There is a large family of Roe Deer in our valley. During the winter we see them almost every day, especially when there is snow. During the campsite open season we see them occasionally, but they are timid creatures. So, you are more likely to see them if you go hiking across the fields than if you stay on site.

Key Facts about Roe Deer

What Do They Eat?

Leaves, grass, young shoots, berries, trees

How many young do they have?

1-5

How Much Do They Weigh?

22-77 lb (10-35 kg)

How Long Are They?

37.4-53 in (95-135 cm)

How Tall Are They?

25-26 in (63-67 cm)

How Many are there in Europe?

15,000,000

How Long do they Live?

10-12 YRS

What is their Top Speed?

70 KM/H

Where do they live?

Roe Deer live throughout Europe. They prefer forest-steppe, dense woodland, especially among conifers, or bramble scrub. When they rest they like small forests within croplands, and high-grass meadows that have some shrubs.

Habits and Lifestyle

Roe deer are solitary or they live in family groups of a female and her offspring, during the summer months. In the winter, almost all of them live in family groups, being the basis for social organization. In the summer, the deer are spread throughout the territory, while in winter they focus on the foraging areas. Roe deer are territorial, and while the territories of a male and a female might overlap, other roe deer of the same sex are excluded unless they are the doe’s offspring of that year. During the day, Roe deer remain in safe habitats (such as forests). They make resting in “beds” of scraped leaf litter off the ground. They usually come out into more open habitats at night when there is less activity. When alarmed Roe deer will bark a sound much like a dog and flash out their white rump patch. Rump patches differ between the sexes, with the white rump patches heart-shaped on females and kidney-shaped on males. Males may also bark or make a low grunting noise. The females make a high-pitched “pheep” whine to attract males during the rut (breeding season) in July and August.

Diet and Nutrition

Roe deer are herbivores. They mainly eat grass, leaves, young shoots, and berries, a favourite being very young, tender grass that has recently been rained on and has a high moisture content. They will not usually enter a field with livestock such as cattle or sheep in it because these animals make the grass very dirty. Consequently, the fields around our campsite are an ideal home for them. We consider ourselves truly blessed to have such beautiful neighbours!

We have a lot of information about nature in and around the campsite. See our posts about Sparrows, Jackals and Fireflies.