Thread: The fallow looking red

Went hunting with sneeze and titan308, Sneeze and I clambered up to a high point to glass the surrounding gullies, Titan headed over to glass a honeypot.

In qt he last half hour of sunlight I spotted a couple of animals at the bush edge approx 600 yards away, they looked like Fallow at a glance and very soon fed out of sight. After a while one poked its nose out, "yep, a fallow" we both said, it cautiously fed its way out into the open, minutes later the second deer followed the 'fallow' out.

"Shit, there's a red tailing that fallow" we both said, never seen that before.

They fed around a face at 490 yards and were entering a large gully which we were concerned might hide them. We couldn't get any closer as the ground between was fully exposed.

We set up and let rip, me with the Edge and Sneeze with the 243AI, a chip shot for me and not much harder for my undergunned off-sider.

Both went down and we ambled over and were puzzled at my 'Fallow', it had. Characteristics of possible both red and fallow had us puzzled. I gutted it and carried out whole as Sneeze isn't too keen on carrying anything heavier than a cup of coffee.

Titan308 had also shot a yearling so we had a pile of meat.

My deer puzzled a few, she was pregnant and we learnt that reds and fallow cannot interbreed, her offspring was a typical red deer colour. Warren from NZDA had a look and thinks she had a melanistic gene which is not common in reds.

I would have bet my left nut she was a fallow when we saw her on the hoof.





Great hunt, cheers fellas

Odd, very odd. Never seen a red like that before, coat/skin looks fallow, tail/rump patch looks red.

Whats with the pics of its rear end?

Originally Posted by Toby

Whats with the pics of its rear end?

To show its a red Toby. It only looks like a fallow in colour. And I would say because it is a melanistic red.

Looks like red head and arse end with a fallow middle

Awesome I have never seen a red like that but I have seen one that was very light silver in summer coat.

I was always told it is impossible for fallow/red to interbreed due to the differing times of esterous(?) and rut, but with the all ducked up seasons we have been having the last 10 years maybe its possible?

Four years ago I shot a mature(but not particularly good) buck who had does and was croaking and thrashing some tussock first week of June!

Originally Posted by Steve338

Went hunting with sneeze and titan308, Sneeze and I clambered up to a high point to glass the surrounding gullies, Titan headed over to glass a honeypot.

In qt he last half hour of sunlight I spotted a couple of animals at the bush edge approx 600 yards away, they looked like Fallow at a glance and very soon fed out of sight. After a while one poked its nose out, "yep, a fallow" we both said, it cautiously fed its way out into the open, minutes later the second deer followed the 'fallow' out.

"Shit, there's a red tailing that fallow" we both said, never seen that before.

They fed around a face at 490 yards and were entering a large gully which we were concerned might hide them. We couldn't get any closer as the ground between was fully exposed.

We set up and let rip, me with the Edge and Sneeze with the 243AI, a chip shot for me and not much harder for my undergunned off-sider.

Both went down and we ambled over and were puzzled at my 'Fallow', it had. Characteristics of possible both red and fallow had us puzzled. I gutted it and carried out whole as Sneeze isn't too keen on carrying anything heavier than a cup of coffee.

Titan308 had also shot a yearling so we had a pile of meat.

My deer puzzled a few, she was pregnant and we learnt that reds and fallow cannot interbreed, her offspring was a typical red deer colour. Warren from NZDA had a look and thinks she had a melanistic gene which is not common in reds.

I would have bet my left nut she was a fallow when we saw her on the hoof.





Great hunt, cheers fellas

Good work boys,are going to get the jaw aged? I reckon that Hind is pretty old aswell.

Odd to say the very least

Originally Posted by Neckshot

Good work boys,are going to get the jaw aged? I reckon that Hind is pretty old aswell.

I dont going from that one pic of her face looks still quite short in the muzzle, with no other information if it had totally red characteristics I would say 2-4 years old.

Get it aged and gene tested

I have to say I am surprised old sneeze got out of bed in time to shoot anything He does make a good coffee tho.

Interesting. I once saw a butter yellow hind in the bush, and was definitely not an albino.

Let me know how the venison is boss

Originally Posted by Toby

Whats with the pics of its rear end?

For you single blokes Toby

Agree, Sneeze thought she wasn't too old,your guess would be pretty spot on I'd say

I remember a red yearling that colour when I was deer farming. Over 25 years ago. Your's here is only the second one I've seen.
Must be some sort of recessive gene, eh.
Good that you are still getting out Steve. A good hunt. I still want to go to that chamois place that was the topic of one of your first ever reports.

Cheers