Deer

Considered symbols of compassion and gentleness, deer are woven through myth and legend. Artemis, the Greek goddess of hunting and wild animals, considered them sacred. Her chariot was pulled by four golden horned deer.

People have long thought the animals have a connection to the supernatural or fairy world. In Scottish and Irish folklore, red deer were called fairy cattle. They were watched over by otherworldly women, and milked by fairies.

In Welsh mythology, the story of Culhwch ac Olwen (the earliest surviving Arthurian legend), lists the Stag of Rhedynfre as one of the five oldest creatures of the world. Culhwch encounters the stag during his quest to find Olwen.

In the United Kingdom …

Of six species which reside in the UK only two are truly indigenous – the roe deer and the red deer.

Roe Deer

The most widely distributed deer, a common sighting is of the white tail flashing as the animal bounds away. Their preferred habitat is woodland, although they are often spotted in fields when eating. Solitary creatures, they sometimes form small groups overwinter to share territory and resources.

As well as their white rump, roe have black noses and white chins. Their summer fur is vibrant red/brown, which in winter it fades to a duller brown colour. Males (bucks) have small antlers which start growing in December, reach full size by April, and are cast (dropped) in November. Initially, the antlers are covered in velvet, which takes blood to the antlers in support of their growth.

Mating season is in July/August, and the doe delays implantation of her fertilised egg(s) until January the following year. This process is known as embryonic diapause, and the roe deer is the only deer to manage their birthing season in this way. While waiting for the embryo to signal that it’s time to implant, the doe continues to nurse her kid(s) from the previous season, and build her strength ready to see her through the winter months. After the egg(s) have been implanted, the young – usually one to three in number – are born around May.

Young initially start with spotted fur, to help camouflage them. They remain concealed until they are strong enough to follow their mother. Until then, the mother leaves the kid(s) hidden, visiting only to feed and clean them. Once mobile, young remain with their mother for around 12 months.

Red Deer

The UK’s largest land mammal, the red’s preferred habitat was originally woodland. Loss of habitat has seen them adapt to live on mountainsides and moorland, as well as what remains of woodland habitats. They are most common in Scotland, but also distributed around the rest of the UK.

Standing up to four feet tall, and weighing up to 200kg, males grow an imposing set of antlers. Up to three feet in length, the antlers are cast every year, growing larger with each regrowth. They achieve full size when the deer is around 10 years old, after which their annual growth may reduce.

As the antlers grow, so the number of points (tines) increases. A red deer with 12 tines (six per antler) is called a Royal stag, while 14 tines make him an Imperial stag, and an animal with 16 or more is referred to as a Monarch.

Rutting (breeding) season is between September and November, when stags attach to a group of hinds. They bellow and thrash vegetation to try to intimidate opposing stags. If this does not deter would be suitors, the stags may fight, locking antlers and wrestling until one retreats. Serious injury and death can result from the battle.

Hinds usually give birth to a single calf, which – like the roe deer – initially has spotted fur for camouflage. Female young may remain with their mother as part of the herd, whereas males will separate after one to two years to join a groups of stags.

Other Species Living in the UK

Other species which now live wild were first introduced through private herds. Fallow deer came to the UK with the Romans. After the collapse of the Roman Empire, the deer became extinct in Britain and were reintroduced by the Normans in the 11th century.

Muntjac deer arrived from China in 1838 when British naturalist John Reeve sent a pair to London Zoo. A small herd were later introduced to Woburn Abbey, from where they are thought to have escaped in 1920. They went on to establish themselves in the wild.

Sika deer arrived from Asia in 1860, when they were brought to parks in the UK. Their wild populations are found in the greatest numbers in Scotland, Cumbria, Dorset and the New Forest.

Chinese water deer were brought to zoos and wildlife parks in the late 1800s to early 1900s. Around 1929, a number of them escaped from a wildlife park. They are located primarily in Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, and Norfolk.

Did you know?

Adult and young deer have different terms depending on which species they are:

Find out more:

The Wildlife Trusts
The Woodland Trust
The British Deer Society
The Mammal Society
Rewilding Britain