Odd deer sizes???

Monkey Spanker

Well-Known Member
Today, a friend of mine brought a few Fallow to my chiller and stated that one was quite small. He wasn't kidding! It weighed 10kg (22lb) exactly on the hook! I'm thinking that can't have been born too long ago? It was fine in every other respect, just tiny. Could maybe be the offspring of a fawn covered in its first year?
Conversely, another friend shot the biggest Muntjac doe I've ever heard of a couple of weeks ago. She weighed 35.2lb head and legs off!:eek:
Had a thick layer of fat like an Autumn lamb. Not what you'd expect after a long cold winter. I reckon someone must have been feeding it doughnuts and cakes??:lol:
MS
 
Mick. I had a sika calf 3 weeks ago that weighed 20 lbs clean. It still had a fluffy coat and spots! Reckon it was born in november.
 
Mick. I had a sika calf 3 weeks ago that weighed 20 lbs clean. It still had a fluffy coat and spots! Reckon it was born in november.
That's pretty much what this fallow looked like, fluffy dark spotty coat. So if it was born in November, the mother would have been covered about March?
I reckon she would be a fawn that had reached a good weight and been covered in the first year. Seems to be happening in both Fallow and Sika.
Cheers, MS.
Are you not coming up for the annual 'pilgrimage' to Norfolk this year?:D
 
this must be in every species I shot 3 roe a couple of weeks ago lardered at14lbs 28lbs and dig doe at 40lbs all on the same ground then last week on a L2 stalk chap with me shot doe of 42lbs near home.
 
this must be in every species I shot 3 roe a couple of weeks ago lardered at14lbs 28lbs and dig doe at 40lbs all on the same ground then last week on a L2 stalk chap with me shot doe of 42lbs near home.
I often see very small roe but they are usually ones that get orphaned at an early age and then fail to develop without the proper guidance from the mother. I don't think that this is the case though with the larger herding species as any orphaned animal will get guidance (and possibly milk from another mother with fallow) from the rest of the herd. I think these were just born at strange times.
MS
 
You may be quite right but the small roe was on some new ground where there has been no management and it was in a group of six.
we have just been asked to reduce numbers on this new ground I saw more than thirty roe on my first visit this is a perfect example of the need to manage deer. I have shot deer for many years and never seen so many roe in one small area before.:eek:
I have often come across very poor red calves on the hill they loose condition very quickly up there if they lose their mother.
 
It's certainly been an odd year. We've had a good number of fallow fawns between 9.5 - 12 kg clean weight between December and January. Some interesting thoughts from some eminent people in the industry as to the reasons.
 
It's certainly been an odd year. We've had a good number of fallow fawns between 9.5 - 12 kg clean weight between December and January. Some interesting thoughts from some eminent people in the industry as to the reasons.

Would you care to share such thoughts?
MS
 
shot two fallow does one morning last week both mature one had a foetus about the size of a squirrel the other the size of my little finger.
 
I've noticed roe doe rates were really down in one area I stalk ( down south ) but up north on the other patch they seemed pretty well fed
 
That's pretty much what this fallow looked like, fluffy dark spotty coat. So if it was born in November, the mother would have been covered about March?
I reckon she would be a fawn that had reached a good weight and been covered in the first year. Seems to be happening in both Fallow and Sika.
Cheers, MS.
Are you not coming up for the annual 'pilgrimage' to Norfolk this year?:D
Would love to again. Cutting it a bit fine for hinds and does but would be OK for bucks and munties if you are in agreement. I will speak to your brother and see what we can do. My ribs have just about healed from laughing since the last time!
 
ive had odd weights of roe in the last weekend also. on land over the west of north yorkshire ive had larder weights of 13 lbs and 24lbs but on land of the east of north i had 26, 27, 28, 30, 31,31 ,35, 36 lbs. so its looking to me as if the wet weather early in last summer and wet winter on the west side have really knocked them hard. i add none had any fluke or signs of illness
 
Shot what I thought was a roe kid turned out to be the smallest doe I have ever shot, 7.9 kgs & it had one embrio in side.
john
 
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