What is a Female Deer Called? [Secret Female Deer Names]

Have you ever heard funny female deer names, such as Aunt Deer or She Deer? If yes, you might be curious about what exactly should be the term for the feminine gender of deer. However, it is not easy to identify male and female deer right after birth. Keep rolling to read more!

What is a female deer called? So far, three possible terms doe, hind and cow are used for female deer in English. Naming female deer as a doe, hind or cow is dependent on species and size of species. Doe is widely used for females of relatively smaller species of deer. The hind is used for red deer females only, a cow is rarely used to represent females of the largest deer species.

The conventional pattern of buck/doe and fawn for male/female/young is the most popular one not only for deer but also for other mammals like Kangaroo or rabbit. However, cow/bull/calf has rarely used the pattern for female/male/young. These naming patterns are not fixed as language keeps on changing with time.

What is a female deer called actually?

There is no fixed formula to name female deer as a doe, hind or cow. Just by knowing more about species size you can easily name them. So nothing bad will happen if you don’t call female deer with the right word. If you are not an expert zoologist then you may use doe for almost all females.No need to worry about if  you don’t know more

Different Female Deer Names

Three possible options for feminine deer in English are doe, hind or cow. Let’s check them one by one – 

Doe

This term is widely used to represent females in a number of deer species. Interestingly, the doe is not fixed for deer only, it can be used for females of other mammals also like kangaroos and rabbits. 

In fact, if the male of a mammal is named as buck, its female will be doe. So, in the case of deer doe will be used only for those species with the buck as a male member, not hind or stag. Mostly doe is used for adult females. However, you may use it for females of any age group if you don’t know much about deer age.

Hind 

Another name for female deer in English is hind. This term is especially used for the females of red deer or sika species. Zoologists often use this name when the female deer of sika species is under 3 or after the third year. You may refer this term specifically for females of red deer. Unlike doe, the hind is not used to represent more than one species. But again if you are not a knowledgeable person there is no fine or punishment to call hind as doe or doe as hind. Most people are not able to understand the clear difference between different species or even cant guess the exact age of deer. So, extensive knowledge about deer age and species will enable you to name female deer properly as hind or doe. In the species wherein hind is the name of female deer, male deer will be stag

Cow

This term is not specific for females of deer only. It is used for females of large animals like elephants and whales. Two species of deer like elk and wapiti are usually larger in size. For this reason, the cow is used to represent females of large size species of deer like elk and wapiti. In these two species, females are termed as cow, males bull and young calves.

what is a roe female deer called

Names used for females of different species.

According to studies about more than 60 species of deer are existing now.

Females of red deer called

Red deer are considered as the fourth-largest deer species. This species is populated in  Europe, Asia, and Iran. Males of red deer are termed as a stag, females as hind and young as calves.

what is a red female deer called

Females of roe deer called

Roe deer are mostly found in Europe. The size of this species is small as compared to other species of deer. Males of roe deer are termed as the roebuck, females as the doe and young as a fawn.

Females of reeves muntjac deer

Reeves’s muntjac is mostly found in southeastern parts of China and Taiwan. However, this species is not very big in size. 

A pattern of doe/buck/fawn is also used for female/male/young in this species.

Females of Chinese water deer

This species is known as introduced species. The size of this species is relatively small like mask deer. Here again, a conventional pattern of doe/buck/fawn is used to refer to females/males/young.

Fallow deer Species

Fallow deer is native to Europe and is now existed in other countries also like Antigua, Barbuda, Argentina, South Africa and many more. A naming pattern of this species is also doe/buck/fawn.

Females of elk & Wapiti species

The size of the deer of this species is as large as a cow. So, the female is known as a cow, male a bull and young as calves.

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How can we identify deer is male or female?

After knowing much about naming gender in different deer species, it is important to distinguish between both male and female deer. For hunting, it is better to know about the physical characteristics of both. 

First of all, antlers are the main difference between buck and doe. Bucks have antlers while doe doesn’t have

Secondly, tracing tracks makes other differences. Doe mostly moves in disciplined pointed track while bucks have somehow wide tracks due to their swaggering gait.

Finally, you can identify them during urination. Buck mostly urinates in walking position while doe bend legs to urinate. Before planning hunting, observe your prey keenly, as in some countries hunting females is not legal.

What is a female deer called?

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is a female deer called a doe?

Female deer are called doe only if its male is a buck. For relatively smaller species like roe deer, a female deer is named as a doe, male as buck and young as a fawn.

Is a female deer called a cow?

Yes, females of some of the largest species of deer are mostly termed as a cow, males as bull and young as calves. Examples of these species are elk and Wapiti.

Is Deer male or female?

Deer is a noun used to refer to the name of wild herbivore mammal. The term deer is not gender-specific.In order to make it masculine or feminine, it is a must thing to add male or female with noun deer.

What do we call a female deer?

Female deer are mostly called a doe or hind in some species while rarely called as a cow in the largest species.

What is female of roe deer called?

Female of roe deer is called a doe, a male is called a buck and young is called a fawn.

Conclusion

Hopefully, after reading what is a female deer called? You will use the right term for calling female deer. However, it is not easy to identify hind, buck or doe without extensive knowledge about deer species. But you can make a quick guess with animal size. If the size of the species is comparatively small, it will be done. If it is larger it will behind and if largest it will be surely cow. So, the next time when you plan hunting, don’t forget to post a female deer picture on social media with the right name. If you like this article, share it with your friends. You can read our other post like screwing on broadheads, the difference between deer and elk, the gestation period for deer, etc.