The Deer are a large Family of ruminants, ranging in size from the
diminutive pudu to the impressive moose. This is a Red Deer stag, a
species widespread across Europe and introduced to New Zealand. Male
deer, stags, grow antlers. These are originally covered in a spongy
tissue known as velvet, but before the rutting season the bone beneath
hardens and he will scrape the velvet clean. With these antlers he
jousts with other males, attempting to secure as many hinds (female
deer) as he can. This rutting process begins in late autumn and
continues into early winter. The antlers are shed at the end of winter,
so that a fresh pair can grow.
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