Deers and water

BIGRED

Well-Known Member
I have been asked this question and cant work out the answer .I think i know but unsure so here it is .
Why is it unusual to see a deer drink ?

Im thinking it because they get enough from the dew on grass and what they eat :oops:
 
I think that might be a specis specific observation, because reds that I am aquainted with drink quite a lot.
 
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I remember when I when stalking in Oxford and my mates had told me you wont or rarely see deer drink. I was sat in a high seat a a few weeks later when two you Roe doe appeared, walked towards me and made straight for a water trough and both deer started lapping up water. I was so engulfed in watching them and thought myself so privelidged as it was probably only my 2nd or 3rd outing for deer.
 
Roe Deer are selective feeders in that they target succulents, so very rarely need to seek water but they have been known to on rare occasions.
 
The two I saw were following each other , the first took some water and the second decided to join in...when it saw the first,both only took a few laps of water then were on their way.
 
Oh well, here are some boring figures which won't prove anything. Last year I had to put in a new borehole to supply the house and the farm. I took the opportunity to add a water meter because I was interested to know how much water we use. The farm is 100 acres, average number of deer 200-300 depending on season. Only two of the paddocks have access to a stream, all the rest have troughs. Only 2 of us in the house but we do have a holiday apartment let out during summer. Checked the meter yesterday, total usage since June 20th 2010 is 150 cube. So 555 litres per day for everything. No idea how much of that is household, pressure washing tractor and deer handling system etc but I think it does show that the deer are not in danger of causing a drought in the South west just yet!
 
Don't know about Roe but from my farm office window I can watch the Reds come out of cover every evening and the first thing they do is to go down to the river to drink before anything else.
 
Deer and water

Yes, they do say that they can survive on the fluids they get from there food but I bet there is lots of folk have observed them taking on water when the opportunity presents its self. I have to admit that the only ones that I have observed taking on a fair bit of water at any one time is Reds. Roe just seem to take a couple of quick pulls and head off. I don't have any experience with Fallow, Sika, Munti and CWD in this subject.

Cheers,

Jimmy
 
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