nOn-lethal deer management
Read our report on non-lethal strategies for managing deer populations and their potential benefits for woodland ecosystems HERE.
Do deer populations need to be managed?
Deer can regulate their own numbers at levels “their habitat can naturally support.” So why do people say there are too many deer?
In short, humans are taking more and more of the deer’s natural habitat for their own purposes. Deer struggle to survive without eating something that belongs to humans. So, humans are exploiting too much of the habitat that deer call home.
“In natural and semi-natural ecosystems, deer numbers
can stabilise naturally.”
WHY IS CULLING AN ETHICAL CONCERN?
Culling not only disregards the wellbeing and lives of deer, but it can disrupt the social structures of herds, leaving surviving animals “vulnerable to disease, predation, and chronic stress.”
This is particularly unethical when non-lethal alternatives are viable and effective.
"A growing body of evidence, as well as public sentiment, now supports humane, non-lethal strategies that reduce harm and promote coexistence between people and wildlife."
CAN CULLING HARM ECOSYSTEMS?
Culling disrupts plant diversity through seed dispersal and nutrient cycling. Deer play a vital role in keeping aggressive species such as bramble dominating the woodland setting. Deer also aid the formation of standing deadwood, which is essential for the survival of 650 beetle species (Piper 2020) and 25% of forest-dwelling species (Oettel 2020).
"Rather than being viewed as ecological threats, deer should be recognised as key contributors to the vitality and balance of woodland landscapes."
IS CULLING EFFECTIVE?
Studies show culling deer often fails to meaningfully reduce populations, in part, due to a phenomenon known as ‘compensatory reproduction.’ It reduces competition for food, which can improve the health of remaining individuals and increase their reproductive success.
“Long-term studies showing that lethal interventions often fail to reduce populations meaningfully over time.”
What are the alternatives
to CULLING?
Alternatives include natural deterrents and repellents such as tree guards, birch extract and spray-on products. Immunocontraception has been used for a long time with great success in a wide array of wild animals, but it is yet to be used in the UK.
“Fertility control, exclusion fencing, habitat management, and the use of deterrents can successfully stabilise populations, protect vulnerable vegetation and reduce conflict without the ethical and ecological drawbacks associated with culling.”