Deer
| In recent years the deer population in south-east England has increased to a degree that seriously jeopardise their wellbeing. When not properly controlled they can do an immense amount of damage to their surroundings and themselves. Deer have no natural predators in the UK and so the responsibility for the control of their numbers lies with the land-holder. Damage likely to be caused by these primary browsers is the nibbling away of new buds shoot and flowers, inhibiting the growth of sapling trees and surrounding plant life. The main species we expect to encounter in the South East of England are:
Each species has its own preferred habitat, herd grouping, food preferences, breeding seasons etc. All of which are carefully considered when a plan of action is embarked upon. This service is often offered as complimentary to either vermin control or retention of venison procured. |
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 (Dama dama) |
Fallow Deer The species is very variable in colour, with four main variants,
The common form has a brown coat with white mottles that are most pronounced in summer with a much darker coat in the winter. The white is the lightest coloured, almost white; common and menil are darker, and melanistic is very dark, even black (easily confused with the Sika Deer). Most herds consist of the common form but have menil form and melanistic form animals amongst them (the three groups do not stay separate and interbreed readily) |
 (Muntiacus reevesi) |
Formosan Reeves’s Muntjac An introduced species to Engand are now very common in some areas. Inhabiting tropical regions, the deer have no seasonal rut and mating can take place at any time of year; this behaviour is retained by populations introduced to temperatee countries. Males have short antlers, which can regrow, but they tend to fight for territory with their tusks (downward pointing canine teeth). The presence of these tusksis otherwise unknown in British wild deer, and can be discriminatory when trying to differentiate a Muntjac from an immature native deer. |
 (Capreolus capreolus) |
The Roe Deer A relatively small deer, with a body length of 95-135 cm (3.1 – 4.4 ft), a shoulder height of 65-75 cm (2.1 – 2.5 ft), and a weight of 15-30 kg (33-66 lb). It has rather short, erect antlerss and a reddish body with a grey face. Its hide is golden red in summer, darkening to brown or even black in winter, with lighter undersides and a white rump patch; the tail is very short (2-3 cm, or 0.8 – 1.2 in), and barely visible. Only the males have antlers. The first and second set of antlers are unbranched and short (5-12 cm, or 2 – 4.7 in), while older bucks in good conditions develop antlers up to 20-25 cm (8-10 in) long with two or three, rarely even four, points. When the male’s antlers begin to regrow, they are covered in a thin layer of velvet-like fur which disappears later on after the hair’s blood supply is lost |
