British Deer and their Horns 
r S4 
start, and the two beasts charge at once, and meet with a resounding whack, which can be 
heard afar. Once they have thus met, a fallow buck fight is a poor show ; they are savage 
enough, but they simply cannot hurt each other much the way they go about it. It is all 
shove, fence, let go and clash again, and from the shape of the horns and always keeping 
their heads as the objective, they never get properly home with an undercut about the heart 
or neck, which is the killing stroke with the red stag and the Jap. It is extremely rare for 
a buck to be killed by another, although there are instances of such having occurred. After 
the battle is over, and the defeated one is driven right away, he is simply too miserable and 
dejected for words. 
I was, at the end of October 1894, tremendously interested one morning in a big buck 
in Boughton Park who beat off three rivals in a short time. The vanquished went and half 
hid themselves in the reeds of a pond, and allowed myself and a companion to almost touch 
them before they made off. There were two other good bucks which were still harassing 
“ the man in possession,” and I was keen to see the end of it all, but recollected I had a pressing 
engagement in a church close by, where I was to get married or some nonsense of that sort. 
After the last blessing had been given and everybody had thoroughly laid themselves out for 
a first-class attack of indigestion, I wanted to be off to the park again. The sweet creature 
who had caught me in an unguarded moment, however, said it could not be done, I must 
come off for my honeymoon like a good boy. But there — when did a woman ever 
understand business ? 
Under the false conditions of crowding and restricted range, fallow deer do many 
things which are not their natural habit. In parks, in addition to keeping in large herds 
where food is plentiful, the sexes mix indiscriminately except during the rutting season, 
though during horn-growing time it is usual for all the bucks of from three years of age 
and upwards to keep apart by themselves ; on the slightest alarm, however, all sexes run 
together and keep in a close mass. Probably no wild animals press together so closely as 
do fallow deer when first startled ; they seem to be aware of the fact that if the eye of their 
murderer is upon them he shall at any rate have some difficulty in selecting his victim. 
Having quite made up their minds that it is time to be off, you will notice how very still 
and rigid are those whose duty it is not to lead. If there is an old doe amongst them, she 
will thrust her head forward, accompanied with a step to right or left, as if scarcely assured 
which line to take. That is soon decided, for she alone makes a short run forward, perhaps 
springing into short bucks in the air for a few yards, or adopting one or two flashy bits of 
action with tail in the air before finally settling down to her pottering trot or more decided 
gallop, according to the proximity and nature of the danger. The rest of the herd rely 
implicitly on her good judgment, watching only her actions and her cocked ears. They 
themselves follow with leisure and take their places in the usual deer order, old yeld does 
in front, then does with calves, prickets, three-year-old males, and lastly old bucks. The 
guide may perhaps have only gone a little way when down goes her head, and as human 
scent is noticed she comes to a momentary standstill, and shying off to one side, she will not 
cross it unless forced over, and those following immediately behind swerve and conform to 
all the movements of their guide. All the actions of an animal in repose or movement 
can best be shown by means of illustration, so I will say no more on the subject. 
