| Species to Hunt | Roe deer

The Roe Deer (Capreolus capreolus)

By Mark Walker

Body length - 950-1350mm
Tail length- 20-30mm
Weight- 15-30kg
Lifespan- maximum 18 years

The Roe Deer is very abundant is some areas of Europe. It was originally a forest dweller but has adapted to live successfully in cultivated fields and the small woods created by man. There are three sub-species of Roe Deer. The European Roe Deer, the Siberian Roe Deer and the Chinese Roe Deer. The Siberian form is larger than the other two, and has antlers which have more branches.

The Roe deer is a short and stocky looking deer. A big buck may reach upto 75cm at the shoulder, and a small doe 60cm. Males weigh upto 30kg, but females are considerably smaller at aonly 16kg. Its forehead and nose are aligned in a straight line. It has large eyes and a good sense of smell. Its eyes have long eyelashes. The upper canines are usually missing, or are poorly developed. The nose and eyes are bordered black. In winter there are often pale patches either beneath the chin or low down on the neck. There is no external tail. In Winter the rump has a distinctive 'white disc', which acts as a warning signal. However in summer this is not usually present. In summer the coat is a dark red, but in winter looks much more scruffy and is a grey or brown colour. The spring moult occurs in April or May.Black or white mutations are known to occur.

By it's first Christmas young males have tiny bone buttons, which are shed and replaced by the true antlers. Antlers are usually lost in November and they begin to regrow straight away. The first true antlers are normally a single spike which grows to about 10cm. In full grown adults antlers are rarely longer than 30cm, and normally have no more than 3 points. In old age the males may revert to having a single spike again.

Roe Deer have a high reproductive capacity and can quickly colonise new areas. Because Roe Deer are territorial, there is often pressure for young animals to move into new areas away from already established populations. In Scandinavia Roe Deer have managed to spread into new areas at a rate of 1000 miles in only 100 years.

Usually Roe Deer live singly, or in small groups of less than ten. The females have territories of about 1km square, in which they stay in for most of the year. The edges are marked by using the scent glands on the head and tail, and by urinating. The males are more flexible, and have larger home ranges, these develop into territories in early spring but are abandoned during the rut.

The rut occurs between July and August. The males simply chase females that are in heat. Roe Deer are unique amongst the deer in that they have delayed implantation of the fertilised embryo. Some females have their eggs fertilised during the summer rut, and then the gestation is delayed until winter. For those females not fertilised during this time a second rut occurs in winter where they have a second chance.  Normally two young are born in May or June. These are nursed for 4-5 months. The Roe deer eats grass, and leaves and is happy to graze during the night.