Pere David Deer Hunting

Pere David Deer

(Elaphurus davidianus)

Current SCI all time record: Score 334 - England, s.e. - 8/86

Description: The summer coat is ochre to reddish tan in colour, and has the unique feature of having long wavy guard hairs throughout the year. In winter it becomes woolier, changing to duller grey, with the undersides a bright cream colour. Along the shoulders and down the spine is a darker stripe. The unusually long and slender head has large, expressive eyes and small, pointed ears. The skin around the eye and the lips are light grey and the neck has a throat mane in males. The legs are long, and the hooves are relatively long and slender - and adaptation to walking on soft, marshy ground. The donkey-like tail ends in a black tuft. The simple antlers are found only in males. Unique among deer, the antlers have a main branched anterior segment, with the tines extending backwards. Another strange feature of the antlers is that there may be two pairs per year. The summer antlers are the larger set, and are dropped in November, after the June-August rut. The second set, if they appear, are fully grown by January, and are dropped a few weeks later.

Other Common Names:

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Range: (one pair was imported to Woburn Abbey from China in 1898 and that saved the species from worldwide extinction): England; April - October.

Natural History: Since this deer is extinct in the wild, all behavioral observations noted here come from captive populations. Unlike most deer, the Pere David's deer is very fond of water. They swim well, and will spend hours wading up to their shoulders. The Duke of Bedford once recorded that he has seen young stags playing in deep water more in the manner of seals than deer. During the breeding season, stags fast as the spar for the right to mate. When fighting, males not only use their antlers and teeth but also rear up on their hind legs and 'box'.

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