Unusual and fascinating… Read this book and enter into another world. — Jane Goodall

A story for nature lovers of all ages. The extraordinary adventure of a man’s relationship with roe deer.

The narrative unfolds in the sumptuous national forest of Louviers, Normandy. It recounts the story of Geoffroy Delorme, an accomplished photographer, lecturer, and nature lover, whose chance meeting with a young roe deer in his youth changes his life, so much so that he relocates to the forest to live in close proximity with deer. This wild immersion lasts for seven years.

Braving it alone in the forest with no tent, no shelter, and not even a sleeping bag or blanket is an exercise in pure survival, and so Geoffroy follows the deer closely. He adapts to their way of life, learns to eat and sleep among them, and by doing so acquires a unique understanding of roe deer and their way of living. Over time, he befriends the deer, a wild animal family with which to share moments of joy, sorrow, and even fear.

Learning to live in the forest is challenging. You have to be able to feed yourself and stockpile food. During springtime, Geoffroy gathers herbs: a variety of nettles, mint, oregano, meadowsweet, yarrow, wild celery to name but a few… He dries the leaves to keep mold and insects at bay. For protein intake, he gathers nuts in the autumn and stashes them inside tree trunks or rock cavities like a squirrel. Essential vitamins are readily available from fruits of the forest in the summer, but during the winter months his body is deprived of such luxuries.

The Roe Deer Man is the ever-fascinating account of the ancient quest to reconnect with the natural world.

Geoffroy Delorme, nature photographer, writer, and deer specialist, is a witness to and an ambassador for the natural world.

He left human society behind him to pursue a life with roe deer. By living among them for a period of seven years, he observed them closely and increased his understanding of them. He wanted to study their behavioral patterns, understand them and adapt to their biological rhythms.