Red Deer

These are the largest wild land animals in England. The wild Red Deer herds are a rare thing - an echo of the Royal Forest heritage, lost from most other places - but on Exmoor we are fortunate to have a thriving Red Deer population. This is a beast that everyone looks for when out on the moors.

Adult stags stand about 115 cm at the shoulder. Hinds are about 15 cm less. Only stags grow antlers. They shed them in April and early May and new ones start to grow immediately. As the stag gets older the antlers have more 'points' until they reach old age and start to 'go back'.

The Deer Rut on Exmoor

BBC Exmoor Deer Rut