Fallow deer antlers

[goosey]

Yesterday I was in the Amsterdamse Waterleiding Duinen and was lucky enough to see plenty of deer, two groups of fallow deer (Dama dama) and a single Roe doe (Capreolus capreolus). I did see a roe and a calf, for some reason in a segregated area with Moeflon/mouflon sheep (Ovis orientalis).

The groups of fallow were laid under trees, and consisted of 9+ beasts, bucks and hinds.

What surprised me were the amount of bucks with broken antlers - they must be a really feisty bunch.
In my pictures (a bit grainy I am afraid) you can see one unfortunate buck who has lost both antlers, another who has lost one, these weren't the only ones to have lost them. There were plenty of bucks sporting magnificent pairs though.



A few questions
1. Does this actually hurt them to lose antlers like this? (physically - not their pride) One buck must have lost one of his very recently as I could see red (I presume was blood) where the antler had come away from the head.

2. Will they regrow before the rutting season?

3. These antlers I take it will have only just regrown, so would the bucks have been practising for future combat and it is more of a friendly sparring to test out strength and prowess amoung younger bucks?

[H Dogg]

1. Loosing antlers is not painfull to the deer, there is no nerves in the antler its like a large tooth. There is sometiomes small amounts of blood but this does not particularly mean the animal is in pain.

2. Yes. Fallow deer loose their antlers around April and into May. New antlers instantly start growing. So by the time its late summer and rutting season they will have new ones.

3. These will be deer loosing their old antlers, most deer hierachy is down to size, voice etc, in my experience they arnt playful like a cat of dog would be with its other young individuals. So do tend to play fight to practice, its more inate.

[goosey]

Thanks H, seeing the bucks the other day with missing antlers etc made me a little concerned but you have put my mind at rest.
It was funny seeing the groups with so many bucks and they were so peaceful, some stared at me and were obviously sniffing but others just ignored me. Three weeks ago was the first time that I had ever seen more than one buck of fallow or roe deer and then it was only two - so seeing these was a real pleasure.

[H Dogg]

Yes the males stay in these small groups outside of the breeding season and get on peacefully. Until late summer then all hell breaks loose.

[Beverly Stayart]

Thanks for sharing these great photos.