What makes a herd of deer?
The does (females) and the fawns herd together and then the bucks (males) form small herds of between 3-5. The buck herds are constantly changing because the deer form dominance hierarchies and the strongest male at the time becomes the head of the herd.
Large herds may be the result of high deer densities, continual disturbance, animals gathering on a food source or prolonged hard weather. Sexes usually segregated for most of the year but in some habitats may mix freely throughout. Bucks and does will move into traditional rutting stands as the rut approaches.
01.02.2024