Pluteus cervinus is saprotrophic and fruit bodies are found on rotten logs, roots, tree stumps, sawdust, and other wood waste.

The species epithet, cervinus, means "deer-like"" and refers to the colour of the cap (described as "rehfarbig" in Jacob Christian Schäffer's original 1774 description).

The cap can be deer-brown, but varies from light ochre-brown to dark brown, with a variable admixture of grey or black.

The cap skin shows dark radial fibres when seen through a lens, indicating that the microscopic cuticle structure is filamentous.

[7] Although a poor-quality edible mushroom[8][6] with an unremarkable flavour (and not preserving well), young specimens can be added to other cooked dishes.