Deer Glossary

Antlers: The permanent horns on a deer. Composed of bone (not keratin as in horn). They grow anew each year from pedicles.
Bugle: The vocal call of a wapiti bull during the rut.
Bull: Male wapiti.
Calf: juvenile red deer or Wapiti.
Coronet: Ring or burr around the base of the antlers.
Doe: Mature female deer in breeds other than red deer.
Fawn: juvenile fallow deer, and other species other than red deer.
Havier: Castrated male deer.
Hind: Mature female red deer.
Hummel: Castrated male deer.
Mane: increased growth of hair on the enlarged neck of a bull wapiti and red stag during the rut.
Palmation: By the 3rd or 4th season, fallow deer develop a flattening or palmation at the ends of the antlers.
Pearling: Knobbly or ridged texture of antlers of some deer species.
Pedicles: Permanent outgrowths of the frontal bones of the skull from which antlers grow.
Pelage: Coat of deer.
Roar: Sound made by male deer of some species during the rut. Used to describe the mating season.
Rut: Mating season.
Slink: Calf or fawn before birth and valued for its skin.
Snag: Same as spillers.
Species: In New Zealand the farmed deer are:

• Red
• Fallow
• Wapiti
• Rusa
• Sika

Spillers: Palm points of fallow tines.
Spottie: Young deer (usually fallow) up to 3 months old.
Tines: Points or branches off the main beam of antlers. These are names according to their position eg, brow, bray and tray.
Velvet: Early soft vascular growth of the antlers before they harden. Males rub it off when antlers mature. Used in medicines.
Weaning: When calves or fawns are removed from their dams at either 2.5 – 4 months, before the next rut, or at 5-8 months in winter-early spring.