Consultation on proposals for deer management

Defra held a consultation to seek views on the key proposals and actions to include in the final deer management strategy, developed by the Forestry Commission and Defra.

In England, due factors including land use changes and a lack of natural predators, deer density and distribution have dramatically increased over the last century, and pose a significant risk to our woodlands and the other animals that rely on them.

Evidence of the negative effects caused by deer across the country is widespread. This includes:

• Putting browsing pressure on new woodlands and ground flora.
• Inhibiting regeneration of existing woodlands.
• Reducing final timber crop value by up to 30-50% through browsing damage.
• Causing significant crop and agricultural damage.

The strategy aims to do more to reduce damage to agricultural crops, improve the condition and biodiversity of existing woodland, and develop more sustainable alternatives to fencing and plastic tree guards through improved deer management.

The consultation documents can be found here >>

Proposals for the deer management strategy: Confor Response to the Consultation