Fallow deer were introduced to Britain by the Normans, and possibly earlier by the Romans, too. They are the most numerous deer species in Britain, with an estimated fallow deer population of around 100,000. Arguably, fallow deer with their distinctive dappled, Bambi-like coats are also the most attractive of the four main deer species in Britain, but not all fallows are dappled, and there are a number of different fallow deer forms and colorations. Their woodland habitat and elusive habits and lifecycle mean that the true wild fallow deer are often difficult to spot, but resident herds in many parks present an ideal opportunity to observe these charming creatures.
Size and Appearance of Fallow Deer
Fallow deer stand in size between the red deer and the roe deer, with the buck measuring just over 3 feet at the shoulder and weighing over 200 lbs. The female or doe is only a few inches shorter, but much more lightly built.
Generally fallow deer can be recognised most easily by their beautifully dappled coat of pale chestnut with characteristic white spots on the back and flanks and a white tail, which flashes an alarm signal as they take flight. The white spots may disappear in winter. They also have a black streak along the spine which goes right to the end of their tails.
Fallow deer females, or does, have no antlers, but the males or bucks carry heavy, flat plated palmate antlers in the rut or breeding season, which dwarf the shorter three pointed antlers of the roe buck.
Colour Variations in Fallow Deer
Although the dappled fawn is the most common type of fallow deer, there are quite strong variations in colour, falling into five main fallow deer forms:
- Black or Melanistic. Very dark brown or near black.
- Manel Pale. Silvery fawn and dappled. "Manel" is the anglo-saxon word for fallow.
- Common. The most common fawn/ginger dappled form with white spots.
- Brown. Dark with faint dappling or no spots.
- White. Pure white, but not albino. The beautiful white fallow deer was the emblem of King Richard II, and is the inspiration for the numerous "White Hart" public houses in England.
Annual Life Cycle of Fallow Deer
The year starts with the fallow deer rut or breeding season in October. By then the breeding bucks have each established their own group of does and their own territory, fighting off any rivals. The does come into season for 20-21 days, then after mating is over, at the end of the rutting season, the bucks shed their antlers and drift away to form bachelor herds in which they will live amicably until rivalry resumes the next autumn.
The does, with any fawns under 2 years old, including young male fawns, form separate herds which live together through the winter.
The gestation period is 221 days, after which the first new fawns are born early in the following June.
By late summer, the bucks have regrown their antlers and begin to shed their velvet covering, and the antlers once more become, hard, dangerous weapons. Ready for the fray, the bucks begin to gather their groups of does, and the cycle starts afresh.
Other Fallow Deer Facts and Information
Although fallow deer have been known to live for as much as 16 years, this is exceptional. Few bucks in particular survive for more than eight or ten years.
There are wild fallow deer herds in almost every county of England and Wales and in most large areas of woodland, but because they’re so wary of people, patience and a good idea of where and when to look are needed to spot them in the wild.
They usually only leave the cover of woods and scrubland to forage in open farmland by night, and the best times to see them are normally dawn or dusk.
Winter is probably the best time of year for deer watching. They grow bolder in their search for food and the bare trees offer little cover for them to hide in.
The easiest way to observe fallow deer is in the grounds of National Trust Properties and Stately Homes with resident herds.
With wolves, bears and all their other natural predators except man extinct, deer numbers have grown steadily over the past two centuries. Today overpopulation is a real problem in some areas like the New Forest and humane and selective culling is essential to maintain the health and vigour of the herds.
More information about fallow deer in Britain.
The white fallow deer herd at Houghton Hall, Norfolk.
Other British deer and where to see them.
Sources
The British Deer Society.
RSPCA.
Houghton Hall Deer Herd, Norfolk.
Tony Allen - In 2004 I began my "fourth career" as a freelance writer. In my first career, after training at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, I ...
