Last weekend I went roebuck hunting near Nienburg in central Germany and shot a black roe buck. That is the second one I have shot there and my host tells me they are also found in the Luneburg Heide near Hamburg.

These are wild roebuck and not bred to be pure black and I wonder how common are they in the rest of Europe?

Waidmannsheil on your Black Roe Ted, and it's even your second black one!!

Good question and am sure we'll all learn if we get some posts.

From my experience, not very common in the rest of Germany let alone the rest of Europe, but I could be wrong. I was under the impression they were limited, at least in Germany, to the northern areas you mentioned. I have never seen one in my 14+ years hunting here, though most of my hunting is limited to Southwestern Germany, Waidmannsheil, Dom.

Ted,

Waidmannsheil!

Yes, Black or Melanistic Roe Deer are accordingly; pretty much limited to the Flat Plains and Marshes of Northern Germany.

That you've shot one is unique as in over +30 years of German hunting I've only ever seen one Black Roe Deer!

Well Done!

Yes, you can find black roes in the "Lüneburger Heide", but they are quite rare. We shoot every year one or two, some weeks agoe I saw a black doe with two little from last year, one black and one of normal colour.
In some areas west of Hannover near by the little town called Stadthagen, there you can find some population more black than normal.

There is a nice book from Landforstmeister Horst Meyer-Brenken about the black roes with the title " Das schwarze Rehwild".

A friend of mine told my the occur only in the northern part of Germany more or less common with many isolated populations.

Regards
s.

We need photo's!!!


FB

Dear Fallow Buck,

I have photos of the first black roebuck I shot but not the one last weekend. However, I skinned it out and will send it to Wolfgang Shenk for mounting this week. So I can get pictures of both.

But my computer man tells me my program won't allow me to post picture on AR but I can post them to invividuals so if you send me your e-mail address I will send you a picture of the first black roebuck.My e-mail address is on the bottom of all my posts.

Addenda,

Dear fallow buck. If I scanb and post it to you, then you can post it on AR, if your programs allow you to do so.

Hi Ted,

I'll send you an e-mail and post the photo's for you no problems.

Regards,
FB

Hi Ted,

I received your e-mail with the photo. Unfortunately my photo host cannot host bitmap images. Could you re-save it as a jpeg and send it again to me, then I will be able to host and post it for you.

BTW, I've never seen a black Roe before. Very nice.

Rgds,
FB

Courtesy Wild und Hund, I just read a story on them and will try and post a pic to enjoy, Waidmannsheil, Dom.



Black Rehbock

I managed to get round the work system and changed the format on Teds photo. Here is:

Rgds
FB

Ted sure looks "canadian" eh! Ted, do you know if it is possible to import a roe deer cape from Germany or Europe to Canada? And if so, is it a paper work nightmare?

Dear exit 31,

A hockey puck masquerading as a kraut.

I haven't done it but I am sure its very easy. They are about as endangered as housecats. Dr Horst Wolf at Spedition Trinkhaus could organize it easily. His e-mail is TRINKHAUS.TROPHY@t-online.de or phone 49-6039-933 708. They are very common animals. I think they shoot about 1.5 million a year in Germany.

That´s an beautifull animal Ted.
The black color would make a striking shoulder mount.

Congrats - tho it looks scary

The chap who owns the hunting revier seems to be situated in the middle of a population of these animals. He has got three, in three years, from the same high seat. I am going to get a shoulder mount. The second one is blacker than the first one. Pure black face and shoulders.

Congratulations on your interesting and unusual trophy Ted.

Btw, have you used Wolfgang Shenk earlier? I understand that he does fantastic work.

Dear Eric,

I have used wolfgang Shenk before and he is really good. He was the chief taxidermist at Zimmerman's in Nairobi before hunting closed in Kenya so he made many very good forms of African animals before he returned to Germany.

This is a black roe buck in my hunting field.
I never shot it. but havent seen it again.
This was in the netherlands.

Arend


This was the white one i shot

Welcome onboard Arend.
Great photos and great animals.
The one taken through your scope is really good, and the German # 4 reticle man....thats a winner as well

Thanks for the welcome, Mostly i try to learn as much from you guys here on AR but from now on i try to post more. But not next week because i will be in chechy to participate in the European Hunting schooting championship.

I Know a few hunters here in the netherlands that have seen black roe deer. thy are not really rare. But I have never heard of a white roe deer until shot the one in the photo.

arend

I saw some full mounts of white Roe in the hunting museum in Munich. Unfortunately my other half had taken the camera on a tour of the local churches and left me to gaze at the animals alone!! I don't remember any black ones though.

FB