The Roe Deer, which we see roaming in our wood, are members of a truly ancient species that has changed little over the last million years. The earliest fossil remains date back ten million years and were found in the Ukraine. In Britain the oldest bones have been dated at 400,000 B.C., having migrated over the land bridge from Europe. They never made the journey to Ireland and attempts to introduce them to that country have been consistently unsuccessful. During the Roman and Saxon periods they were numerous in England, but their numbers reduced during mediaeval times. They were protected by the Normans, who hunted them with zeal, but by 1338 they were declared “beasts of the warren”, and viewed as unworthy of noble hunting. This made the Roe fair game for the peasantry, and by the sixteenth century numbers were in decline. It was the increased interest in hunting and forestry in the nineteenth century, which saw a revival in stocks. Now Roe Deer are to be found in every county of mainland Britain. Main concentrations are in the South and West with pockets in East Anglia, and a thriving population in Scotland. Infiltration into Wales is slow.

The European Roe Deer (there are also Siberian and Chinese sub-species) are easily recognised. The male (buck) is about 64cm. (25in.) at the shoulder and weighs 26Kg. (57lb.). The female (doe) is slightly smaller. In winter the pelage (coat) is grey brown, and it is at this time of year that the White/buff rump hairs (caudal patch) are most obvious. This patch is erectile when the animal is alarmed. The caudal patch also differs between the sexes, making winter identification, when the bucks have shed their antlers, easier. The does have a tuft of hair at the base of the caudal patch, referred to as an anal tush, which gives the patch the appearance of an ace of spades. The male has no anal tush and the resulting shape is that of a kidney. Both sexes have white chins and a white spots either side of the nose.

Only the bucks grow antlers (although some very old females have been known to grow rudimentary antlers due to an increase in testosterone). Antler is bone growing on the outside of the body and is shed on an annual basis. It is unlike horn, which is hollow and grows continuously throughout the animals’ life. Roe antlers are six pointed and are fully developed in March/April, when longer daylight causes an increased release of testosterone. At this stage the blood supply to the antler is cut off, and the furry membrane (velvet) covering is shed by the buck fraying its antlers against saplings. Later in April the bucks cause considerable damage by fraying trees to mark their territory.

Roe are not generally gregarious, and are usually seen singly or in loose family groups. Females give birth in late May or early June. The young are normally referred to as kids (sometimes fawns), and are born with dark brown coats that are heavily marked with two rows of white spots. These spots usually fade within 8-10 weeks. Rutting takes place during July and early August. The reproductive cycle of Roe Deer is rather unusual. Female Roe are monoestrous, which means they have a single annual sexual cycle. After rutting the embryo/s (there are usually 1-3) start to develop rapidly, but after passing into the uterus they do notattach to the uterus wall, instead they start a five month period of suspended development. This is known as embryonic diapause or delayed implantation. After the five months the embryo embeds in the uterus and grows “normally” for a further five months until birth. This means that the doe can be pregnant for ten months of the year, although true gestation is only five months long.

The ideal habitat for Roe is coppiced woodland, although they are adaptable and live in a variety of environments. However, shelter and a range of food plants are essential. They are selective browsers, but also graze and eat a variety of twigs, grasses, nuts, fruit and fungi. They are crepuscular, which means they are often most active at dawn and dusk. Being ruminants they tend to have bouts of browsing followed by periods of inactivity when they chew regurgitated cud. During the spring and summer they feed heavily to gain reserves for the winter, when they become less active, with a reduced metabolic rate and a state of semi-hibernation.

Mortality during the first year of life is high. Some authorities place it as high as 50%, with many casualties succumbing to a parasitic lung worm which results in pneumonia and death. Predation by foxes and dogs is also a significant risk for kids. If they survive their first year the average lifespan of a Roe Deer is three years, but they can live considerably longer. The defining factor is the durability of their teeth, which in turn is dictated largely by their diet and the abrasiveness of the local soil. Many die of malnutrition when their teeth are worn down to the gums. The main cause of premature death in adults is the activity of man. Many are killed on the roads and hunting is another significant factor. Indeed culling is essential in many areas to maintain a healthy and sustainable population.

So the next time you see one of these delicate and nimble animals in the wood, spare a thought for their manner of existence and the way they fit into the wider ecosystem of the wood.

Bibliography

Readers Digest, (1984), “The Ever Changing Woodlands”
The British Deer Society (You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader)
Deer UK
The Roe Deer Research Group, Aberdeen
The Mammal Society Fact Sheet on Roe Deer

- by Malcolm Knight