Who doesn’t love the flash of white in the woodland from a deer’s tail when you’re rambling or riding?
The mournful but hypnotic calls of Red Deer in the rutting season are a regular sound to country dwellers, and herald the onset of a clash of antlers or heads.
The British deer is a major part of the great British countryside and in this latest Hartwell blog on Icons of the British countryside we look at the Deer and in particular the indigenous species of the red and Roe deer.
The British Isles is home to an interesting and diverse range of species of deer with the best known being the Red Deer, Roe Deer and the sprightly Muntjac. Also in good numbers since introduction to British soil are the Sika Deer, Fallow Deer and the Chinese Water Deer.
Many live in the wild and when startled near roads can cause motorists some anxious moments or worse!
Red deer are famed for their delicious venison, and with the pubs and restaurants open again, take a look at the latest range of Hartwell’s women’s country shirts, perfect for that fireside or terrace venison dinner.
The UK’s largest deer and reputedly, the one that delivers the tastiest venison. We find the greatest numbers of red deer in Scotland and they seem to thrive equally well either in the woodlands or out on the moors.
Also, found in England and Wales with the Lake District having a good number of wild herds.
In the Autumn you can hear the Stag’s calls from miles away as they get ready to rut. There are also several deer parks, where they can be viewed easily and are friendly towards people. Not the same as in the wild though!
Another of Britain’s native species whose remains have been found dating back as far as the Mesolithic period. But despite their native status they were over-hunted in the medieval period and thought to be almost extinct in the 1700s apart from the northernmost Scottish Highlands.
Thankfully, they are now found in large numbers throughout the British countryside and it is often the white rump of a Roe Deer that will catch your eye in a wooded glade or a park. But be quick if you want a photo as they are fleet of foot and very agile.
When feeding they love to browse and will eat a variety of herbs, tree shoots, ivy, leaves and brambles, along with almost any other woody plant.
Here is a challenge, why not try to get a photo with a Roe Deer for our spotted in Hartwell page, you might find they will be attracted to Hartwell’s brightly coloured ladies country printed shirts!!
And last but no means the least we turn to the Muntjac, although not indigenous to the British Isles is fast becoming one of the more populous deer, but is not always loved by farmers
A curious note is the Muntjac’s call, which is often mistaken for a dog barking. A more secretive deer which tends to live alone or in rare cases very small family groups. Numbers have significantly grown since recording keeping began in 1972.
For even more information on the Muntjac and other British deer species, then head over to the British Deer Society website (a great resource), which can be found at https://www.bds.org.uk.
Coniferous forests and heavily wooded areas are its favourite habitat, so although there are lots of them, they are not always easy to spot when out in the countryside walking.
If you are a fan of shooting then there is a really good article on the ShootingUK website that we would recommend a read of.
Whether you’re a lover of deer for the meat or you want to glimpse a wild one in the great British countryside, they are very much a part of our English Heritage. This is much the same way that many people feel about another British icon; The Pheasant. Feel free to take a look at some of our stunning Hartwell ladies pheasant shirts on our site while you are here.
So get planning those nice long walks deer-spotting and go dressed for the occasion in Hartwell of course, then you’ll be impeccably dressed for walking, lunch or an early dinner.
Live well, Dress well, Hartwell.
