This is a what kind of deer?

If you are like we were, we seen this deer and didn't have a clue that it even existed! Just another Texas Exotic that we get to learn more about! These Texas Exotics are so fascinating, and you just never know what you may see while you are in Texas. These animals are not known to so many of us and that is what makes them so fascinating! Just like you, we are just learning about this animal. So with that being said, here is a little background on this beauty! By the way, their ears are my favorite :).

This my friends are what they call, a Barasingha Deer. A what!? Yep, that's what i said too! Get this, they can live 20-30 YEARS!!!! WOW! They are also commonly known as "swamp deer" and they are primarily from India.  They grow to be very large deer. The males will weigh 390 to 570 pounds and the females up to 300 pounds plus. That would definitely fill a freezer! They have a yellow-brown coat and stand approximately 4 feet tall. Males are generally darker in color than females. Tufts of hair can often be seen hanging out of the large ears of both sexes. The antlers appear only on males and grow in a C-shape from a profile view.  The number of antler points can vary greatly, but 10 to 16 (5 to 8 points per side) is common.  A brow tine near the base of each antler is typical, with the majority of the points concentrated near the ends of the arching antler beams.  Each point from the main beam may fork once or more.  Forking in the mid-tine is most common, but not always. Mature male antlers measure from 30 to 35 inches in length, but can grow to reach 42 inches plus.  Females do not grow antlers. The shedding of antler velvet takes place in late August to September and they usually drop antlers in February.

Barasingha deer refer to inhabit marshes or swamp lands and like to feed in open grasslands and take shelter in brush during heat of the day and harsh weather conditions. Males create wallows and gather harems of females during breeding season and they use smell as their primary sense for detecting danger, just like most animals. They will drink twice a day during the hottest parts of the year which i find interesting. Males will fight for dominance and the right to breed females. The breeding season extends from September to April in most states, with a spike in rutting activity seen in December and January. The Barasingha deer are the only exotic deer that are monestrous -- females only come into estrous once a year. Gestation lasts 8 months and females give birth to only 1 young per season.  This low birth rate lends to a naturally low recruitment rate (animals reaching breeding age).

Thanks  Joe Reed of Mountain Home Hunting Service for introducing us to these beautiful exotic deer. Learning about animals that you didn't even know existed is always fun and you never know, we may be back to take one of these trophies ourselves one day! Be sure to check out our buddy Joe Reed if this is an animal you would be interested in taking :)

Mountain Home Hunting Service