Managing deer populations in the UK is essential to protecting the biodiversity of an area.

In this week’s blog at AD Pest Management we look at the environmental reasons for deer management and how it is done humanely.

What is Deer Management?

Deer management is a practice used to regulate the population of deer in an area. They breed quickly and, with no natural predators, can rapidly grow in numbers.

There is not enough wild land left in the UK for the population of stags and does to continue to increase. Large herds are confined to small areas which negatively impacts the local ecosystem. High numbers of the animals in a location also leads to more vehicle collisions which is a risk to humans too.

There is strict legislation regarding the culling of these animals in the UK, such as the Deer Act 1991 and the Wild Mammals Protection Act 1995. These control how and when the animals are managed for ethical and conservational reasons.

Environmental Impacts

Plants, trees, and other wildlife can be negatively affected by an overpopulation of deer. The only way to reduce these impacts is to manage their population and movements.

Wild stags and does have positive impacts on the environment, such as maintaining open habitats. This can benefit a variety of insects, birds and other mammals in that ecosystem. However, in areas of woodland regeneration and peat bogs, large numbers of them can overgraze the land and damage the biodiversity.

Deer Management Methods

There are lethal and non-lethal deer management methods that can be used to control the overpopulation of the animals in an area. Specialists either reduce numbers or prevent access to certain areas.

The lethal option is stalking. The government regulates this practice, so there are limits and only specified weapons may be used.

Fencing is the most effective non-lethal management method and is used to prevent a herd from entering the enclosed space. This protects gardens, woodland and other natural habitats.

As the primary issue is overpopulation, wildlife birth control is sometimes used to prevent does from conceiving for up to 3 years. This is administered through a dart or shot and is an alternative to hunting.

Find Out More

Contact us at Pestguard PC for information about our deer management and pest control services in Crewe and the surrounding areas. Call us on 01782 624 461 or send a message via the contact form.

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