Fallow Deer

Originating in the eastern Mediterranean basin (Turkey, Middle East, Greece), the fallow deer was introduced throughout Europe for hunting purposes. It is a beautiful, medium-sized cervid measuring around 1.50 metres in length and 1 metre to the shoulder. The males have large, flat antlers.

The fallow deer lives in mixed deciduous forests, wooded grasslands, and on the plains and low mountains of Europe. It is a herbivore, but when food is scarce in winter it is able to eat more toxic plants, such as ivy and mistletoe, as well as bark. It lives between 15 and 25 years, depending on the harshness of the climate in its particular habitat. The males live together in small groups and fight over the females during the rut. After a gestation period of 8 months, the doe gives birth to one, or occasionally two, fawns.

Buckskin is renowned for its softness and high quality.