Roe deer

LIVING HABITS

The roe deer thrives in diverse environment of sheltering forests to wide-open field areas. The roe deer is always vigilant, and moves usually at dawn or dusk. In the winter the roe deer gather into small herds, but in the summer, unlike other deer animals, the roe deer male is constantly vigilant guarding his own territories. Roe deer feeds on sprouts, green plants and corps on the field in the summer. In the winter their diet includes the brushwood, and twigs of bushes and trees.

The roe deer is quite common in Europe. In the 1900’s the species came to Finland through two routes: from Sweden it wandered to the regions around the Gulf of Bothnia, from Russia it came across the border to the south-eastern parts of Finland. The roe deer has also been introduced to South Finland and Åland. The roe deer, however, is not a new species in Finland; the species has long been breeding in Scandinavia during the warmer season. Nowadays the roe deer can be found on the southern and the western coastlines, and also in the eastern and northern parts of Finland.

PROTECTION

The roe deer is a game animal in Finland. Because of the bounteous population regionally, unlike our other deer animals, the roe deer may be hunted without a special hunting permit. The annual quarry is about 2000–3000 individuals.

ADAPTING TO THE WINTER

The roe deer prefers areas with small snow coverage for its winter habitat. From under thin snow it can more easily reach for the brushwood for nutrition. In winters with heavy snow loads, the roe deer feeds also on twigs and needles. Some roe deer stay wintering close to housing areas in Finland, as people like to feed them during the cold spells in the country.

The delayed fetogenesis may partly help the roe deer couple in surviving over the period of scarce nutrition; the heat happens in mid-summer, leaving the male roe deer peace and time in the fall to gather food for reserve; the female, on the other hand, needs to share its energy first at the New Year’s, when the embryo starts developing.