Roe deer, Freddie

[brendaward]

I recently went for a short visit to a caravan club site in Dorset at Crossways. The site was heavily wooded and a nature observers delight. The fungi alone was worth a visit. However the site was home to several deer one of whom was Freddie. Freddie had been hand reared and escaped from his real home when he was still a young deer. He had evaded capture by his Foster's and lived on the caravan site.

On the second day of our visit Freddie paid a visit. I held a Vitoria plum in my hand and he approached and took it from my hand. He gently nudged me with his head, never been that close to antlers before, so I gave him another plum. The following day he returned with his lady friend. She kept her distance and you could see fear in her eyes but Freddie come over for more plums. After watching in horror she bolted.

One of the other club members was laying out breakfast. Meticulously laying out a table outside the caravan with nice plates and cups and bowls and two shiny apples placed in the centre of the plates. It was too much for Freddie, he sneaked out of the trees, tried to eat the apples but they were too big for him. He had to have them cut up by the giggling host.

His fosterers have been trying to recapture him because he may not be able to cope with locking horns with other bucks during mating season but at a guess I would think he has made it as he appears to have a female in tow.