Animals
EUROPEAN ROE
The European Roe found throughout Europe stands 60-75 cm at the shoulder with bucks weighing between 24 and 30 kg, whilst the does are 2-6 kg lighter. Their winter coat colour ranges from dark brown to charcoal grey. The summer coat of both male and female is chestnut red although it can vary to a sandy yellow. Roe deer drop and re-grow their antlers like other deer. A strong young buck may develop a classic six-point head in its first year. However, a four-point head or even just two spikes would be the norm.
RED DEER
Red deer are one of the most widely distributed deer in the world, stretching throughout the Eurasian temperate zones from New Zealand to northern Europe. During the summer, Red deer are dark red or brown with a lighter color of cream on the underbelly, inner thighs and rump. In winter, the pelage changes to a darker brown or grey, with lighter patches on the rump and undersides. Both sexes have tails of approximately 15 cm in length which are generally the same color as the caudal patch. Stag weights vary between 90–190kg (200–420lbs). The height at the shoulder of mature stags will be between 101–112cm (41–54in). Red stags can appear the most majestic of animals when they are carrying a full ‘rack’ and the thick mane that appears during the rut.
FALLOW DEER
Slightly larger than a domestic goat, the Welsh name for Fallow is ‘gafrdanas’ which means Danish Goat. The adult male or buck stands about 90-95 cm at the shoulder and can weigh upward of 70 kg, depending upon the time of the year and condition. The summer coat of the Common Fallow is a deep chestnut in colour with white spots which in winter turns to a dark brown and the spots fade. The tail has a black stripe running along its length. The spotted and graduated coat of the Fallow makes it a master of camouflage. The fully developed antlers of Fallow are easily distinguished from the antlers of other deer species as they are palmate or flattened in comparison to those of other deer species such as Red and Sika which end in points.
SIKA DEER
Sika is the Japanese name for deer. Sika are forest dwellers and also do well in hilly and mountainous terrains. Sikas come in a huge range of sizes. The Dybowski sikas are the largest with bucks that stand from 35 - 43" and weigh 150 - 240lb. Then there are the dainty Japanese sika which are 30 -35" high weighing 100 - 176lb. The sika's color changes with the season and with their genetic type. Color ranges from a light ash brown to black in winter and in summer a red brown or a dark ash brown with distinct to faded spotting. A notable feature of sikas is the erectile hairs on their heart shaped rump patch. When the deer is alarmed the hairs form a striking large puff, and unlike our whitetail, they keep their tails firmly down. Antlers grow commonly in the 11 -19" range with trophy antlers 27 - 29". The meat of the sika is excellent, and it has fat within the muscle giving it a juicy quality in contrast to the leanest game.
CHAMOIS
The Chamois is found in terrestrial. rocky areas and alpine pastures in the mountains of Europe. The adult size of this mountain antelope, sometimes called a mountain "goat", is 75-85 cm long and 70-90 cm high, with weight of 24-36 kg. The short, smooth summer coat is overall tawny or reddish-brown, while in winter it becomes a chocolate brown. The jaw, cheeks, and nose-bridge are strikingly white, and there is a black stripe running from the eye to the muzzle. The slender, black horns are found in both sexes. Rising vertically from the forehead, they are sharply curved backwards on their top third like hooks, and can reach a length of 32 cm / 12.8 inches. The ability of this animal to move about with ease among rocks in relatively inaccessible terrain is due mainly to the structure of the hooves, which have an elastic base and a hard thin edge.
MOUFLON
The Mouflon is the only true wild sheep species in Europe and has been successfully introduced into many countries such as Germany, Austria, the Czech Republic and France. It has a red-brown color with a dark area along its back, and lighter colored side patches. Its underparts are white as well as the bottom half of their legs. It has a white muzzle and white circles around its eyes. The males and females have horns, but those of the males are larger. The curved, spiral horns are usually around 25 inches in length and arch back over its head. The mouflon's horns don't flare out at the end as most wild sheep's do. The size of a male mouflon's horns determine his status in the group. A mouflon is about the size of a medium sheep with a weight range of 55-120 pounds. They are 4-5 feet long, and stand about 2-4 feet tall at the shoulders.
WILD BOAR
The wild boar is native to both Europe and Asia. The wild boar is a challenge to hunt. Though boars have poor eyesight, they possess keen senses of smelling and hearing. A muscular animal, boar rely on their speed as well as their wits to evade hunters.The wild boar's hair is long black, brown or grey in colour. They have a short small boned body with large shoulders and a smaller rear. The snout is long, narrow and straight and the ears are small and erect. The tail is straight with long tassels. Males can weigh some times more then 200kg (400 lbs) and after 2 years of age grow tusks from both the upper and lower canines curving upwards. Females do not grow tusks and are also very large. The maximum height reached for both sexes is about 1 metre.
RED FOX
The Red Fox's body is about 20 to 36 inches long. The tail can add another 13 to 24 inches. It weighs up to 10 kg (20 lbs) and has usually a very nice red pelt. In January you can hear the bark-like mating call echoing through the forests. At that time the males wander long distances to find their mate. After successful mating the female will cary the young for 49 to 58 days and usually produces a litter of 4 to 6 pups. After two months the young are self efficient and at the age of 9 months are ready to reproduce. Foxes are very adaptive and live in remote areas as well as in city parks or around farms.
WOLFThe wolf is the primeval wild dog, the largest wild canid, long a hunter alongside people, and ancestor of our most faithful domestic companion. Wolves vary widely in appearance. Their fur is thick and usually grey, but can vary from nearly pure white, red, or brown to black. Head-and-body length: 100-150 cm. Wolves lead a complex social life. They form groups called "packs," which are typically composed of a dominant mated pair ("The Alpha Pair"), their offspring, and an assortment of other adults, often with some genetic relationship to the "first family." In May or June the dominant female bears a litter of up to ten pups in a den in some secluded location. Life in summer centers around this den site, and later, a "rendez-vous" site. The whole group assists in the upbringing, helping to feed the mother and young with prey from the hunt, acting as "nursemaids" when the mother herself goes hunting, and guarding the area from predators like grizzly bears. By fall the pups are able to roam freely and the group may become more nomadic.
BEAR
The brown bear lives in the forests and mountains of northern North America, Europe, and Asia. It is the most widely distributed bear in the world. In fall a brown bear may eat as much as 90 pounds (40 kilograms) of food each day, and it may weigh twice as much before hibernation as it will in spring. Brown bears dig dens for winter hibernation, often holing up in a suitable hillside. Females, or she-bears, den while pregnant and give birth during this winter rest, usually to a pair of cubs. Brown bear cubs nurse on their mother's milk until spring and stay with her for some two and a half years—so females only reproduce once every three years.
OTHER WILD ANIMALS:
BADGER
Hunting period: 01.19. – 30.11.
HAZEL GROUSE
Hunting period: 01.10 – 15.11
DUCK
Hunting period: 01.09 – 31.01
WILD TURKEY
Hunting period: 15.03. – 15.05., 01. 10 – 31.12.
WOODCOCK
Hunting period: 01.10. – 31.11
RABBIT
Hunting period: 01.11. – 15.012.