Tim writes: I spend lots of time trying to capture birds in flight but it isn’t often I manage to capture an airborne mammal, in this case a Roe buck. Though I suspect that right front hoof may be touching so not really airborne. I took this on 1st May not far from my house. I spotted a herd of four Roe Deer, three females and this young buck. They soon took flight when I stopped my bike but I concentrated on the male and managed to take several of him galloping. I was wondering if they might try to leap over the walls but they chose to run about 150m across the field to reach an open gateway. I guessed that the wall was 1.5m high and that is the height recommended to keep out deer.
Along with Red Deer, Roe is Britain’s only other native deer. Roe deer have been hunted from prehistoric times. They became extinct in England, Wales and southern Scotland during the 18th century and populations were re-introduced to southern England (Dorset) and East Anglia in the 19th century. They have never occurred in Ireland. As they have become more abundant, they have been treated as pests because of damage to forestry and agriculture, and consequently numbers are controlled. Roe deer may now number as many as 500,000, and are increasing. Here is a more relaxed shot of one.
And a female with a fawn taken mid June, again near my house.
There are six species of deer breeding in Britain. In addition to Roe and Red there are four non-native introduced species. Fallow was probably introduced by the Normans, although Fallow bones were found at a Roman archaeological site in Britain. Sika, Muntjac and Chinese Water Deer were all introduced in the nineteenth century.
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In Pinawa Manitoba we have tame White Tail Deer. They eat right out of our hands and come into everyone’s yards. You should make it so pictures can be posted here.