Ni nani asiyependa mwangaza mweupe katika msitu kutoka kwa mkia wa mnyama unaposafiri au kupanda farasi? Sauti ya kuomboleza lakini ya kuamsha hisia ya Red Deer wakati wa msimu wa kuota ni sauti ya kawaida kwa wakazi wa mashambani, na huashiria mwanzo wa mgongano wa pembe au vichwa. Nyati wa Uingereza ni sehemu kubwa ya mazingira ya mashambani ya Uingereza na katika blogi hii ya hivi karibuni ya Hartwell juu ya Icons of the British countryside tunaangalia nyati na haswa spishi za asili za nyati nyekundu na roe. Visiwa vya Uingereza ni nyumbani kwa aina ya kuvutia na mbalimbali ya aina ya nyati na maarufu zaidi kuwa Red Deer, Roe Deer na Muntjac lively. Pia kwa idadi kubwa tangu kuanzishwa kwa udongo wa Uingereza ni Sika Deer, Fallow Deer na Chinese Water Deer. Wengi huishi porini na wanapoogopeshwa karibu na barabara wanaweza kusababisha madereva kuwa na wasiwasi au mabaya zaidi! Nyati nyekundu ni maarufu kwa nyama yao ya nyama ya nyama, na na baa na migahawa kufunguliwa tena, kuchukua kuangalia katika mbalimbali ya hivi karibuni ya Hartwell wanawake's nchi mashati, kamilifu kwa ajili ya kwamba fireplace au terrace nyama ya nyama ya jioni. Nyati mkubwa zaidi nchini Uingereza na anayejulikana, yule anayetoa nyama ya nyati yenye ladha nzuri zaidi. Katika Scotland, kuna idadi kubwa ya nyati na wanaishi katika misitu na nyanda. Pia, hupatikana katika Uingereza na Wales na Wilaya ya Maziwa kuwa na idadi nzuri ya makundi ya mwitu. Katika majira ya kupukutika kwa majani unaweza kusikia sauti za Stag's kutoka umbali wa maili nyingi wanapojitayarisha kuota. Pia kuna mbuga kadhaa za nyati, ambapo zinaweza kutazamwa kwa urahisi na ni za kirafiki kwa watu. Si sawa na katika porini ingawa! Aina nyingine ya asili ya Uingereza ambayo mabaki yake yamepatikana kuanzia kipindi cha Mesolithic. Lakini licha ya hali yao ya asili, walikuwa over-wathed katika kipindi cha enzi za kati na walidhani kuwa karibu extinct katika 1700s mbali na kaskazini Scottish Highlands. Kwa bahati nzuri, sasa zinapatikana kwa wingi katika maeneo yote ya mashambani ya Uingereza na mara nyingi ni sehemu nyeupe ya nyuma ya Roe Deer ambayo itavutia jicho lako katika uwanja wenye miti au bustani. Lakini kuwa haraka kama unataka picha kama wao ni meli ya mguu na agile sana. Wanapolisha, wanapenda kutazama na kula mimea mbalimbali, matawi ya miti, ivy, majani na vichaka, pamoja na mimea mingine yoyote yenye miti. Kwa hivyo, kwa nini usijaribu kupiga picha na Roe Deer kwa ukurasa wetu wa spotted in Hartwell, unaweza kupata kwamba watavutiwa na mashati ya wanawake ya Hartwell yenye rangi nyangavu ya nchi! Muntjac ni aina ya mwitu wa Uingereza, ingawa haijulikani kama asili ya visiwa vya Uingereza, lakini ni aina ya mwitu wa Uingereza, na kwa sababu ya kuvutia kwa sababu ya sauti yake, mara nyingi huchukuliwa kuwa mbwa. Nyati mwenye siri zaidi ambaye huelekea kuishi peke yake au katika visa vichache sana katika vikundi vidogo vya familia. Idadi ya watu imezidi kuongezeka tangu kuanzishwa kwa rekodi za watu waliokufa mwaka wa 1972. Kwa maelezo zaidi kuhusu Muntjac na aina nyingine za nyati wa Uingereza, kisha kichwa juu ya tovuti ya British Deer Society (resource kubwa), ambayo inaweza kupatikana katika https: www.bds.org.uk. Misitu ya misonobari na maeneo yenye misitu mingi ni makao yake ya kupendwa, kwa hiyo ingawa kuna mengi yao, si rahisi kuwaona wakati wa kutembea nje mashambani. Ikiwa wewe ni shabiki wa risasi, basi kuna makala nzuri kwenye tovuti ya ShootingUK ambayo tunapendekeza usome. Kama wewe ni mpenzi wa deer kwa ajili ya nyama au unataka glimpse moja ya mwitu katika nchi kubwa ya Uingereza, wao ni sana sehemu ya urithi wetu wa Kiingereza. Hii ni njia sawa na watu wengi kuhisi kuhusu icon nyingine ya Uingereza; The Pheasant. Jifunze zaidi juu ya mashati ya wanawake ya Hartwell kwenye tovuti yetu. Hivyo kupata mipango wale nice kutembea muda mrefu deer-spotting na kwenda amevaa kwa ajili ya tukio katika Hartwell bila shaka, basi utakuwa impeccably amevaa kwa kutembea, chakula cha mchana au chakula cha jioni mapema. Uishi vizuri, kuvaa vizuri, Hartwell.