New Forest deer
- where can I see them?
New Forest deer can be found all over this lovely UK National Park.
But..... they are very hard to actually spot and get a really good look at. I know because I have stumbled about, all over the forest, trying to get a really good picture ..and so far failed!
Some areas are better to see them in than others.
New Forest Fallow deer near Ober Water
If you want to make a day out and combine a great walk, among huge trees right in the heart of the forest
New Forest Deer at Bolderwood
will give you lots of ideas.
A visit to Bolderwood is suitable for
wheelchair access
but please be aware that you will be travelling over gravel paths which may be a bit bumpy!
From here you can follow the
Deer Watch Trail
Bolderwood is also great for
New Forest walks and walking trails
Why not bring your bike and follow one of my recommended
Cycle Trails.
Whatever you do I hope you have a great time out and about in this beautiful New Forest National Park.
Now you can add your special tale or a wonderful photo of the deer you have spotted on a visit here! Let's face it - there must be better photos than I have taken out there?
Just scroll down and you'll see the form near the bottom of the page - look forward to sharing your views with us!
I have many personal stories to share with you about the New Forest deer - after all that's why my site is called New Forest Life!
However, some of our experiences are below in blue, so you know it is a personal story.
Let's start with the types of New Forest deer you're likely to see.
New Forest Fallow Deer
These are the most common and have a distinctive black marking
around the tail. All New Forest deer are shy and so it's their tail that you
are most likely to see.
They are found throughout the New Forest
and tend to be in small herds.
They are usually brown with white spots over the back but we
have seen them nearly black and virtually pure white!
It took me one and a half hours to capture this shot and it's not very good! - yes they are quite illusive.
We have actually stumbled over New Forest deer
when walking our dog on a dark winter night.
We have been attacked - yes, even our large, black dog was attacked
- by a mother protecting a fawn asleep in long grass - she
really needn't have worried as we didn't even know it was there!
Over protective mums - what are they like?
(this was off the New Forest in a local village).
New Forest Roe Deer
These New Forest deer are a greyish brown in winter which changes to a red/brown in summer. They do not go round in a herd like the Fallow and you tend to see just one male
and one female at a time.
I'm often out on the New Forest and suddenly see a head appear,
or if I'm closer than I realise a roe deer will suddenly leap up
and do a spectacular series of high jumps across the heather -
a truly beautiful sight - I wish I was that graceful.
New Forest Roe Deer shy and quite hard to spot!
New Forest Red Deer
These are the largest deer you are likely to see on the New Forest and also the most rare.
You may see them around Ashurst in the early
morning and there is also a conservation project going on near
Brockenhurst.
I used to ride in Richmond Park, in Surrey and the park was
full of red deer - they are a spectacular sight and an amazing
sound to hear during the rutting season.
New Forest Muntjac and Japanese Sika Deer
These are smaller and much shyer New Forest deer. They tend to like the woodland areas found south of the railway line which cuts across the New Forest.
New Forest Fallow Deer stag you may be lucky enough to see!
For a lovely day out and hopefuly to see some New Forest fallow deer, at least, head for the New Forest Bolderwood Deer Sanctuary.
We often go past and usually end
up parking in the nearby car park and crossing the road to see if there are any deer to be seen from the viewing platform.
They are fed by a keeper during some of the year and so you
should be lucky in your deer spotting.
If you head south through Lyndhurst on the A35 and turn right onto the Bolderwood Ornamental Drive, you will see some magnificent redwood trees and end up at the
Bolderwood New Forest Deer Sanctuary.
Grid ref: 242087
WikiMapia
can help you find it on their map.
Share your best New Forest deer story or photo with us now!
Have your seen a white New Forest deer? Did you take a photo? Share it with us now!
What Other Visitors Have Said
Click below to see contributions from other visitors to this page...
Simon Cattermole
Not rated yet
Saturday 22 October, 5:00pm, Coming out of Brinken Wood and into the open area of Warwickslade Cutting - a magical moment watching a white deer and four ...
White deer at Bolderwood
Not rated yet
This was at the Deer Sanctuary at Bolderwood.
Sunrise
Not rated yet
I couldn't sleep so got up as the sun began to rise. We often have visiting deer but when I opened the curtains there was a white deer amongst the herd!...
Where is the best place to see New Forest deer?
Not rated yet
We were walking on the New Forest the other weekend and saw a white deer - what sort of deer was this and why was it white.
Where can we see more deer?...
Make sure you don't miss a visit to my
New Forest Pigs and Piglets
page where you can catch up with and meet my piglet friends and neighbours!
I hope you manage to see lots of deer, ponies, donkeys, cows and pigs and piglets on your visit to the beautiful New Forest..........
Don't forget to look out for all the lovely
New Forest foals
which were born this year.
You can also see an archive of those born last year
New Forest foals 2011
....... they really are adorable!
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