Index Home Join IPCC

The Wild Red Deer of Killarney

"Before giving birth, a red deer hind sometimes utters a calving bellow: a call that is evocative and somewhat mournful, which echoes amongst the hills and high coums of Killarney". This description is from an eye witness account of the wild red deer in Killarney National Park by Seán Ryan.

As the time for giving birth draws near, a pregnant hind withdraws from the rest of the herd and becomes secretive. A calf may be born in a wide variety of terrain in Killarney, but there is a preference for birth sites between 300 and 500m elevation. The calf is concealed among heather and grass tussocks higher up and among the tall fronds of Bracken at lower altitude. The peak calving time is in mid-June. Immediately after calving, the hind licks the young clean. This brings the coat to a glossy condition, preparing the calf for mountain weather. It also imprints the hind's own exclusive scent on the calf. The placenta (afterbirth) is cast and eaten by the hind.

Red Deer stag and his harem on Torc Mountain. Photo: Seán Ryan.

The newborn calf struggles to its feet and starts suckling. A hind's milk is sufficient to strengthen it within a day. After two days it acquires enough strength and swiftness to outrun a man. Parent hinds with hidden calves feed alone.

The calf is born into the security of the red deer family, which consists of the parent hind, her calf of the year, followed by her yearling and sometime two-year-old female offspring. Yearling and two-year-old males (young stags), if they have remained with the parent hind, will generally bring up the rear. This is the observed order of progression as deer go about the hill., changing feeding grounds, and moving from high to low pastures. Four to six weeks after birth, calves lose their spots. The hinds begin to lay down fat reserves for the winter, and continue to feed milk to the current year's calves. Their forage is mountain grasses, sedges, rushes, bog myrtle, heather and gorse. They also browse on trees of birch, oak, holly, alder and hawthorn. Foraging is followed by cudding. These two activities take up most time during the long summer days.

As July advances 3 or 4 deer families coalesce to form bands of up to 20 red deer. This is the beginning of the spectacular summer aggregations which take place on the level and open expanses of bogland, where over 100 animals can be seen at one time. Stag groups may sometimes be included although they tend to keep to themselves and to one side of the main aggregation. Within the aggregation grazing, calf play, lying up and cudding take place. A special feature is sexual play. It is common to see a yearling hind try to mount another hind. There is much vocalising by deer within the aggregation. One of the oldest hinds is usually the leader of the deer present within the aggregation.

Young stags leave the family party in their second year and live in separate all-male groups. By early summer stags are growing a new pair of antlers or a first pair. Whorls of hair present on the head of a yearling unravel as two pedicle columns enlarge. Antlers appear at the end of the second summer. They are bone covered by a coat of skin and hair called velvet. Antlers are simple structures in young stags. Older stags have more elaborate antlers with eight or more points.

A wild Red Deer stag pacing the hills in Killarney. Photo: Seán Ryan.

History of Red Deer in Killarney By the middle of the 19th century the last home of the native Red Deer (Cervus elaphus) in Ireland was in the woodlands and mountains around Killarney, where their preservation was due to the strict protection of the two large estates in the Killarney Valley. The two landlords involved were the Herberts of Muckross and the Brownes, Earls of Kenmare, both of who established deer forests in the 1840's in the mountains around the Lakes of Killarney, for hunting and stalking purposes. It is not known how many deer were present at that time, although it was generally believed that at the turn of the century there was in excess of 1500 Red Deer in Killarney. There was however, a considerable decline in numbers from 1900 until the end of the 1960's, when there were thought to be as few as 60 animals left. The first scientific study of the status of the Red Deer herd showed that there were 110 deer on Torc and Mangerton mountains in 1970. Since then, the numbers of Red Deer have increased though rigorous protection and in early 1990's numbers reached 690 in the National Park. The herds of Red Deer occupy the mountain and lowland habitats of the park. The lowland Red Deer herd is considered as two groups, inhabiting Knockreer and Muckross respectively, with some exchange occurring between the Muckross group and the mountain herd.

In August, cleaning of the antlers occurs as the velvet is shed, neck muscles swell, thick manes grow on throats and aggression increases. By mid September, aggression is more marked. Mature stags are increasingly intolerant of each other, and there are short chases as they attain peak condition. These animals are the first to rut. Traditionally, the first roars on the mountain are heard in the last week of September, signalling the commencement of the rut. Each stag is seeking to gather hinds to herd together for his harem (containing on average 5 hinds), which he will then endeavour to possess exclusively, by marking and defending the territory over which the hinds roam. He will mate with the fittest hinds, who normally come on heat by the second and third week of October. During the rut, while the stag waits for each hind in his harem to come in season, he will wallow in peat, thresh the vegetation with his antlers, as well as roar and clash in contest with competing males. As October draws to a close, the majority of stags have finished the rut. Their priority at this stage of the year is to build up fat reserves for the winter.

Red Deer hinds in Killarney National Park. Photo: Seán Ryan.

In winter red deer activity decreases. The aggregates split into family groups and male stag groups. A proportion of the mountain herd come down to the Killarney woodlands and lake shore margins. Others remain on the hills foraging in the mountain flushes for green growth and heather shoots, but these are scarce and they rely on mosses and lichens and even unpalatable mat-grass to see them through winter to the following spring.

At birth a red deer calf is equipped for life on the mountain side. Its eyes are open, It's covered with protective fur. It's first coat is dappled for camouflage, provided it remains still. Its ears are large in comparison to the size of it's head. Hearing is crucial to survival from predators. Photo: Seán Ryan.

Catherine O'Connell