Wolf Prey
- Ungulates
- Deer In Britain
- Evading Wolves
- Red & Roe Deer
This page compares and contrasts red deer and roe deer, the wolves' main prey.
| Web Address www.wolftrust.org.uk Email Address Wolf Trust |
Red Deer & Roe Deer
These deer are the principal prey of wolves in the Highlands.
| Red deer (Cervus elaphus) |
Roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) |
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Numbers/Distribution About 350,000 live in Scotland and 12,000 in various parts of England, notably in the south-west, the Lake District, East Anglia and a few in Wales. |
Numbers/Distribution About 350,000 live in Scotland. 150,000 live in mainly northern England and a few in Wales. |
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Distinctions Largest wild terrestrial mammal in Britain. Closely related to and hybridises with Sika deer. Red deer hunting was a sport for nobility. Sneaking up to shoot them (deer stalking) became popular in the 1800s. Males, females and young are respectively called stags, hinds and calves. |
Distinctions The most abundant and widely distributed species of deer in Britain. The only deer with delayed implantation, whereby a fertilised egg does not immediately imbed in the uterus, thus postponing its development into a foetus. Males, females and young are respectively called, buck, doe and fawn (or kid). |
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History Extirpated from most of England and Wales by the end of the 1700s. Possibly extirpated in Scottish lowlands by the 1800s because of persecution and the destruction of forests by humans, surviving only in the remote highlands and islands. Reintroduced around Britain in 1900s for sport. |
History Extirpated over much of Britain by the 1700s, but survived in the Scottish Highlands. Reintroduced in Britain in 1800s from Siberia and Germany. |
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Telling Them Apart Large deer - males up to 120cm at shoulder. Males up to 190kg. Adult males much larger than females. Stags grow thick mane in breeding season. Short tail. Antlers: grown by males only, large, up to eight points (ie branches) but can be many more, cast and regrown each year, grow annually in size and number of points until around eighth year. |
Telling Them Apart Medium size deer - males up to 80cm at shoulder. Both sexes up to 30kg. Adult males slightly larger than females. Prominent black snout with white chin on both sexes. No tail. Antlers: grown by males only, short, up to 30cm long, three points, cast and grown anew each year, fully grown by early spring. |
 Red deer stag from Glen Garry with flaying velvet. Courtesy Bob Talbot's Photography and Imaging Gallery |
 Roe deer buck. Copyright 2000/2001 - Forest Capital Development Association 2000. All rights reserved. |
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Habitat Live in woodland but many live on moorland, plains and mountains. In Scotland, 80% live on moorland hills and 20% in the lowlands and woodland. |
Habitat Live in woodland, preferably deciduous with open patches of ground, and occasionally on moorland. |
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Diet Mainly grasses, sedges and rushes, also leaves, buds, shoots. In winter eat heather and other shrubs; farm crops in harsh weather. |
Diet Buds, shoots, leaves, bushes and herbs with small amount of grass. |
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Activity Daily: spend days on sunny hills feeding and resting; return to lower shelter at night. Seasonal: move to higher ground or deeper woodland in summer; return to lower or more open ground in poor weather or when food is scarce. |
Activity Both species of deer are active day and night with a peak of activity at twilight. |
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Social Organisation Generally stay in all male or all female herds for most of the year. Herd size varies from a few deer to over 100 deer. Social organisation in female herds is based on family groups. Family groups consist of a dominant hind with her dependent offspring. Family groups share overlapping ranges. In male herds, stags form sub-groups of unrelated individuals for varying periods. |
Social Organisation Adults live alone or in small groups of up to about a dozen individuals, sometimes more. A male living alone ejects other male roe deer from his territory. A female living alone lives on a range which overlaps with the ranges of other roe deer. |
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Breeding Females breed between 3 and 13 years of age; males between 5 and 11. September: each male tries to herd females into his mating group (or harem) of up to 20 females and defend them from competing males. October: females in oestrus. Male-male fights common; stags may lose up to 20% of body weight through stress. June: single calf is born, about 6 kg, after eight months gestation. Calf travels with mother after first week, weaned between five and seven months, stays with mother for several months or until she gives birth again. |
Breeding Males and females breed in their second year. July-August: males chase females to mate and try to keep other males away. Delayed implantation for up to five months and subsequent gestation nearly five months. Spring: twins are often born, weaned at 6-10 weeks. |
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Longevity Rarely live more than 15 years, exceptionally over 20 years. |
Longevity Up to about 10 years. Maximum may be about 17 years. |
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Mortality Most mortality is in the first year and mainly in the first week: 40% of calves may die. Thereafter most mortality is after age eight. Foxes and eagles may take new-born calves. Main predator is man, killing about 60,000 annually (DCS 2000). |
Mortality Highest in fawns and yearlings: 50% and more can die. Many deaths are from starvation and lung infections. Foxes and eagles may take some fawns. Main predator is man: over 15,000 killed annually. |
Comparative sizes: man, wolf, roe deer, red deer
Learn more about red deer from this WWF/SNH document: Red Deer In Scotland. Much of the information on this page is based on Jewell et al (1991) and Harris et al (1995).
References
DCS (2000): Annual Report 1999 - 2000. Deer Commission for Scotland.
Harris S, Morris P, Wray S & Yalden D (1995): A review of British mammals. JNCC, Peterborough. 168p.
Jewell P A & Bullock D: Ungulates: Orders Perissodactyla and Artiodactyla. In Corbet G & Harris S (eds) (1991): The handbook of British mammals. Blackwell Scientific Publications, Oxford.
 Page revised 3.02 |