Fallow Deer

The common Fallow Deer has a brown coat with irregular white spots that are most pronounced in summer with a much darker coat in the winter. Some are lighter colored, almost white and others very dark, even black which are easily confused with the Sika Deer. Most herds consist of the common form but have the lighter and darker colored animals amongst them. The three groups do not stay separate and interbreed readily.

Bucks are 4½ to 5¼ feet (140-160 cm) long, 3 to 3¼ feet (90-100 cm) shoulder height, and 132 to 187 lbs (60-85 kg) in weight. Does are 130-150 cm long, 2½ to 2¾ feet (75-85 cm) shoulder height, and 66 to 110 lbs (30-50 kg) in weight. Fawns are born in spring at about 1 foot (30 cm) and weigh around 10 lbs (4.5 kg). The life span is around 12 years.

Bucks have antlers that are broad and shovel-shaped. Fallow Deer are grazing animals and their preferred habitat is mixed woodland and open grassland. During the breeding season (rut) in October, bucks will spread out and females move between them. At this time of year fallow deer are relatively ungrouped compared to the rest of the year when they try to stay together in groups of up to 150.

The Fallow Deer is a native of most of Europe. They were spread across central Europe by the Romans and introduced to the British Isles by the Normans. The Normans kept them for hunting purposes in the royal forests. The Fallow Deer is easily tamed and is often kept semi-domesticated in parks today. In some areas of Central Europe, wild fallow deer, not having any natural enemies, have increased to numbers that cause serious damage to young trees. In more recent times, Fallow Deer have also been introduced in parts of the Americas, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa.

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