Velvet

The gorgeous idyllic scene from the road as I passed the field seeing the roe deer silhouetted against the sun surrounded by the fresh spring grass made me stop and turn round. 

On close inspection it transpired that the the buck was in velvet , possibly between 5 and 7 years old , looked positively emaciated and had a broken horn which you can see here. This will make it at a disadvantage when it comes to sparing with other bucks in the summer. Being in velvet means that the horns at the moment are extremely sensitive as they are growing covered with a soft, blood filled bone-forming tissue. The doe was moulting and looked much the worse for wear when she got up for a wander.