What Is Another Name for the Male Deer?
There are a range of names for the male deer, including buck, bull, hart and stag. There are more than 100 types of deer, although the whitetail deer is the most prevalent in the United States.
Female deer are known as does, hinds or cows, while young deer are referred to as calves or fawns.
Interestingly, the deer antler is the fastest type of living tissue on the planet, and only deer have antler. Reindeer, blacktail deer, moose, elk, mule deer and caribou are other types of deer that have antlers. A male deer is often described by the number of points on its antlers. For example, a buck with eight different points on its antlers may be referred to as an 8-point buck.
The terminology used for the deer is based in the Germanic languages. The word “deer” dates back to Middle English and was a general term that narrowed over time. The terms used for the male and female deer vary according to different dialects. “Hart” applies specifically to a male red deer. While only large male deer are called “bulls.” Some of the terminology used for the male deer are also applicable to other animals, particularly the cow with the term “bull.”
