Fallow deer

Fallow deer, known as Dama dama in Latin, go back a long way in Denmark. Scientists believe that the fallow deer died out in Denmark during the last interglacial period, but in fact the above have been found in archaeological layers dating back to the Viking Age, and these deer are referred to in King Valdemar’s Census Book in 1231.The Middle East saw the natural distribution of fallow deer towards the end of the last Ice Age, so it is not inconceivable that some animals migrated north through Europe as the climate became warmer. Fallow deer were so popular with an ability in the Middle Ages that they were introduced to most northern European countries at that time so that they could be hunted.

From roe deer to royal stag

The coat colour of the deer may vary, but usually it is pale brown with white spots in summer, changing to a slightly darker colour in winter, with no white spots. Some individuals may be completely white, while others are almost entirely black. The very dark fallow deer variants can be confused with sika deer, but the white hind part of the fallow deer has three black stripes that are very clear. Fully grown fallow bucks have almost shovel-shaped antlers. In their first year, males develop “spike” antlers. In Danish, “stanghjort” is the term used to refer to two-year-old bucks, while a “halvskuffel” is a three-year-old buck. The antlers now have both brow tines and several spikes. At around three years of age, the antlers of fallow bucks have typically developed into a fully palmate shape, where the upper part of the antler consists of a markedly flat section on each antler. As with most other deer species, the antlers of fallow deer grow larger year on year. The natural lifespan of fallow deer is 12 to 16 years.

A population in development

Fallow deer numbers in Denmark have increased significantly over the past decade, and this may be one of the reasons why the roe deer numbers have stagnated and even declined in some places in the country. Fallow deer numbers overtook red deer numbers in 2016, and hunting levels rose from around 1,300 animals in 2002 to 5,700 in 2012 – more than four times the level in a decade. In 2017 – five years later, that is – numbers rose to around 9,400 animals. Conditions for fallow deer are really good in Denmark, and they have gradually spread to almost all parts of the country. Fallow deer are by no means as sensitive to disruption as red deer. When disturbed, they do not run all that far and they return relatively quickly to their preferred area. Hence fallow deer do not spread as quickly as red deer, but when they have reached an area it takes a lot to remove them. This also means that it is worth spending a little time looking at the territory in order to map the preferred locations for fallow deer. This will give you an idea of where to place your ladder stand or where to put a bullet trap when stalking. Hunting for fallow bucks starts as early as 1 September, well before the start of the rutting period, while hunting for does and fallow fawns begins a month later, on 1 October. It should be noted, however, that these are general hunting periods and that there are many areas where some kind of local hunting period has been defined.

There is a big difference in how fallow deer are hunted, but this frequently involves quiet stalking of the bucks or driven hunting, where the animals are calmly pushed through the area and arrive at the hunters waiting at the ladder stands. No specific equipment is required for this form of hunting. Most importantly, you need to be able to keep quiet and have a rifle with a good telescopic sight, and there should be several of you so that you can carry the animal away if you are lucky enough to catch one. Dragging more than 60 kg of wild animal out of the forest is quite a tricky task.

LEARN MORE ABOUT HUNTING GAME

See all the posts from our Deerhunter blog.