Red Deer Facts
Information on
the Red Deer Association
 Red Deer are the largest wild animals in the country.
A mature stag stands about four feet high at the shoulder, and weighs
up to three hundred pounds. The stag is famous for its proud bearing
and magnificent antlers. The antlers are long - thirty six inches is
considered a good head - hard and spikey. The head or trophy is referred
to by the number of its points eg. a ten pointer.
A twelve pointer, incidentally, is grandiloquently called a 'Royal'
and its points are described as 'Brow, bay, trez and three on top. The
brow tine branches out at the base of the antler, the bay and trez further
up, and the top may branch out into three or more separate spikes. The
definition of a point is simple. If the strap of one's binoculars can
be hung on it, then it counts as a point. This definition dates from
the last century, when deer stalking was about the only public interest
in deer. It is, nevertheless, a satisfactory definition, being simple
and easy to test.
 Feral deer are not often found with more than fourteen
points, but in captivity they will produce many more. There are several
twenty eight pointers in parks around the country. The heads are an indication
of the well-being. They shed, or cast, their antlers every year, usually
in March or April. The new antlers start to grow at once and reach maturity
about the end of July. As with all deer, the antlers in the growing stage
are soft and pliable, and covered with a furry skin called velvet. When
they are fully developed the velvet dries out, withers and rubs off,
leaving the antlers bare, hard and insensitive. They stay that way until
they are cast.
The stag's coat in winter is dark brown in colour, possibly
tinged with grey. The hind's coat tends to be somewhat lighter. In summer
the coat of each sex is a rich, dark red and the stag grows a considerable
mane. When the fawn is born it has a white spotted coat, which changes
in five or six weeks to a dark brown, fluffy one.
 The rut is usually at its height in September and October. The stag
then tries to round up as many hinds as possible. A good master stag
will usually collect quite a harem. It is a desperately busy time for
him. When he is not engaged in collecting his hinds or fighting off rival
males, he will be busy bringing errant hinds back to the harem. In between
he has to find time - and strength - to serve them and to snatch a few
mouthfuls to eat. It is then that the stag finds his voice, roaring his
challenge to all comers. It is only then that fights occur, victory going
to the biggest and strongest stag. But they are uncommon. More often
than not a display of size and strength will suffice to discourage the
lesser rival, without any clash of antlers. There is a great deal of
strutting and posturing. Stags will be seen walking side by side showing
off their size and muscle. But only occasionally does it end in a battle.
Stags know all about valour and discretion...By the end of the rut the
stag will be quite exhausted and will have lost a great deal of weight.
 Fawns are born about June, twins being rare. The first rudimentary antlers
appear on the young stags about Christmas, taking the form of small knobs.
They will not have proper antlers until their second year.
The Red Deer are forest dwellers and browsers by nature, but they are
one if the most adaptable beasts in nature. They can adjust themselves
and thrive in almost any surroundings. They are the deer usually chosen
by deer farmers, principally on account of their size, and they flourish
on farms where there is no browse but the grass is good.
Information
on the Red Deer Association
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