1964). By about 1910, the roe deer had apparently declined in numbers as
Buxton (1911) states that "they have now almost disappeared". The deer are
thought to have died out in the mid 1920s (Whitehead, 1964).
In July 1965, Peter Cooper, a warrener with the Forestry Commission,
reported that he thought there were two or three roe deer in Grassall's Wood at
Great Yeldham and that the animals had been present for about two years, in
fact since just after the area was cleared for planting. No other records of wild
roe deer in Essex have been found. Reports of roe deer near Quendon have been
considered by Whitehead (1964), probably correctly, to be fallow deer which
were common in the area.
1965-1976 records
There have been a number of reports of roe deer in Essex but most of these
have probably resulted from confusion with fallow deer. In 1965, the only
confirmed report of roe deer in the county was that from Grassall's Wood
(TL7635) near Great Yeldham (Beale, 1974). Roe deer were seen near Debden
(TL5533) about 1968 and they were recorded also at Pounce Wood (TL5538),
Saffron Walden in May 1970, both records being from experienced Forestry
Commission stalkers. In May 1975, a single roe deer was seen in Little Bendysh
Wood (TL6139) Radwinter by David Corke and Brian Eastcott. A buck was
seen at Great Bendysh Wood (TL6140) by Peter Beale in August 1975. The
above records are probably the only acceptable ones for wild roe deer in Essex.
The following records of roe deer in the county could not be substantiated.
A deer with small antlers in an upright position on its head was seen coming
from Spoons Hall, Pebmarsh (TL8433), and crossing the Halstead-Pebmarsh
road in early June 1971. The description fits a roe buck and roe deer are present
in the Great Yeldham area, 8 km to the west. Alternatively, a yearling fallow
buck in June could also fit this description if it had not cast its antlers.
In February 1965, roe deer were reported in Latton Park and Mark Bushes
(TL4607), North Weald Bassett. Numerous visits to the area in 1965-1966 by
several Survey members failed to find any evidence of roe deer although fallow
deer were very common. Roe deer were also recorded in Hatfield Forest (TL51)
in October 1965 (see Corbet, 1971) but solely on the basis of droppings and the
fraying of trees! Such evidence is completely unacceptable. Unconfirmed
reports of roe deer were received also from the Navestock-Stanford Rivers area
(TQ59) in 1967-1971, again an area where fallow abound.
Three roe deer were reported to be present in Forty Acre Plantation
(TQ6996), South Hanningfield in the summer of 1968 and in July of that year,
roe deer were also reported from Patmore Heath (TL4425), Albury. Neither of
Plate VII. (Opposite) A male roe deer in Thetford Chase, Norfolk.
P. Richards.
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