Roe deer

Roe deer

The height at the withers does not exceed 95 cm, weight 60 kg, the body length of the roe deer is approximately 1.4 m, the height at the withers is up to 1 m. Summer fur is red, winter fur is brownish-gray, on the buttocks and on the sides of the tail there is a white "mirror". The tail of the roe deer is so short that it is almost invisible. Only males have horns - rough (height up to 40 cm) with 2-3 processes. There are no supraorbital processes. There are two forms of roe deer - European (small, with thin horns) and Siberian (larger roe deer, with massive, knobby, strongly spread apart horns).

The European roe deer is found in the Baltic republics, Belarus, Moldova, Ukraine, the Caucasus and many hunting grounds in different regions of the European part. The Siberian roe deer inhabits the southern part of the Far East, the south of Yakutia, Transbaikalia, the Baikal region, the Sayan Mountains and the Sayan regions, Altai and adjacent areas, certain areas of the forest-steppe of northern Kazakhstan and the lowland part of Western Siberia, the southern and middle Urals, the Urals, Bashkiria, the mountains of Central Asia, the mountains and foothills of the Caucasus. The roe deer is found in lowland and mountain forests, large forest tracts with clearings, forest belts among the steppe. It prefers mixed or sparse deciduous stands with undergrowth and shrubs.

The rut in some areas is in August, in others - in September. Male roe deer make a short, rough bark and often start fierce fights. After the rut, females, males and young animals gather in small herds. In late autumn, herds of roe deer can be found migrating to places with more favorable conditions for wintering. In winter, roe deer stay in places where the snow cover is not very deep and where it is easier to get food. In May, less often in June, after a 9-month pregnancy, the female roe deer gives birth to up to 3 calves. After a week, the calves follow their mother and nibble a little grass, and after about two months they feed completely independently. Sexual maturity of the roe deer occurs in the second year of life.

In summer, roe deer feed on grass, tree and bush leaves, and willingly visit salt licks. In winter, roe deer feed on branches, wild fruits, lichens, tree bark, and get grass from under the snow. In hot weather, they graze only in the morning and evening; in winter and in cloudy weather, they can feed during the day.

Roe deer are hunted under license by commercial hunters and amateurs.

Roe deer hunting

There are different ways to hunt roe deer. The most common are hunting with hounds, battue hunting, driving, and from towers.

When hunting from a tower, the hunter can see the animal better and earlier, and the animal has a harder time smelling or hearing a person, and the hunter sees further and disturbs the animal less. Towers are built on the edge of the forest, in copses, at the crossroads of forest roads, clearings, on the edge of the forest, fields. No more than two people are allowed in the tower. Rifled weapons are usually used, sometimes shotguns. Roe deer hunting from a tower is an example of cultural hunting. Such hunting limits the number of shots. As a rule, one animal is killed, and the rest leave, frightened by the first shot.

Hunting with dogs.

Roe deer hunting with hounds is very common. Hounds that chase slowly are best for hunting roe deer with dogs. Roe deer are not very afraid of such dogs and do not go far, returning, making a small circle. Sometimes dachshunds are used for hunting roe deer. Dachshunds have a very good sense of smell and tenacity. The hunt usually begins early in the morning, at dawn. It is necessary to choose the places where the roe deer move. Usually these are small places where forests connect, in the mountains these are passes along which the roe deer make transitions. It should be borne in mind that visiting roe deer can go very far under the hounds, almost in a straight line, and do not always return.

Driven and battue hunting for roe deer.

This type of hunting is very popular. To be successful in this type of hunting, you need to know the area well, the places where roe deer like to stay, their usual paths, and the places where they cross between different hunting grounds. The main difference between a driven hunt and a battue hunt is the number of hunters. As a rule, up to ten hunters participate in a battue hunt, who take up positions, and about the same number of beaters. In a driven hunt, the number of shooters and beaters does not exceed 4-5 people. The beaters are positioned and move in a semicircle at a distance of 120-140 m from each other, so that the roe deer do not break through the beaters, but go to the shooters' positions. Particular attention should be paid to the moment when shooting starts at the positions.

Before the start of the hunt, it is useful to ask local residents about the habitats and movements of roe deer. It is even better if local hunters take part in the hunt. In late autumn and winter, roe deer tend to stay in the same places. It is also a good idea to go to the hunting grounds a few days before the hunt to get acquainted with the grounds, find out where the roe deer are, and plan the hunt.

The shooting distance for a roe deer during a driven hunt is 30-40 m. The most lethal areas of the roe deer are the neck and shoulder blades. Cartridges for hunting roe deer are best loaded with 6 to 7.5 mm buckshot.àðòå÷üþ îò 6 äî 7,5 mm.