While deer numbers have become too high in some areas, it is possible to manage the population properly without eradicating them completely
It is an undeniable fact that deer numbers are increasing. It is also a less well-published fact that they are being very well managed on estates and farms and in private and Government-owned woodland throughout most of the UK. I should add, though, that the well-managed bit is an inconvenient truth to those who see deer and the reduction in their numbers as some sort of modern-day crusade.
Yes, their numbers are too high in places and there are areas where deer are degrading the habitat, but it is wrong to assume that they are a problem everywhere and that it is impossible to manage them properly.
Tied in with this, there appears to have been an increase in individuals and commercial stalking enterprises contacting estate owners and estate offices out of the blue and offering them the benefit of their “expert advice” on deer management. Most of them are offering opinions on deer numbers and habitat without even having set foot in the place they have contacted and with no idea of what…
