Hockham Deer Management Group Norfolk Stalking Thetford Forest
Deer Species Information
Deer Species Information Red deer Sika Deer fallow deer roe deer chinese water deer muntjac breeding antlers height weight gestation period fawn kid calves calf
Red Deer Stalking - Norfolk & Scotland Roe Deer Stalking - Norfolk & Dorset Sika Deer Stalking - Dorset Fallow Deer Stalking - Norfolk Muntjac Deer Stalking - Norfolk, Chinese Water Deer Stalking - Bedfordshire deer Hockham Deer Management Group HDMG Deer Management Service Landowners Advisory Management Crop protection Forestry Farming Wild deer
Deer Species Information
Red Deer
(Cervus Elaphus Scoticus)
Red Stag
Red Hind
Average Shoulder Height
Adult Lowland Stag - 120cm
Adult Hill Stag - 112cm
Adult Lowland Hind - 115cm
Adult Hill Hind - 105cm
Coat
The Red deer have little change in their coat between seasons and are a chestnut brown all year round. The summer coat being shorter and glossier than the coarse winter hair.
Live Weight
Adult Lowland Stag - 180kg
Adult Hill Stag - 95kg
Adult Lowland Hind - 120kg
Adult Hill Hind - 80kg
Antlers
A representitive stag will have 12 points on his antlers (a royal) formed by 3 forward tines, caleed brow, brey and trey, and 3 upward tines formaing a 'cup' on the top of the main beam. Red deer cast antlers around March and are usually in hard antler by the end of August.
Breeding
Red Deer rut in September/October, the males attempting to hold a harem of females and will ward off any interceptor by roaring, displaying, posturing and generally weighing each other up, only locking antlers if the opposition doesnt get the message. The rut lasts for 2-3weeks and during this time the stags will lose condition considerably, having not eaten or slept for the duration.
The gestation period is for approximately 235 days and the hinds give birth to usually one calf during June. The calfs will weigh approximately 12kg (lowland), 6kg (hill) and will have spots for the first three months of its life.
Sika (Cervus Nippon)
Sika Stag (winter coat)
Sika Hind (summer coat)
Average Shoulder Height
Adult Stag - 95cm
Adult Hind - 85cm
Coat
The coat of a Japenese Sika is a chestnut brown with white spots dramatically changing to a dark grey/black in winter. The Sika have a distinctive white metatarsal gland on their hocks and a 'V' shaped white 'frown' on their forehead.
Live Weight
Adult Stag - 75kg
Adult Hind - 45kg
Antlers
A representitive Sika stag has 8 points on his antlers which are covered in black velvet during growth. They are cast in March and would be expected to be in hard antler by September.
Breeding
Sika rut in October making a distinctive call of a long whistle falling to a groan sounding rather like a coffin door opening. The stags will adopt and defend a territory and will round up and defend a harem of hinds.
The gestation period for Sika lasts approximately 195 days and hinds will give birth to a single calf during June. The calf will weigh approximately 4.5kg and be 35cm at the shoulder. The calves are born with spots which will disppear with their first winter coat.
Fallow (Dama Dama)
Menil Fallow Buck
Common Fallow Doe
Average Shoulder Height
Adult Buck - 90cm
Adult Doe - 80cm
Coat
This species is very variable in colour, with four main variants - common, menil, melanistic and albinistic. The common form has a brown coat with white spots that are more pronounced in summer with a much darker coat in winter. The albinistic is the lightest colour, almost white; menil are darker and melanistic is very dark, even black and is easily confused with Sika deer.
Live Weight
Adult Buck - 50kg
Adult Doe - 40kg
Antlers
Fallow bucks have palmated antlers which they cast from early April and are usually clean by the end of August. A young male begins with 2 single tines just before he is one year old by his 3rd year he should start to show signs of palmation (flattening) of the antlers. In consequent years, as the antlers form wide palms they will have small points called spellers on the back edge of the palmation.
Breeding
The rut takes place in October/November where the bucks take up their rutting stands. The bucks thyroid gland (Adams apple) becomes prominent, his neck thickens and he makes a belching call during the rut. He will guard his stand, strutting back and forth and urinating in his scrape. Males who approach the area will be faced with a display of parallel walking, as with Red deer, if this doesnt settle the dispute then locking of antlers will take place.
The gestation period for Fallow is 230 days and the doe will give birth to usually one fawn during June. the fawn will stand about 30cm to the shoulder and weigh approx 4.5kg.
Roe Deer
(Capreolus Capreolus)
Roe Buck
Roe doe
Average Shoulder Height
Adult buck - 70cm
Adult doe - 65cm
Coat
Live Weight
Adult buck - 22kg
Adult doe - 18kg
Antlers
Chinese Water Deer
(Hydropotes Inermis Inermis)
Chinese Water Deer buck
Chinese Water Deer doe