Deer identifcation?

[mdp]

Hi,

I'm having trouble identifying some deer I got a video of. I've variously been told they are Roe, Fallow, Red and Sika so far! The video was taken using a motion-triggered camera in our woods (we've had some great infra-red images of wild boar at night too!), so I've not got photos to upload to the forum. It's on our blog though:
And now some deer videoed on our trail camera

Cheers, Mike

[Elevate29]

Hi there,
Great capture... they look like Sika deer to me. I'm pretty sure they're not Roe as the antlers are a give away.

Elevate

[valleyforge]

Hi Mike,

The video is a bit too blurred for my old eyes to say catagorically what they are, but they most certainly aren't roe deer (shape of antlers is the obvious clue here) or red deer (not near stocky enough).

That leaves either Sika or Fallow as the remaining possibilities, the defining identifier of fallow deer being the distinct flattening of the antlers. That's not obvious in the first antlered animal to pass (could be a young one of course), but there might just be a suggestion of that in the following one with the single antler.

I would expect those more southerly Wabbers who are more familiar with these species than I am to be able to say for sure.

BTW, what trail camera have you used for this video?

[GuyF]

I'd say that these are Fallow Deer,
Guy

[nakedgardener]

I'd say they are fallow too... the last one has a flat antler.

Fallow would make more sense in Sussex too!

[Deer Stalker]

A herd of young Fallow for sure.

[mdp]

Is the variation in colouring normal for Fallow then? I understand deer can have different winter and summer coats, but how come there are several with different coats there at the same time?

Cheers, Mike

[Gill Catton]

Definately fallow - these deer have a wide variety of colour phases from near black to pure white.

[salukiwhippet]

Fallow, two young bucks and two prickets. Similar to Sika but the antlers on fallow are palmated, and the fallow has a long tail (longest of any of our deer species)

I doubt the third beast lost it's antler in a fight, fallow don't rut 'til october time.

James

[boogle]

fallow deer like salukiwhippet points out the palmated antlers are the give away .nice capture !