Donaldson Deer ServiceCall
Two red deer stags locking antlers in the rut on a frosty autumn morning, watched by a third stag, under golden trees

Deer species

Which deer are on your land?

Six species of wild deer live in the UK, and five of them are found across the areas we cover. Which one you have changes the guard height, the fence, and when damage is likely, so it's worth knowing.

Photo: Peter Trimming / Geograph.org.uk, CC BY-SA 2.0

Size

Side by side, by shoulder height

0.5 m1 m1.5 m2 m2.5 mPerson1.77 m tallMuntjac: see the full guideMuntjac52 cmRoe: see the full guideRoe75 cmFallow: see the full guideFallow90 cmSika: see the full guideSika95 cmRed: see the full guideRed1.37 m
Shoulder heights are drawn to scale against an average British man (1.77 m), using the "height at shoulder" figure from each species' British Deer Society profile. Body lengths follow each drawing's pose, so treat them as a guide. Select a deer to open its guide. The sixth UK species, Chinese water deer, is found mainly in Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, and Norfolk, well south of our area.

The species we cover

Find out more about each one

Two roe deer standing alert in a harvested stubble field in front of a line of treesNative

Roe deer

Capreolus capreolus

One of only two truly native deer in Britain, and the one you're most likely to have on your land anywhere across Yorkshire and the North.

Shoulder
60–75 cm
Guard height
1.2 m

Roe deer guide →

A muntjac buck with short antlers browsing at the edge of a woodland pathIntroduced

Muntjac

Muntiacus reevesi

Small, secretive, and breeding all year round. Reeves' muntjac were brought from China to Woburn Park around the turn of the 20th century, and have been classed as an invasive species since 2019.

Shoulder
44–52 cm
Guard height
1.2 m

Muntjac guide →

A small group of fallow deer standing in tall meadow grass, looking directly at the cameraIntroduced

Fallow deer

Dama dama

Herd deer with broad, palmate antlers and a groaning autumn rut, long associated with parkland and larger estate woods.

Shoulder
73–95 cm
Guard height
1.8 m

Fallow deer guide →

A red deer stag with a full head of antlers standing on a hillside above woodlandNative

Red deer

Cervus elaphus

Britain's largest land mammal, and one of only two truly native deer. In England they prefer woodland and forest, but adapt to open moor and hills.

Shoulder
1.07–1.37 m
Guard height
1.8 m

Red deer guide →

A spotted sika stag with branched antlers standing at the edge of woodland at Studley Park near RiponIntroduced

Sika deer

Cervus nippon

Introduced from the Far East in 1860, sika are close relatives of red deer, known for bark stripping and an extraordinary range of calls.

Shoulder
50–95 cm
Guard height
1.8 m

Sika deer guide →

Still not sure?

We'll tell you what's there

Species can usually be worked out from tracks, droppings, and browsing height, even without a sighting. A survey is free.

Book a free survey →

Planting soon? Check which tree guards you need.

Our tree guard height guide shows each species at its real shoulder height next to the minimum guard it needs.

Have Us Take a LookAsk a Question

Or call Chris on 07397 942663. He'll call you back the same day.

Call ChrisSend an enquiry