Deer Management in Action: Field to Foodbank
The UK’s wild deer population is at its highest level for 1,000 years at
around two million. This is unsustainable for both the deer herds and
the natural landscape. By comparison, in the 1970s, the population
was closer to 450,000. The target annual cull of 750,000 to provide a
sustainable balance is not being met, with approximately just 350,000
being the current estimated cull.
The Country Food Trust’s Deer Management Scheme
A scheme to cull wild deer, targeting specific species depending on the local need, is managed by The Country Food Trust. The venison is donated to food banks and community kitchens within that locality.
Funded for multiple seasons by landowners and philanthropists, The Country Food Trust manages the entire process: from overseeing the stalkers, carcass storage and processing; to venison meal distribution to local food banks. The outcome reduces wild deer in a region to a sustainable level and alleviates local food insecurity.
The impact of excess deer
Grazing and trampling clears undergrowth and plant cover, dramatically reducing the diversity of low-nesting birds, small mammals, insects and plant populations across woodland habitats.
Bark-stripping and branch-grazing damages or destroys shoots, saplings and young trees, reducing the understory and preventing regeneration. In some Forestry Commission land, the impact reported is a reduced final timber crop value of 30-50%*. Grazing on arable land causes significant crop damage too, with landowners reporting losses of more than £1 million per year**. Annual deer-related road traffic accidents are between 40,000 – 74,000***
Sources: *. Defra. Deer management strategy consultation, 4 Aug 2022; https://www.countryfile.com/wildlife/mammals/deer-culling-in-britain;
**. https://forestrycommission.blog.gov.uk/2022/08/04/reducing-the-impact-of-deer-on-the-natural-environment-consultation-opens/; ***. RSPCA