©Gillian Day
Fallow deer
Species information
Statistics
Length: 1.3-1.8mShoulder height: 0.5-1.2m
Weight: 31-63kg
Average lifespan: 8-16 years
Conservation status
When to see
January to DecemberAbout
The fallow deer is an elegant, medium-sized deer, with a typically spotted coat. Males have broad, palmate antlers. During the autumnal breeding season, known as the 'rut', males make a loud belly belch to proclaim their territory and fight over the females. This display may involve groaning and stylised walking, but often results in dangerous, physical contact as they lock antlers. The resulting fawns are born the following summer.Fallow deer prefer deciduous or mixed woodland with large clearings, typically living in small herds. They are also common in many deer parks throughout the country. They eat grasses and herbs, and will browse young, broadleaf trees.
How to identify
The fallow deer is variable in colour, but is mostly pale gingery-brown, with white spots on the back, a characteristic black and white tail and a white rump patch outlined in black. Some animals are darker brown without any spots, and others are very pale, almost white.In our area
Fallow deer tend to live in large herds throughout the year, but groups sometimes combine during the winter, making them the easiest type of deer to spot in Shropshire. Through October and November, when the rut takes place, if you venture out into the woodlands of the Wrekin at dawn, you may hear the roar of stags, but it is very difficult to predict where a rut might take place in the wild and your experience is likely to be limited to an audible encounter. To guarantee seeing a rut in action, the more reliable option is to head to Attingham Park, where the deer are used to humans and are much more easy to watch.
On the southern Shropshire border, a very distinctive type of fallow deer can be seen. Often called a long-haired fallow deer, the fallow deer of the Mortimer Forest near Ludlow have developed a hairier, curlier coat than the usual fallow deer. These variety was first noted in the 1950s and appeared to be limited to the Mortimer Forest, likely because the population was isolated and a gene mutation has occurred. In addition to hairier tail, head and ears, the Mortimer deer also come in a range of colours; from the usual rusty brown colour, to coats covered in white spots, black fur and even white fur (called leucism). The variety is now sometimes reportedly seen further north towards the forests near Clun, but it the normal fallow types inhabit Wenlock Edge and the woodlands around Ironbridge Gorge too.