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DEER
IN CUMBRIA
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Historically,
an upland herd of RED
DEER have occupied the Martindale
Estate between Ullswater and Haweswater for over 300 years.
Managed by the landowners, the herd has grown and over-spilled
into neighbouring Mardale and Kentmere, with an outlying group
now established at Thirlmere and Armboth Fell.
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Separate woodland herds are based
in Grizedale Forest, the Rusland Valley (pictured here at
mid-morning in mid-May), and on the limestone at the head
of Morecambe Bay - this latter group often being observed
from the hides at Leighton Moss. The woodland stags are better
nourished (being partial to Yew, Juniper and Bramble) and
generally several centimetres taller.
- This
is the largest land mammal in the UK - standing between 100
and 130 cm high at the shoulder. Coats turn from grey-brown
to reddish brown in summer.
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Each
family group is led by the senior hind and loosely interacts
with other groups. Except during the autumn rutting season
stags are excluded to the edges
of the area, becoming exposed and vulnerable.
- Rutting
occurs in September and October with the hinds giving birth
about eight months later in mid-May to July.
 At
half the height of Red Deer, the ROE
DEER is the second largest native species
of deer but smaller than the Red at around 60-75 cm at the
shoulder. It almost became extinct through hunting and poaching,
but has made a remarkable comeback since the start of the
twentieth century and is now present in all parts of the county
except the high fells, sometimes at "pest" levels.
- A
remnant population from the Solway Mosses dispersed (perhaps
displaced by tree felling for the requirements of World War
I) and spread throughout the Eden Valley. These have been
joined by descendents of European stock
 released
near Windermere around 1900.
- Unlike
Red Deer, Roes are not social - young leave the family group
the following spring to find a mate. The pair
may then occupy the same territory for several years, with
small groups, of half a dozen or so animals, only forming
after the rutting season in July.
- Roe
kids are usually born in early
May (see photo), a little earlier than Red Deer calves.
They spend the first day or two alone, the mother only returning
to feed them at intervals, but keeping a watchful eye from
a distance.
- Features
are the
bright foxy red coat of adults which gives way to grey-brown
in winter (as here in November), big ears and white lined
muzzle, but it is the disappearing and characteristic white
rump that is often seen!
- Intermediate
in size between the Red and Roe Deer, the FALLOW
DEER is an introduced
species to Britain (probably the Romans first tried
it, but certainly the Normans introduced
them for hunting purposes).
- Within
Cumbria there are private parkland herds at Holker (Cartmel)
and Dalemain (Penrith), but the only wild examples are found
on the Cumbria-Lancashire border from a small herd in woodland
near Silverdale and Arnside (probably originating as escapees
from Dallam Park). Levens Park in the south of the county
is home to a small herd of very handsome Norwegian black
fallow deer (see photos right and below) and a walk
through what was a medieval deer park often provides good
viewing. They have very little if any white, but occasionally
a pure white specimen is born.
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The
common variety in Britain has a tan/fawn colour with white
spotting on the flanks and
white rump patch outlined with characteristic black horse-shoe.
Both the Holker and the Silverdale herds, however, are of
the menil variety, which are paler and lack the
black horseshoe marking. The coats remain spotted in winter
but becoming long and grey and less distinct.
- The
fallow is the only British deer with palmate antlers, males
acquiring them from the age of three and growing with age
until about 70 cm long (points on the front are known as tines,
those at the back pellers):-
211108.jpg)
- The
diminutive and secretive MUNTJAC
is around 50 cm tall and seems
to have established itself thinly in the south of the county,
being recorded from both Roudsea and Brigsteer Woods.
- They
live singly or in pairs and like the rest of England's wild
Muntjac deer they are probably descendents of escapees
from Woburn Park and of Chinese origin.
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