The rolling Dorset countryside with plentiful woodlands makes for a perfect habitat for our native roe deer.\u00a0 It’s not uncommon for me to spot them on my daily walks in the fields around us – but this still makes them fascinating to see.\u00a0 \u00a0Recently I woke in the middle of the night and looked out into the garden to find a doe had left her fawn to rest in our garden whilst she went off to graze – we just stared at each other, the fawn instinctively knew its safest option was to remain still until its Mum returned.\u00a0 Roe deer are often solitary or in small groups.<\/p>\n

The UK has 2 native deer varieties – the roe and the red deer.\u00a0 The roe thrives in areas with woodland. – including our own young woodland.\u00a0 Even the forest garden is regularly visited by these majestic creatures, within a few feet of the shepherd’s huts.\u00a0 We’ve been told about many a spotting whilst a guest have been enjoying a hammock!<\/p>\n

A few points to identify them.<\/p>\n

These are small deer that go from reddish brown in summer to grey in winter.\u00a0 Their muzzle is black.\u00a0 What gives them their characteristic ‘cuteness’ is the pale puff of hair around its rump instead of a tail.\u00a0 It emphasises their athletic\u00a0 bounds as they cross fields.\u00a0\u00a0Have you ever seen a deer jump?\u00a0 It is amazing the field boundaries they can clear in order to get away!<\/p>\n

It is the male roe deer that have the antlers – these are short\u00a0 and usually with three points. The antlers grow through the winter so they are fully grown by summer in time for the rutting season. They then shed their antlers and it starts all over again.<\/p>\n

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The rolling Dorset countryside with plentiful woodlands makes for a perfect habitat for our native roe deer.\u00a0 It’s not uncommon for me to spot them on my daily walks in the fields around us – but this still makes them fascinating to see.\u00a0 \u00a0Recently I woke in the middle of the night and looked out […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":4175,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[35],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4170","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-wildlife"],"yoast_head":"\n