deerstalker.308
Well-Known Member
About 2 months ago on a nature reserve I manage, I came across a very young fallow calf all on its own, and looking pretty unwell (poor coat etc).
I concluded it had most probably lost its mum on the roads, but figured nature would take its course, so left it well alone, it was very agile I might add...
time passed and the deer seemed to be managing to survive, but it is captive within a stock fenced 34ha field.
the site is closed to the public during the summer months to allow for breeding birds, so it's had a quiet life.
last week I got a grazier to stick some cattle on the site as party of its annual management, and when I went there earlier in the week I couldn't quite believe my eyes.....
the deer had well and truly adopted the cattle (or the other way round).
This is is all very heart warming, however, the cattle won't be on for too long, and come September the site will re open to the dog walking general public, the deer doesn't know it can jump the fence. She really needs to realise she's a deer and not a cow, and she also needs to develop fear of people; she adopts the behaviour of the cattle, and as they aren't fussed by humans or dogs, neither is she, although that might well change if she were on her own.
so, what would you suggest,
leave well alone and do nothing
try and catch her up and release over the fence into forest (almost certainly where she is from) so she can find other fallow and learn to be a deer
treat as a cull animal (I will add this is my work place not my stalking ground, I don't have the rights there but for this purpose would be able to sort that)
or do you think she will just think to herself one day, "I wonder what's over that fence......."
View attachment 59018View attachment 59019
Oh, and yes, that calf is grooming her.......
I concluded it had most probably lost its mum on the roads, but figured nature would take its course, so left it well alone, it was very agile I might add...
time passed and the deer seemed to be managing to survive, but it is captive within a stock fenced 34ha field.
the site is closed to the public during the summer months to allow for breeding birds, so it's had a quiet life.
last week I got a grazier to stick some cattle on the site as party of its annual management, and when I went there earlier in the week I couldn't quite believe my eyes.....
the deer had well and truly adopted the cattle (or the other way round).
This is is all very heart warming, however, the cattle won't be on for too long, and come September the site will re open to the dog walking general public, the deer doesn't know it can jump the fence. She really needs to realise she's a deer and not a cow, and she also needs to develop fear of people; she adopts the behaviour of the cattle, and as they aren't fussed by humans or dogs, neither is she, although that might well change if she were on her own.
so, what would you suggest,
leave well alone and do nothing
try and catch her up and release over the fence into forest (almost certainly where she is from) so she can find other fallow and learn to be a deer
treat as a cull animal (I will add this is my work place not my stalking ground, I don't have the rights there but for this purpose would be able to sort that)
or do you think she will just think to herself one day, "I wonder what's over that fence......."
View attachment 59018View attachment 59019
Oh, and yes, that calf is grooming her.......
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