THE elegant, spotted and spindly-legged fallow is arguably the most attractive of all the deer species that reside in the UK. Smaller than the red and larger than the roe, they have graced many of our great country-house deer parks for centuries. Historically, Dama dama were present in Britain some 400,000 years ago, before this population petered out and the deer were restricted by glaciation to the Mediterranean basin. From there, they gradually reintroduced themselves throughout Europe. Although some say the Romans were the first to bring fallow deer to Britain, evidence is sketchy. Even so, that introduction would have become extinct and it wasn’t until the Normans landed on these shores that they became properly established.
Having managed them in deer parks myself, it is easy to see how this elegant cervid was the choice of the Normans for fresh meat on the hoof. Part of the ungulate family, they are happy to live together in large herds and—importantly—not always trying to escape. Hardy and relatively disease free, they thrive on the fruits of the forest. I have watched through the branches, then rushing in to hoover up as the morsel hits the floor. They happily graze most grasses and greenery; trees will have a browse line and, if things get tight, these delicate deer will eat fallen leaves. All of this natural bounty is converted into conveniently manageable carcasses providing joints of tasty venison (). The female, known as a doe, weighs between 77lb and 123lb. The male fallow, a buck, sports antlers and weighs up to 205lb. Incidentally, it is surprising how often you hear a fine fallow buck incorrectly described as ‘a stag with magnificent horns’.
