Thread: Fallow behaviour

Iv got this fallow deer that has moved into my rabbit shooting spot just below my house, which is the neighbors land.
I was surprised to see it there, its a hind I think.
My first thought was the freezers empty this is my lucky day!
But the land owner likes to see them and doesn't want me eating it. Which is fine its his place.
so anyway I find it a little strange. It must be a good km away from the bush, and no good cover. where I know there are plenty of deer in that bush
Its in the bottom of a gully but at the top end so the gully isn't too deep. But open farm land.
Its by itself, and iv looked every day since iv noticed it and it's been about a week. I check everyday at about 4 pm. It's never feeding, but bedded down. It is alert, and has seen me.

so what's going on, I thought they were fairly territoryal, has it moved home?
I can understand sneaking out for a quick feed, even still it's a long way to go when it crossed so much good grass to get there. But it's been a week so far and it certainly seems to have moved in.

Any clues as to what's going on. I could just about understand if it was a buck.

Can you take a pic next time?

I got one the other day. My phone doesn't have good zoom quality tho. It's actually closer now probably 100 yards from the house. But out of site until you get to the edge of the gully. I will sneak on out for a pic.

If you never see it feeding, only bedded down, then it's quite possible it's unwell.

^ I think this may explain it. It isn't extremely strange to keep seeing the animal, but if you haven't seen it running around, feeding, other normal fallow activity, then I would think it is unwell.

This may explain why it is staying out near good paddocks for easy feed as well (burns less energy not needing to travel distances).

It's up feeding now. Iv just been trying to upload pictures but it's not happening so easy from a phone.
First time iv seen it feeding. Iv looked three times in the last two hours. It's been lying down twice in different spots and now feeding.
The pictures are not great anyway.

sounds like you have all answers to fallow behaviour you will ever need just out the window!!!!
you will learn more watching it than eating it..LMAO

Yeah i plan on just watching it. I don't think it is sick. It's alert.
And half the time I look at my handful of sheep there bedded down too. It just seems strange it's not going home. It's fairly quiet there. There is the odd tree. But no real cover.
I usually on peek at it for a few seconds. If it spots me I back up to leave it be.

Someones escaped pet? regardless seeing deer from the house is a rare treat and should be looked after in my view.

I don't think it's a pet.
It is good to spy on. I just figured maybe every now and again they move out for another location. And it's how they spread.
I didn't expect it to stay more than the day.
I understand bucks go wandering. But thought hinds hung around there area.

It's a woman, even they don't understand their own behaviour so don't waste your time trying to work it out.

You never know where you might find them Bully and they can become very quiet around farm animals
I used to live and farm on the road behind the PN airport - the Mangaone Stream ran through our place - a bit of blackberry and rubbish here and there along the stream
A fallow doe lived on the place for several years - I often saw it out with the ewes in the morning - she would let me get about 50m away on the bike before she would run off back down to the stream
I put some ducks down one night and didn’t get them all so went back next day with the Lab - he went into a heap of blackberry after a duck - but out came the doe
It eventually disappeared - so I guess someone nailed it
My experience with fallow on Raetihi farm/bush country is they spend a lot of time sitting around in the sunshine - these were preggy does

See a few of these waiting for mum to come back and get them - mum may have grazed off round the corner

Or yearlings that got kicked out and mated up with some sheep

All pretty safe as I only shoot young bucks

Don't discount the freezer filler you just may have to make some casual enquiry's on your neighbour's movements.
But wait until its nice and fat before you make the move.
Do you have a good poker face?

It's the neighbors place so I'm going to respect his wishes, its too close to home to go pissing him off. It's good of him to let me blaze up a few rabbits and I don't want to lose that. Right from the start I was in two minds weather or not to shoot it, and my mind was made up for me. I don't mind watching it, I might learn something. My thoughts on shooting it was it will be gone soon anyway if I didn't. But that was wrong. As It turned out I got one on a hunt the next day anyway (at a different place)
thanks, time out.... maybe it's a yearling been kicked out, like you say.

I remember a few years ago someone took a photo of a fallow Buck walking down a busy suburban road in Wellington, I think it was up Karori way.