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Red Deer in Scotland
 Scottish Red Deer The red deer is the largest surviving wild mammal in Scotland and makes an impressive sight even when seen at a distance. Perhaps the best known of Scottish mammals their numbers have almost doubled since the mid sixties and now stands at around 300,000.
The stags (males) measure up to 120cm at the shoulder and weigh anything from 60–130kg while the hinds (females) are smaller and lighter. Only the stags have antlers which fall off every year in spring but new ones grow again quickly. New antlers are covered with a furry coat called velvet. When theantlers stop growing the velvet begins to peel off. Antlers can be as long as 140cm and weigh 6kg each. Stags in good condition may have up to 12 branches in each antler.
The largest number and biggest herds of red deer live on high, open moorland. In winter they move to lower ground, often into woods and forests. Some red deer also live all year round in some woods and forests. The stags and hinds live in separate herds for most of the year. In woodlands the groups are smaller and made up of related animals such as hinds with their calves and yearlings.
Stags and hinds come together rather vocally each autumn in the breeding season, or rut. A stag may mate with up to twenty hinds in a given year. Calves are born in June. Young calves are sometimes killed by foxes or eagles but adult red deer have no predators apart from humans. The wolf, their natural predator, became extinct in Scotland over 200 years ago.
Red deer get their name from their foxy red fur but in winter they grow a thicker grey brown coat for extra warmth. They eat all kinds of plants including grasses, heather, berries, lichens and mosses. They will also eat tree seedlings and the bark of trees. In summer they feed mainly at dawn and dusk, resting during the day. During the winter most of the day is spent searching for food.
The best seasons to see Red Deer in Scotland are Winter, Spring and Autumn. .
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