (harems).

Sketch of male and three female deer

Once they set-up their own stand, stags start defending their harem and herding in any hinds. This is called the rutting season . All of this rutting activity, which even stops them eating, takes its toll on the condition of mature stags and they can lose as much as 20% of their body weight during the six-week rutting period. It's the loss of body weight and exhaustion that lead the public to think that they are ill; again this is a natural phenomenon., and they will soon recover. Fights between stags are common and can cause serious or fatal injury.

REMEMBER!!

Never approach deer, especially during the rutting season (September - October)
Do leave the conkers and sweet chestnuts for them to eat so that they can fatten up again after the rut.
Don't let your pets chase the deer or other wildlife.