DEER & WILDLIFE CONTROL

Protecting the countryside

Home background info Deer management Wild Boar

Contact Details

         Maintaining the Balance

Our population of native deer, topped up with imported species and released captive animals, has exploded in recent years. An exact head count of deer is difficult due to their nature but it is believed that deer in Britain are more numerous now than 1,000 years ago. Deer have re-established themselves throughout the countryside and their range and numbers are steadily increasing. Its nice to see and hear deer, after all its part of our natural heritage. The increasing numbers are a true indication of how the landscape has been improved for wildlife in recent years with set-aside and reforestation. But deer in Britain have no natural predators and as numbers continue to expand its inevitable that their numbers need to be controlled.

With the estimated population of deer in Britain at 1.5 million its not surprising road traffic accidents involving them are around 80,000 per annum and increasing. Human fatalities range from 12-36 per annum and road accidents causing  injury around 4000. The total cost of accidents involving deer  on the roads last year was believed to be in the region of 17 million pounds.

Deer cause significant damage to forestry by reducing tree regeneration, browsing saplings and bark stripping. Ancient woodland is being irreversibly damaged and native woodland plants are under threat from heavy browsing. Defra estimated the damage to farmers crops in 2003 to be in the region of 4.5 million pounds, the deer population has increased  sufficiently since then and the National Farmers Union has noted an increase in recent problems.

Nevertheless deer are a good economic and social resource and only become a problem when the numbers are unchecked. A managed culling programme by  trained personnel will keep the population at a sustainable level. If you have any issues with the number of deer on your land, if they have become a nuisance or are causing damage then please give me a call. I can analyse the deer population and help you with a programme to keep them under control, improving the situation for both you, the countryside and the deer.

 

 

 

DSC1&2 Qualified, DMQ Accredited witness & Assessor.

BASC Boar certificate holder/Course instructor

Large Game Meat Hygiene License

Fully insured with  BASC.