The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 4 letter word HIND
I've seen this crossword clue in The Daily Telegraph
H
I
N
D
More clues leading to the result HIND
Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "Deer" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case deer = hind.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does HIND mean?
HIND adjective- Located at the rear (most often said of animals' body parts).
- A female deer, especially a red deer at least two years old.
- A spotted food fish of the genus Epinephelus.
- A servant, especially an agricultural labourer.