Curious how the breeding/calving/antler growth schedules of my Red Deer in Texas compare to the Red's in Europe.

Saturday, I saw the first baby Red Deer of the season. One 6 or 7 year old stag has started growing his crown. Even some of the 3 year olds have developed their split points on the top.

Do your Red Deer keep a similar schedule?

In Europe, it would not be uncommon to start seeing the calves at the end of May or the beginning of June. Normally, one only sees the calves a week or two after they are born, as they are pretty stationary just after the birth.

- mike

I did notice that the hinds were very scarce this weekend. I figured they were all off giving birth.

Where I would normally see many hinds, I saw only one small group with 3 hinds and one calf. I couldn't tell how old the other two hinds were, but they may have only been yearlings.

I can't tell you whether the hinds that have just calved rejoin the herd before the calves follow them, but the hinds do leave the calves lying around for the first X days, and only join them for nursing. This seems to be a feature of most (all?) cervids.

- mike