Talked The Talk, Walked The Walk, Didn't Stalk :(

I eschewed a car club run to join an Epping Forest Deer Walk led by one of the keepers. I was mistaken in thinking that we were going to the Deer Sanctuary, which is out of bounds to the public. 

I found the meeting point with some difficulty and am so glad my S2000 isn't lowered. Someone in a yellow Porsche GT3 had negotiated the ruts and potholes which gave me confidence. I matched a man in Le Chameau boots to the car. The deer keeper was wearing the same expensive footwear.

He gave an interesting talk before we set off on our three hour non-stop walk. We didn't spot a single deer. :( I have learnt the folllowing:

1) There is only one red deer in the forest. My pic above is of a red deer antler.

2) Antlers are white, any colour they get is from the deer rubbing against trees. 

2) Indigenous red deer can breed with imported Sika deer. 

3) Female deer won't eat stinging nettles at this time of year but do later on in the season before they give birth as nettles are high in folic acid.

4) You can tell if a deer rather than a rabbit or hare has been eating grass as they leave it ragged as they only have incisors on their lower jaw.

5) Muntjac deer rely on their razor sharp canine teeth (extras) for fighting rather than their antlers.

6) Deer hairs are tubular which aids insulation but makes them brittle so deer pelts don't make good rugs.

7) Pelage is the name for a deer's fur.

We walked on the buffer lands towards Copped Hall. A Midsummer Night's Dream had its first performance here. (Extras.) The blackthorn is in full bloom. The weather today was bitterly cold with hail showers, many of us wore gloves. A typical 'blackthorn winter.'

I was wrong about the Porsche owner's footwear.