Deer in Bourne Wood

Photographed by Geoff Bell
 Additional pictures by Peter Hallam

There are seven species of deer in Britain and two of them are to be found in Bourne Wood yet few people have ever seen one although their presence is often noticeable through hoof prints in the mud or an occasional glimpse in an isolated forest glade. They are shy and elusive creatures and you need to know the paths to tread to find their secret places and to exercise extreme caution in pursuit of a sighting because they are wary of man, with just cause.

The species which choose to live here are the fallow deer, probably introduced to these islands by the Romans from Asia Minor, and the muntjac, which has Chinese origins and has lived in the wild since escaping from Woburn Park in Bedfordshire around 1890 and has now spread to many other counties, including our own. All deer are reclusive animals and during the day, they keep to isolated spots but those who regularly walk the woods will see them occasionally and they are a delight to encounter.

They also turn up in unexpected places in the countryside, sometimes even in back gardens, and can occasionally be seen crossing roads, grazing in fields and using the well trodden trails between their natural woodland habitats, always a delight to encounter because deer are such quiet and graceful creatures that they have earned a place in our affection, one perpetuated through literature and films.

It is therefore surprising to find that they are often poached for their meat and The Local described a particularly nasty incident in Bourne Wood in which a fawn had been tied to a gate and mauled by dogs (14th March 2003). The newspaper reported that poachers dazzle the deer with powerful lamps and then let their dogs loose to bring it down until it can be killed, a barbarous practice that needs to be stamped out with the full force of the law. The fawn in this case suffered a long and lingering death and forestry officials believed that the carcass may have been left behind as a warning to farmers and gamekeepers that the culprits can and will be violent if disturbed.

Others dislike deer because they regard them as a traffic hazard and many people would like to see them culled although this would not be popular.

It is reckoned that there are around 60 fallow deer living in Bourne Wood, a relatively small number considering that the forest extends to some 400 acres. Half a dozen of them are white, not albino as many mistakenly think, but the result of a recessive gene, a reminder that white deer were far more frequent in centuries past. In addition there are around 100 muntjac which are even less likely to be seen but their distinctive barking cry can often be heard.

Deer usually live socially in groups or herds and, like cattle, they are ruminants, that is they chew the cud. They come out into the open at dawn and dusk to feed on  leaves, berries, grass, shoots, ferns, root crops and cereals. Some even eat bark, so damaging the trees. During the day, they settle down in some quiet place to regurgitate and digest their food. Leaves and other herbage are needed in large quantities to satisfy their appetite and the process of chewing the cud allows this shy animal to swallow a large amount of food and then digest it at leisure.

The most outstanding feature of deer are the antlers which are usually possessed by males only. They grow afresh each year in time for the rutting season from the middle of October through the middle of November when fights frequently take place for the possession of the females. The males find their voices too at this time and a loud roar is not uncommon in Bourne Wood. After rutting, the antlers are shed.

The best time to spot these creatures is in the early morning or late evening and the ponds at the far end of the woodland are a favourite haunt where they often gather for their water, leaving hoof marks in the mud along the banks.

OBSERVATIONS FROM READERS OF THE BOURNE FORUM

I lived near to Bourne Wood for much of my life and can remember seeing an albino deer many years ago nibbling on fresh shoots in one of the fields between there and Cawthorpe village. He was a big beastie with big antlers. Most of my other encounters have been either meeting them on the road when they seem to jump out from nowhere. One indeed did just that, straight onto the bonnet of my first ever brand new company car. I stopped but the deer must have been so startled that it ran off and I could not find out whether it had been injured.
- Catherine Bergner, Thursday 29th April 2010.

I have seen many deer in the area and they have also trashed one of my cars, my wife's car and many of my friends' cars.
There are far too many of these ever-breeding menace and they need to be culled on a large scale. They are my experiences of theses daft creatures.
- John Glen, Friday 30th April 2010.

I walk my dogs most days in Bourne Wood and have seen many deer red, fallow and a lot of white ones. Speaking to the forestry workers, they tell me they do not cull the white ones hence so many more in the woods. I am stunned every time I see these creatures and feel very lucky that we have so many in this area.
- Jane Kingman-Pauley, Saturday 8th May 2010.

WRITTEN MAY 2010

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