Nestled in the beautiful Ovens Valley at Eurobin is the Red Stag Deer and Emu farm. The 70-acre property is beside Mt Buffalo National Park and twenty kms from Bright in Victoria’s beautiful high country. The Red Stag Deer and Emu farm began as a tourist farm & coffee shop in 1992.  Since then, it has grown into a restaurant, function centre, gift shop and farm stay accommodation.

Visitors at the Red Stag Deer Farm can dine in the a la carte restaurant while enjoying stunning alpine views of the Ovens Valley, including the beautiful Mt Feathertop. And yes, the menu also includes venison, kangaroo and emu meat for customers to try. In addition, to the 200 red deer are emus, ostriches, pigs and goats, all of which visitors can hand feed. 

Red deer

Red deer (Cervus elaphus) is a species of deer native to Europe, Asia and North Africa. They are an introduced species in  Australia. In 1860, Prince Albert sent six deer from Windsor Great Park in the UK to Thomas Chirnside, who was starting a herd at ‘Werribee Mansion’ in Victoria. Before long, the herd flourished, and Chirnside sent deer to New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, and Western Australia.

Male red deer are ‘stags’, and female deer are ‘hinds’. The males have impressive antlers which can measure up to a metre wide and weigh up to 15kg. A mature red stag is 120cm tall at the shoulder and weighs between 135 to 160 kg.  Females are 90cm tall at the shoulder. Their name ‘red deer’ comes from the rich, russet brown summer coat.  In winter, the coats vary between dull brown to grey. They are herbivores, and their primary diet is woody trees and shrubs, as well as grasses. Red deer are social animals and live in herds dominated by a single female. Red stags have a lifespan of around 10-12 years in the wild and up to 20 years in captivity.

Breeding

The breeding period is April, and females will give birth after an 8-9 month gestation period. During the breeding season, male red stags will engage in elaborate displays and battles for mating rights, using their antlers to compete with other males. Males are only territorial during mating season.

Deer Antlers

Deer antlers are the fast-growing, bony outgrowths on the heads of male deer (and some female deer) that are used for display and to compete for mates during the breeding season. Antlers are made of bone and are covered in a soft, velvety skin called velvet, which is rich in blood vessels and helps to nourish the growing antlers. After the breeding season, the velvet dries up and is rubbed off, revealing the hard, bony antlers.

Antlers are also highly valued by hunters, who collect them as trophies, and by some cultures, who believe they have medicinal properties. Antlers are also used in traditional Chinese medicine, and they are used as an ingredient in tonics and other remedies. Additionally, antlers are used to make knife handles, walking sticks, and other decorative items.

Velvet

Red deer produce 10-15 kg of velvet from their antlers annually.  After the rut, a drop in testosterone causes the connective tissue to weaken, and the antlers drop off painlessly.  They then grow a new set. The antlers become bigger each year as the stag ages.  The velvet on the new set is ready to be harvested after approx. 60 days.  Specially trained farmers or veterinarians sedate the animal before harvesting the velvet.  If left on the antler, it hardens and calcifies into bone with sharp points.  Deer Farms are advised against leaving the velvet on the antlers as, during the rut, they can be lethal to humans and other stock.

The Chinese have prized velvet for health-promoting properties for over 2000 years.  In western countries, it is now sold as a general tonic and as medication for osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.  Athletes use velvet as it helps heal cartilage and tendon injuries more quickly. In addition, laboratory and animal studies have shown that pilose, a protein found in antler velvet, has an anti-inflammatory effect.

Location

Entry is free to the petting section – The mini golf is $6 pp

Red Stag Deer and Emu Farm is at 324 Hughes Lane, Eurobin, Vic 3739

Open daily from 10 am to 4 pm