94
The Essex Naturalist
From this sample of the population, the total sightings of common fallow = 121.
Total sightings of black fallow = 47.
This is not the total number of deer, however, as some of these sightings will
contain deer seen on a previous evening. The best calculation based on this
information is to treat each sighting individually, and from them gain
parameters of the largest and smallest proportion of black fallow deer possible
with these figures. The relevant data is asterisked in the table and gives the
following parameters :
Highest proportion of black fallow = 43%
Lowest proportion of black fallow = 14%
Average proportion of black fallow = 29%
The sample is really too small to be conclusive, but the indications are certainly
that black fallow are in the minority in the northern bufferlands
Diurnal Movement
In the woods around Epping Forest (and in several areas of the forest itself) the
boundary between field and wood is clearly marked, either by thick shrubs and
herbs, a ditch, or a hedge. In order to cross this boundary, the deer must force an
opening through it, and as fallow are creatures of habit (Chapman and
Chapman, 1975), these access points are easily spotted if well used. Fallow
movements can be monitored by closely observing an access point before dusk,
and then checking it again the next morning to see how many (if any) fresh
slots have appeared, and their direction.
Deer access points were located and monitored in the study area. These were
situated as follows:
• the Lower Forest along the B.1393 (3)
• Rookery Wood, south-east side (4)
• Oxleys wood, north-east and south-west sides (2 on each side)
• St. Thomas's Quarter, (3, leading to Stable Shaw)
• Warren Wood, (1, on the north-east side)
• Epping Thicks/Kemps Lawn, (2, on the north west side)
• Truelove's, (2, on the north side)
Each of the access points was monitored three times (28/5/97, 9/6/97,
12/6/97) following a period of rain so that slots would be clear in the soft earth.
The movements of fallow are affected by rain - for example, driving rain will
cause deer to shelter in a hedge or wood, whilst drizzle will not stop them grazing
(Chapman and Chapman, 1975). Because of this, access points were not always
checked immediately after rain, but sometimes when a period of two or three
days had elapsed to allow for anomalous behaviour due to rainy weather. The
direction of the slots was noted. Table 3 column 2 gives the number of times
slots were found at each access point as a proportion. For example, at the Lower