Sika? Or other?

[Catherine]

Saw these two deer in the Forest today. I know they were not Red, Fallow or Muntjac, so assume they were Sika ones.

Confirmation, please!

[rolf]

Are they not Roe Deer Catherine?

[Catherine]

They might well be, Rolf. Their ears (and their antlers) seemed more 'erect' than those we used to see on Roe deer behind our garden in Ayr.

However, that may just because the Forest ones were 'listening' to us, so held their ears more erect than normal!

[rolf]

Certainly the colouring of the botties look like Roe Deer.

[Catherine]

I think you are right, Rolf! Thank you!

Haven't made a study of deers' rears, but they certainly look like Roe Deer now you mention that!

(I think that because the ears were so erect and the antlers were still covered in velvet, I thought perhaps otherwise. The shadows seemed to indicate 'teeth' as well, and I think that helped to confuse - but that's what shadows do, don't they!)

[rolf]

I'm not really to au fait with deer, but bought the Collins Field Guide to British and European Mammals, to look them up. Excellent book I might add.

[andy b]

i think too, that they are roe deer catherine...... maybe they were playing a game of 'hind and sika' in the woods... apologies for that awful attempt at a joke!! lol